Not only is ghee a treasured food in Ayurveda, but it has also been a part of our staple Indian diet since the time our grandparents used loads of it to garnish our paranthas, liberally used it for halwas, or even gave us a spoonful with our daily glass of milk. However, with the advent of modern cooking, ghee eventually started being categorized as “fat”, and refined oils started gaining momentum. Why refined oils are bad can be another essay in itself, and is a topic for another day. Thankfully, with the rising popularity of the ketogenic diet, benefits of ghee are finally gaining the attention they deserve.
For those of us still doubtful about the benefits of ghee – Ghee consists of fat soluble vitamins, which aid weight loss, surprised? It also plays a key role in balancing hormones and maintaining healthy cholesterol.
There’s no explaining what ghee is, so let’s get straight to the point, Can you load your chappatis with ghee??
If you are on a weight loss spree and wondering what to avoid, one food that you absolutely must include in your diet is Ghee even though the most common weight loss tips we have all heard is- avoid fats. In a bid to lose weight, a lot of us may have even considered eliminating all fats sources from our diet. But doing so may do you more harm than good. Fats, carbs, and proteins are three macronutrients that are essential for sustaining a healthy life, and removing any food group from your diet is never a sustainable way to lose weight. So instead of choosing fats that do us harm (processed food and junk), you can choose better alternatives in the form of ghee, avocados, etc.
Fact – Ghee is one of the most preferred vehicles for oleation: a process of ingesting oil over a period of time. This actually helps pull fat soluble toxins out of the cells and triggers fat metabolism, a process where the body kick-starts to burn its own fat for fuel.
Key Benefits Of Ghee
- Ghee is rich in fat soluble vitamins, including Vitamin E, A, K which not only help in maintaining a healthy vision, but also keep your skin glowing for the longer run.
- Ghee has a high smoking point, which makes it ideal for sautéing and grilling, one can replace refined oils with ghee for best benefits.
- Ghee contains butyric acid which acts as a detoxifier, improves colon health, supports healthy insulin levels, is anti-inflammatory, and aids in easier elimination of other fats and toxins from the body.
- Ghee is a great source of Vitamin Kw2 which transports calcium into your bones.
- Ghee is good for eyesight, voice, body, memory, proper functioning of sense organs and even brain injuries
Keep Constipation At Bay With Ghee
If you struggle everyday with bad bowel movements, ghee might be the ultimate solution to your problem, Milk and ghee make for a mild and effective remedy for constipation.
How to use – Take a teaspoon, or two in a cup of hot milk before bed.
A Healthy Heart With Ghee
We’ve been rambling about ghee being the ultimate addition in your food, but let us tell you that much like all fats, ghee too has been guilty of raising cholesterol levels. But contrary to popular belief, ghee is in fact a much safer bet to invest in for heart health as compared to refined oil. This obviously doesn’t mean you have oodles of ghee all at once. Ghee can be consumed daily in small quantities as a source of saturated fats. Studies have also shown that ghee can be good for lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.
Boast Great Skin With Ghee
Ghee has been a staple part of various beauty care rituals since time immemorial. Its vital fatty acids act as a nourishing agent that can do wonders to infuse life in your dull skin. Pure desi ghee is made out of cow’s milk and is said to be extremely powerful in giving you soft and supple skin. Ghee is known to be suitable for all skin types and it also has vital fatty acids that help in hydration of the skin cells.
Be An Energy Ball With Ghee
You must have seen your mothers boast of ladoos dripped in ghee, and you cringing at the very thought. However, ghee which is a good source of energy contains medium and short-chain fatty acids which can help us retain energy levels for a longer time.
Decrease Glycemic Index with Ghee
In India, spreading ghee over chappatis and parathas is a standard practice. It is said that applying ghee on chapattis could bring down the glycemic index of the chapatti by some amount, in addition to making it more moist and digestible. They say that about 4 tablespoons of oil is the adequate amount of saturated fats per meal, so one percent of the saturated fats could be derived from sources like ghee. Recently, ghee laden paranthas have been quite a buzz in Bollywood as well, with celebrities talking about good fats in ghee, and how it makes for an ideal addition in their diet.
HD Tip
10-15 ml of fats per day is ideal for consumption, so use cow ghee for cooking or you can also replace a portion of other fats with cow ghee. Too much of anything is not a great idea, so don’t overdo the quantities of ghee. One should also use cow ghee instead of the one derived from buffalo milk.
We hope you have a refreshed insight about Ghee after this and can add it in your diet liberally without thinking of it as bad fats. Use it to garnish fresh dal-chawal on a Sunday morning, or replace refined oils with ghee and make it all the more healthy. If you want us to cumulate more foods and their benefits, don’t forget to leave a comment below!
