However, nutrition researchers and paediatricians have firmly rejected these claims, stating that no scientific evidence supports a direct link between milk species and intelligence. Comparative analyses show buffalo milk often contains higher fat, protein, calcium and vitamin B12, but these compositional differences do not translate into measurable cognitive benefits or deficits in children.

Experts also emphasize that nutritional factors affecting brain development — such as iodine content — depend more on an animal’s diet than whether the milk comes from a cow or buffalo. The suggestion that cow milk is “lighter” or easier to digest does not equate to a cognitive enhancement, and many paediatricians focus on broader diet quality rather than milk type for child development.

In fact, leading clinical voices note that breastfeeding remains the most consistently associated source with improved long-term cognitive outcomes, underlining that early nutrition matters far more than the specific animal origin of milk beyond infancy. This reinforces the consensus that both cow and buffalo milk can contribute nutritional value but do not possess inherent IQ-boosting properties.