Characteristics of Milk

Milk is sweet in taste and has a metabolic effect.

• It is unctuous in nature and helps increase vitality and tissue formation
• It helps pacify vata and pitta.
• It is also an aphrodisiac and is cool in nature.
• It is heavy to digest and increases kapha.

Cow’s milk

• It is restorative and regenerative.
• Helps overcome weakness following injury and promote strength.
• Also a laxative and galactagogue.
• Found very effective to overcome giddiness, intoxication, fatigue, cough, thirst, hunger, dysuria and even in chronic fever.

Buffalo's milk

• Found to be extremely heavy to digest and cooling in nature. Hence suitable for bulimia and Insomnia.

Goat's milk

• It is light to digest.
• Found effective in emaciation, fever, diarrhea and even in bleeding disorders.

Camel’s milk

• Has less fat content and slightly salty in taste.
• Being hot in potency found suitable for vata and kapha.
• Also for parasitic infestation, edema, ascitis and even in piles.

Breast milk

• It helps cure eye diseases and is used in treatment modalities of Tarpana, Aschothana, and Nasyam.

Sheep's milk

• Not stomachic and also hot in potency.
• Found effective for vata but causes belching, dyspnoea and vitiates pitta and kapha.

Elephant’s milk

• Provides strength to the body.

Unboiled milk

• Is heavy to digest, but when properly boiled has opposite properties.

Condensed milk

• Is heavy to digest.
• It is said that freshly drawn milk resembles divine elixir in properties.