In my second blog I discussed different types of milk and its advantages and their respective properties. I also touched upon varying views about its consumption. This time I bring to you a few views that explain why milk becomes intolerable to a few…
Like in every field even here also we have two schools of thought. One that propagates consuming milk in the morning if you are the body building type or are involved in extreme physical work. To get even more benefits, one can have it with energy boosting tonics like Ashwagandha. While the other thought maintains that milk consumed in the morning, becomes quite heavy to digest. It also makes you lethargic. People who drink milk right in the morning often complain of having acidity. We generally do not recommend milk in the morning to patients above 5 years.
It is also an absolute ‘NO-NO’ to have salty foods along with milk. In many parts of India it is quite customary to have a milk-mixed-tea post breakfast. And the breakfast which usually contains salt. My patients also tell me that they have been having their milk teas immediately after such salty breakfasts for ages and nothing is wrong. WRONG! such practice always begins with a bit of heaviness and ends up with acidity induced ailments.
Milk should be organic, whole and non-homogenized. Homogenized milk is very difficult to digest. It is also possible that the milk that is not certified as organic may contain rBGH. This is a hormone that artificially increases milk production in the cow. The only way we know to avoid rBGH is to purchase organic milk, avoiding milk & milk products that may have come from cows injected with this hormone.
Many patients tell me that they are allergic to milk which broadly means that they are lactose intolerant. While it is true that most people show their intolerance to lactose early in life, people can also get it in their teenage years or even in adulthood. Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency in the enzyme lactase in the inner lining of the GI wall. Since the GI track cannot absorb lactose whole (it must be broken down), it stays in the gut. This causes water to move into the gut which results in diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Most people with lactose intolerance have their symptoms when they consume lactose containing foods too.
Ayurveda recommends against the following combinations with milk:
- Milk + Sour Buttermilk: This will result in curdling in the digestive tract and will be more difficult to digest
- Milk + Meat
- Milk + Fish
- Milk + Sprouted Grains
- Milk + Yeast: increases Pitta
- Milk + Radish: Radish is pungent (ushna virya) and milk is sweet (sheet virya)& that is why the two do not mix well
- Garlic + Milk: The exception is Garlic Milk (follow Ayurved recommended recipe given at the end of this blog)
- Milk + Holy Basil
- Milk + Sour Fruits
- Milk + Citrus Fruits: The acidity of the citrus will cause curdling of the milk in the stomach and make it harder to digest
- Milk + Fruit Juice: Most juices will cause milk to separate and agglutinate, making it hard to absorb and digest.
To make Garlic Milk:
- Crush 4-8 cloves of garlic and place in a clean muslin cloth pouch
- Mix ½ cup of milk and ½ cup of water in a clean vessel or saucepan
- Place the pouch into the milk-and-water mixture
- Boil & reduce the mixture until only ½ cup remains while stirring occasionally
- Squeeze the milk out of the pouch and allow it to cool to lukewarm before drinking
I am sure that by now you have a fairly good idea as to how to select the right kind of milk and reap the benefits! In case you still have any doubts, you can always visit my clinic.
DR. MANJIRI JOSHI
9403360452
www.ayurconcept.com