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  6. Kefir vs. Buttermilk

Kefir vs. Buttermilk — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the differences between Kefir and Buttermilk?

  • The amount of Vitamin A RAE, and Vitamin D in Kefir is higher than in Buttermilk.
  • Kefir's daily need coverage for Vitamin A RAE is 17% more.
  • Buttermilk contains 41 times less Vitamin D than Kefir. Kefir contains 41IU of Vitamin D, while Buttermilk contains 1IU.
  • Kefir has less Sodium.

We used Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY and Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, lowfat types in this article.

Infographic

Kefir vs Buttermilk infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Kefir
Kefir
8
:
2
Buttermilk
Buttermilk
Contains more Calcium +12.1%
Contains more Phosphorus +18%
Contains less Sodium -78.9%
Contains more Manganese +150%
Contains more Selenium +80%
Contains more Iron +25%
Contains more Copper +22.2%
Equal in Magnesium - 11
Equal in Potassium - 151
Equal in Zinc - 0.42
Kefir
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 39% 2% 9% 45% 15% 6% 13% 3% 1% 20%
Buttermilk
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 35% 2% 8% 39% 14% 25% 12% 4% 1% 11%
Contains more Calcium +12.1%
Contains more Phosphorus +18%
Contains less Sodium -78.9%
Contains more Manganese +150%
Contains more Selenium +80%
Contains more Iron +25%
Contains more Copper +22.2%
Equal in Magnesium - 11
Equal in Potassium - 151
Equal in Zinc - 0.42

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Kefir
Kefir
7
:
4
Buttermilk
Buttermilk
Contains more Vitamin A +1110.6%
Contains more Vitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +158.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +40%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +70.6%
Contains more Folate +160%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +31.8%
Contains more Vitamin E +150%
Contains more Vitamin C +400%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +13.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +14.1%
Equal in Vitamin K - 0.1
Kefir
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 35% 1% 30% 1% 8% 32% 3% 24% 14% 10% 37% 1%
Buttermilk
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 3% 1% 0% 4% 9% 36% 2% 17% 8% 4% 28% 1%
Contains more Vitamin A +1110.6%
Contains more Vitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +158.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +40%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +70.6%
Contains more Folate +160%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +31.8%
Contains more Vitamin E +150%
Contains more Vitamin C +400%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +13.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +14.1%
Equal in Vitamin K - 0.1

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Kefir
Kefir
2
:
3
Buttermilk
Buttermilk
Contains more Protein +14.5%
Contains more Other +21.9%
Equal in Fats - 0.88
Equal in Carbs - 4.79
Equal in Water - 90.13
Kefir
4% 4% 90%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.93 g
Carbs: 4.48 g
Water: 90.07 g
Other: 0.73 g
Buttermilk
3% 5% 90%
Protein: 3.31 g
Fats: 0.88 g
Carbs: 4.79 g
Water: 90.13 g
Other: 0.89 g
Contains more Protein +14.5%
Contains more Other +21.9%
Equal in Fats - 0.88
Equal in Carbs - 4.79
Equal in Water - 90.13

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Kefir
Kefir
2
:
1
Buttermilk
Buttermilk
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +22%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +60.6%
Contains less Saturated Fat -16.7%
Kefir
64% 30% 5%
Saturated Fat: 0.658 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.31 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.053 g
Buttermilk
66% 30% 4%
Saturated Fat: 0.548 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.254 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.033 g
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +22%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +60.6%
Contains less Saturated Fat -16.7%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Kefir Buttermilk
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Kefir Buttermilk Opinion
Net carbs 4.48g 4.79g Buttermilk
Protein 3.79g 3.31g Kefir
Fats 0.93g 0.88g Kefir
Carbs 4.48g 4.79g Buttermilk
Calories 41kcal 40kcal Kefir
Sugar 4.61g 4.79g Kefir
Calcium 130mg 116mg Kefir
Iron 0.04mg 0.05mg Buttermilk
Magnesium 12mg 11mg Kefir
Phosphorus 105mg 89mg Kefir
Potassium 164mg 151mg Kefir
Sodium 40mg 190mg Kefir
Zinc 0.46mg 0.42mg Kefir
Copper 0.009mg 0.011mg Buttermilk
Manganese 0.005mg 0.002mg Kefir
Selenium 3.6µg 2µg Kefir
Vitamin A 569IU 47IU Kefir
Vitamin A RAE 171µg 14µg Kefir
Vitamin E 0.02mg 0.05mg Buttermilk
Vitamin D 41IU 1IU Kefir
Vitamin D 1µg 0µg Kefir
Vitamin C 0.2mg 1mg Buttermilk
Vitamin B1 0.03mg 0.034mg Buttermilk
Vitamin B2 0.135mg 0.154mg Buttermilk
Vitamin B3 0.15mg 0.058mg Kefir
Vitamin B5 0.385mg 0.275mg Kefir
Vitamin B6 0.058mg 0.034mg Kefir
Folate 13µg 5µg Kefir
Vitamin B12 0.29µg 0.22µg Kefir
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0.1µg
Tryptophan 0.042mg Buttermilk
Threonine 0.141mg Buttermilk
Isoleucine 0.171mg Buttermilk
Leucine 0.313mg Buttermilk
Lysine 0.277mg Buttermilk
Methionine 0.087mg Buttermilk
Phenylalanine 0.171mg Buttermilk
Valine 0.217mg Buttermilk
Histidine 0.1mg Buttermilk
Cholesterol 5mg 4mg Buttermilk
Trans Fat 0.037g Buttermilk
Saturated Fat 0.658g 0.548g Buttermilk
Omega-3 - DPA 0.001g 0g Kefir
Monounsaturated Fat 0.31g 0.254g Kefir
Polyunsaturated fat 0.053g 0.033g Kefir
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.029g Kefir
Omega-3 - ALA 0.006g Kefir
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.002g Kefir

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Kefir Buttermilk
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
16%
Kefir
9%
Buttermilk
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
15%
Kefir
15%
Buttermilk

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Kefir
Kefir is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.18g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Kefir
Kefir contains less Sodium (difference - 150mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Kefir
Kefir is lower in glycemic index (difference - 36)
Which food is cheaper?
Kefir
Kefir is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Kefir
Kefir is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 1mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.11g)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Kefir - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170904/nutrients
  2. Buttermilk - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170874/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.