Milk is one of the most consumed nutritive drinks not only in India but all over the world. From birth to being an adult and even after growing old, milk remains a companion for us throughout our journey. Mother’s milk is the milk that is recommended for newborns and gradually as we grow up we shift to cow milk, buffalo milk or even camel milk. So today we are going to share the main differences between cow milk and buffalo milk and will also be determining which one is better on nutritive aspects.
Almost all countries except India, Pakistan and some others consume cow milk more than buffalo milk. But countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and a few more consume buffalo milk more than that of the other countries. This is because the number of villages and dairy farms in these countries is more. Generally, the number of buffalos in villages are more compared to that of cows. As a result, buffalo milk is more popular in these parts.
Both cow milk and buffalo milk have the same health benefits but the differences lie in their nutritional contains and also on your physical goals. Both kinds of milk are rich in protein, calcium, Vitamin D which is highly necessary if you are a child, adult or in your old days. The differences between cow milk and buffalo milk are not much and both are considered good for your health.
Always remember solely depending on milk won’t make you fit and healthy. Other factors such as nutrition, exercise and a good lifestyle play a major role in keeping you healthy. Your overall diet and lifestyle matter when it comes to weight loss, fat loss and fitness.
Cow Milk vs Buffalo Milk – The actual differences
1. Nutritional difference
A complete nutritional difference between 100g cow milk and 100g buffalo milk is given underneath and has been abridged from authoritative sources.
| Nutrition | Buffalo milk (100g) | Cow milk (100g) |
| Moisture | 81g | 87g |
| Energy | 117Kcal | 67Kcal |
| Protein | 4.3g | 3.2g |
| Fat | 6.5g | 4.1g |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 4.4g |
| Calcium | 210mg | 120mg |
| Phosphorus | 130mg | 90mg |
| Iron | 0.2mg | 0.2mg |
| Vitamin A | 160IU | 174IU |
| Thiamine | 0.04mg | 0.05mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.10mg | 0.19mg |
| Niacin | 0.1mg | 0.1mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.14μg | 0.14μg |
2. Fat content
Buffalo milk has higher fat and cholesterol levels compared to that of cow milk. This is the sole reason why buffalo milk seems thicker than cow milk. Cow milk since it has low fat seems lighter than buffalo milk. Buffalo being thick is the best milk to make cream, ghee, butter and so on. As buffalo milk contains more fat the calorie content of this milk is also high compared to that of cow milk.
3. Easy to digest
We all know that fatty food takes time to digest in your stomach. The more the fat in the food the more time it takes for the food to digest. So, buffalo milk being high in fat takes more time to digest compared to that of cow milk. Buffalo milk takes time to get absorbed and may cause bloating and gas problems. Cow milk being lighter and low in fat can be easily digested. So it is always recommended to give cow milk to children instead of buffalo milk. Even cow milk is recommended to old people as their digestive system becomes weak with growing age.
4. Difference in calories
Buffalo milk having high-fat content is also high in calories than cow milk. 100g of buffalo milk has about 100 calories. On the other hand, if compared 100g of cow milk has 70 calories. A difference of 30% calories is found if compared between both. That is actually a big number. If you have serious fat-loss and weight loss goals then these 30% calories make a huge difference.
5. Protein content
The protein content in buffalo milk is 10%-15% more than that of cow milk. For example, if cow milk has 10grams of protein content then the protein content in buffalo milk will be 11.5grams. The difference is not that much but while calculating on an overall basis the difference becomes noticeable.
6. Calcium content
Both buffalo milk and cow milk have high calcium levels. Buffalo milk may have 6%-10% more calcium content than that of cow milk. But the difference is very nominal and both can be considered almost equal in calcium content.
Note: If you have diabetes or cholesterol problems you should avoid buffalo milk and go for cow milk instead
How to consume buffalo milk and still be safe?
Buffalo milk can be further divided into full fat buffalo milk and slim buffalo milk ( no-fat milk). So if you really want to continue having buffalo milk go for the no-fat or slim buffalo milk option. When you consume the non-fat buffalo milk the calorie level becomes equal to that of cow milk, protein content remains unchanged and the fat content also goes down.
How much milk should you drink in a day?
The answer to this entirely depends on age, activity levels, overall fitness levels and lifestyle. Every day you can have milk ranging from 250ml (1 glass) to 500ml (2glass) per day without any problem.
Cow Milk vs Buffalo Milk – Which is better?
When it comes to choosing the best one between cow milk and buffalo milk, it becomes very hard as the differences are very nominal. But still, if you had to choose the one you should go for cow milk because it is widely available and has low fat and cholesterol content.
If you live at a place where buffalo milk is available more than that of cow milk, go for the no-fat buffalo milk. This will help you to get the same nutritional content with less chance of developing gas. If you do not have any health problems then you can choose any one of both according to your preference. But if you are at a high age or you want to choose a milk for your kids, go for the cow milk.
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