Buttermilk, sattu over supplements: Dr SK Sarin's advice on everyday nutrition

With protein powders and supplements becoming a regular part of many people's diets, Dr S K Sarin, Director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi, has a simple message: look at what is already on your plate before reaching for a supplement.

“Buttermilk is better than whey protein any day,” Sarin said at the India Today HealthWealth Summit, questioning the growing tendency to rely on supplements for better health.

Speaking during the session Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, he urged people to focus on everyday nutrition and traditional foods rather than assume that pills and powders are necessary for a healthy lifestyle.

“A supplement cannot make up for a poor diet,” was the central message of his advice. “Don't use supplements with poor-quality food,” he said, stressing that food should remain the foundation of a healthy diet.

Sarin highlighted buttermilk, sattu and green vegetables as useful additions to everyday meals. He also praised home-cooked food, saying, “Homemade food is the best. Outside food should be eaten only sometimes.”

His comments come amid growing interest in protein supplements, particularly among people looking to build muscle, improve fitness or meet their daily protein requirements. Whey protein can be a convenient source of high-quality protein, especially for people who struggle to meet their needs through food.

Buttermilk, meanwhile, can provide fluid, calcium and some protein, depending on how it is prepared. Its protein content is generally much lower than that of whey protein, so the two are not nutritionally equivalent.

The broader point behind Sarin's advice was to avoid treating supplements as a shortcut to good health. Protein requirements vary according to age, activity levels, diet and medical conditions.- Ends