If takra had a tagline, it would be: Lighten your yogurt, digest more, make your tummy feel good. So maybe there’s a reason I don’t write for commercials, but I can attest to the many benefits of takra on my own digestion and I’ve seen it work wonders for patients.

Takra, also called buttermilk, helps increase your digestive power. (It’s not the fermented buttermilk you buy in the store.) Regular ole yogurt’s properties make it sour and heavy to digest. As with most fermented foods, yogurt also increases water retention in the body and can cause a variety of skin conditions, from acne to rashes.

But when you make takra, you lighten the properties of yogurt and remove the sourness so that it’s light and digestive. This takra mixture can help pretty much any disease in the gastrointestinal tract, whether diarrhea, IBS, hemorrhoids, Chron’s disease, or any sort of slow digestion or constipation.

Watch a six-second video showing you how to make takra:

And here’s the recipe, along with a list of added health benefits…

TAKRA (AKA AYURVEDIC BUTTERMILK) RECIPE

• 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt, whisk it vigorously
• add 3/4 cup water, preferably water that was previously boiled and cooled to room temperature, whisk again (or use a hand mixer for extra fluffy takra)
• sprinkle in a dash of Himalayan pink salt.
• add in a dash of dry ginger or cumin
  (If it’s warm outside–or you’re suffering from heat-related conditions, like rashes, acne, or acidity–opt instead for a sprinkle of rose water or coriander and some sugar to add cooling properties.)
• once you’ve added spices, whisk the water and yogurt mixture again until it’s light and fluffy (The consistency will be like a very fluffy glass of low-fat milk.)

Some other added bonuses of takra: it helps you absorb nutrients, removes excess moisture and heaviness from the body, and it tastes yummy. Drink it before meals for a digestive pick-me-up or as a snack.

It’s nutritious as well — you’re getting all of the good cultures from yogurt, but not the heaviness and stagnation that can go with it. Try it out and tell me what you think.

(And if you’d like some additional digestive tips, read my post from earlier this week on two simple remedies for digestive health.)