While discussing SIBO with a colleague who specializes in Ayurvedic medicine, I learned about an ancient digestive remedy known as "Takra" - loosely translated as "buttermilk". You make it by blending yogurt with with water until a foam forms on top, then remove the foam in stages until only liquid remains; then add spices specific to your dosha (Ayurvedic type) and health concerns. For IBS, a basic blend of black pepper, cumin, turmeric and Himalayan pink salt might be appropriate. Other recipes suggest coriander and ginger.
According to the website trueayurveda, "Takra or buttermilk, not to be confused with the buttermilk we buy already prepared by other methods in the store, is a liquid preparation prepared by continuously churning yogurt in water. This preparation is used in many diseases and is overall quite healthy for the human being. It is a great treatment for IBD and Crohn’s disease as well as poor digestion, hemorrhoids, tumors, oedema, diarrhea, anemia, urinary diseases and many more."
I haven't tried Takra yet, but I'm intrigued. The first question is what yogurt would I use? "Fresh yogurt is best" means making my own, ideally. I did once make 24-hour yogurt with raw milk from the farm, but it was a lot of work. I think store-bought 24-hour yogurt, which is extremely low in lactose, could do, at least for starters. (I like the Bulgarian yogurt sold in glass jars from White Mountain Foods. According to their website, it contains just 5 g of lactose per cup.)
The big recommendation for this remedy is to make it fresh EVERY DAY, using a ratio of 1 cup of yogurt to 4 cups of water. The takra made with that is divided into thirds, to be consumed over the course of one day in three divided doses, each taken 20-30 minutes before a meal.
If you're interested in trying Takra, please let me know how it goes! I'll report back on my experience, too, but I didn't want to wait for that to share. Recipe instructions and further details may be found by following the link below:
Atmayaan Arogya Sangha: Takra: Butter milk -The healthy drink Butter milk is known as “Takra” in ayurveda. Its properties and medicinal qualities are described in as fo...
