The place of cow's milk in traditional Ayurveda
There is a lot of arguments about the benefits and harmfulness of the cow’s milk for human health. We'll talk today about the qualities of the cow's milk from an Ayurvedic point of view. What do classical Ayurvedic texts say about milk? How we can use this information nowadays?
Vagbhata says: ‘Cow's milk promotes long life, is a rejuvenator, good for those emaciated after injury (especially to the chest), increases intelligence, strength and breast milk; helps the easy movement of the bowels and cures exhaustion, dizziness, toxicity, inauspiciousness, dyspnoea, cough, severe thirst, and hunger, long-standing fevers, dysuria, and bleeding disease.’
‘Cow’s milk has ten properties. It is sweet, cooling, soft, unctuous, thick, glossy, viscid, heavy, slow, and clear. Possessing these qualities which are common with those of the vital essence, is promotive of vital essence. Milk is said to be foremost among the vitalizers and rejuvenators.’ - Charaka Samhita. Sutrasthana 27. 217-218.
Let's analyze.
These all are also the qualities of Ojas. Ojas is our life force. When there's Ojas life is present. When we start to lose Ojas destruction happens. Loss of the Ojas leads to the loss of the body, even the loss of life. There's the reason Vagbhata says cow’s milk promotes long life and rejuvenation.
It is heavy, thick, viscid, slow, and cooling. These are qualities of Kapha Dosha and Ama (toxins). Therefore, we should avoid milk, when we have congestion, cold feeling, heaviness after food, stagnation, numbness, cough with thick white mucus, etc.
Another point we should keep in mind. To have all benefits from milk one should have strong digestion to process it. Unfortunately, the cases of poor digestion becoming more common these days. Celiac disease, IBS, and Crohn's are the signs of extreme digestive problems. But even if you feel heavy or sleepy after food intake it is time to strengthen it before coming to milk.
On the other hand, it has the opposite qualities of Vata (sweet, soft, unctuous, thick, glossy, viscid, heavy, slow) and Pitta (sweet, cooling, soft, thick, heavy, slow, and clear) Dosha. Hence useful for Vata and Pitta aggravation. It's beneficial for debility, emaciation, strength, cooling, and calming down. Highly useful in all cases, where we want to build tissues or increase unctuousness.
It is beneficial for kids because they're growing up.
Cow's milk promotes lodging and maintenance of pregnancy.
It vitalizer and rejuvenator hence useful for the elderly.
It helps to calm down and nourish after hard work or a stressful day. Therefore beneficial for mid-age.
Everyone can have the advantage of drinking whole cow's milk. Remember about a few exemptions. Avoid using milk for poor digestion, obesity, Kapha aggravation, or allergic reaction to milk. And please avoid drinking cold milk in any case.
Come back to nowadays. Do we have the same milk Vagbhata and Charaka talked about? Not really. They had access to a pure cow's milk, whole, raw, unpasteurized, unhomogenized. You are blessed if you could drink that kind of milk and have all its benefits. Otherwise, better to avoid white substances in a bottle marked as milk.
Some recipes for these lucky guys :)
Warm milk with honey and a pinch of turmeric are useful for respiratory allergies.
Warm milk before bed has a mild laxative action and is beneficial for constipation.
Milk boiled with Shatavari powder promotes the maintenance of a healthy embryo.
Warm milk with sugar or honey and ghee can be used by kids and adults to enhance vitality, strength, and vigor.
One more point to add, milk is not easily compatible with other foods. It doesn't go well with meat, fish, beans, yeast (bread), sour fruits, pickles, and green leafy vegetables. Hence, these combinations should be avoided.
OM SHANTI!
