Nutritious Benefits of Cow Milk and Buffalo Milk

Cow milk differs from buffalo milk in richness and composition. Buffalo milk has relatively lower cholesterol but then again more calories and fat in comparison to cow’s milk. Buffalo milk is prominently utilized in South Asian countries considering India, China and Pakistan being the largest producers.

There are quite a few negatives and positives of both the kinds of milk. While we discuss about cow’s milk it is known
to be very lighter and digested easily when compared with buffalo milk considering it is heavy during digestion. At this moment a question arises in mind as in what makes the milk heavy and light? What is indeed creating the difference in the superiority of milk? Mostly for newborn babies feeding of milk has to be started we frequently hear from our elders saying that cow milk is nutritious for baby’s digestion and it’s also lighter for the baby.

Difference between Cow and Buffalo Milk

Fat content: The most prominent difference between cow’s and buffalo’s milk is the fat. It makes the consistency of milk differ. Cow’s milk has low % of fat in it hence it is of thin consistence and thereby called to be lighter by a layman. Buffalo’s milk is high in fat % and is thicker than cow’s milk and therefore is considered heavy. As we already know the fact that a fatty foodstuff takes time for digestion and absorption and it stays in the stomach for a longer time giving us a feeling of heavy stomach or stomach fullness similarly buffalo milk has high fat and therefore it takes much more time for digestion. As a result cow’s milk is suggested over buffalo’s milk particularly for infants and elders.

Buffalo milk contains cholesterol therefore several individuals who are suffering from Obesity, kidney diseases, diabetes, PCOD, dyslipidemia, hypertension etc. are recommended to have buffalo’s milk. Due to high peroxidase activity, buffalo milk can be well-preserved naturally for a longer period of time. Buffalo milk comprises more calcium, better calcium: phosphorous ratio and less sodium and potassium than in cow milk which makes it a better nutritional supplement for infants.

Protein content: Proteins present in buffalo milk is higher than that of cow’s milk by approximately 11%. Buffalo milk protein is more heat resistant. Same like fats even proteins are difficult to digest for infants and older population. So even here the choice of milk is cow’s milk.

Calorie Content: 100ml of cow’s milk contains 70Kcals whereas 100ml of buffalo’s milk contains 100Kacls. It is obvious that buffalo milk has more fat and proteins so it will have more calories. So people who are on calorie restricted diet are again here advised to have cow’s milk to cut down the calorie consumption in the diet.

Water content: Cow’s milk contains less milk solids as compared to buffalo’s milk. Because of high non solid % cow’s milk is sometimes denoted as watery milk. It helps in hydrating the body. Approximately 90% of milk is water.



Composition of milk

Nutrient          Cow    Buffalo           Human

Water, g          88.0     84.0                 87.5

Energy, kcal    61.0     97.0                 70.0

Protein, g         3.2       3.7                   1.0

Fat, g               3.4       6.9                   4.4

Lactose, g        4.7      5.2                   6.9

Minerals, g      0.72     0.79                0.20

Milk is hence a very healthy food unless it’s not adulterated. It is very important to check the quality of milk before purchasing. Adulteration is done with water, starch etc. So everyone please purchase milk in packaged form or from a reputed dairy.



Comparison chart

Buffalo Milk Cow Milk
Properties 100% more fat content than cow’s milk; preserved for longer Lower in fat than buffalo milk; preserved for less time.
Nutrition Buffalo milk is extremely rich in calcium, and is a good source of minerals like magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Cow’s milk is rich in a variety of minerals, vitamins, and proteins. It is also an excellent source of calcium.
Health benefits Less cholesterol, more fat, more calories. It is good for healthy bones, dental health, cardiovascular health, and weight gain. More cholesterol, less fat, fewer calories. It is beneficial for healthy bones, dental health, reducing obesity in children, protection from thyroid problems, and cardiovascular health.
Uses Produces thick and creamy dairy products suitable for the manufacture of traditional milk products like yogurt and cottage cheese (called “paneer” in South Asia), as well as indigenous milk products like khoa and ghee. Dairy products: curds, sweets, cheese – but less thick and creamy
Top consumers and producers Buffalo milk is popular in South Asia (India, Pakistan) and Italy. Cow’s milk is consumed all over the world, including regions that also consume buffalo milk.

Health benefits of Cow Milk and Buffalo Milk

Higher total solids in buffalo milk also provide for more calories than cow milk (100 calories are derived from 100g of buffalo milk while 70 calories from 100g of cow milk). Buffalo milk contains less cholesterol (total cholesterol 275 mg and free cholesterol 212mg per 100 g of fat) compared to cow milk (total cholesterol 330 mg and free cholesterol 280mg per 100 g of fat) Buffalo’s milk is good for healthy bones, dental health, cardiovascular health and weight gain.

Cow’s milk is beneficial for healthy bones, dental health, and obesity reduction in children, protection from thyroid and protection of heart.


Buffalo milk produces thick and creamy dairy products suitable for the manufacture of traditional (indigenous Indian) milk products like khoa, dahi, paneer, kheer, payasam, malai, kulfi and ghee.

Cow’s milk, being less creamy and thick, is better used for sweets that are chenna based products like sandesh, rasgolla, chumchum and rasmalai. Buffalo milk is used in some Western countries for the production of buffalo mozzarella cheese.

Leave a Reply
