Ghee has been known and loved among many cultures for thousands of years and it turns out our grandmothers were right in cooking food in ghee. What is ghee, you might ask… Ghee is a special form of butter that’s made by slowly simmering butter to remove its milk solids and water content. What makes ghee particularly beneficial is how the process of heating and straining the milk solids removes most of the lactose, making it lactose-free. Ghee has been linked to having many health benefits and healing powers.
Top Reasons to Use Ghee
Nutrient Dense
Because is rich in Vitamins A, E, D, and K (*). These vitamins are responsible for promoting strong bone and vision health, as well as for boosting your immune system.
Low in Dairy Protein and Lactose
Ghee has trace amounts of the dairy protein casein and milk sugar lactose. This is especially beneficial for those with an intolerance to dairy proteins or lactose.
Can Be Used For Both Low and High-Temperature Cooking
Ghee has only about 3% polyunsaturated fat and almost 60% saturated fat. It is a short chain fatty acid and its composition is highly stable. That means that not only can it be stored for extended periods, it also withstands high heat cooking of 518 degrees F.
Long Shelf life.
Ghee does not require refrigeration due to its low oxidation rate.
Easy to Digest.
Ghee aids in a healthy digestive process as it stimulates the secretion of stomach acids thus increasing the absorption of nutrients.
Anti-cancer properties
A powerful compound called conjugated linoleic acid, (CLA) found in ghee is a powerful antioxidant. CLA helps bring down inflammatory compounds and makes cancer cells to self-destruct (a process known as apoptosis). One study discovered that the CLA content of ghee was up to 600 mg per 100g, whereas it was 300 mg in butter. Thus, ghee, extremely rich in CLA, has been found to inhibit the development of mammary tumors in a rat model of breast cancer.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition demonstrated the anti-tumor effects of CLA in Ghee. This was a study conducted on mice implanted with breast cancer cells. One group of mice was fed a diet with high levels of corn oil, the second group received standard food in addition to CLA, and the final group was fed CLA combined with ghee.
The group which consumed ghee in addition to CLA had much less areas where cancer had spread (metastases). Additionally, ghee enhanced the beneficial cancer-fighting effects of CLA.
Aids in Weight Loss
Clarified butter, especially when produced from grass-fed cows, contains the fatty acid conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) , which can help with weight loss.
Sources
- Sharma H, Zhang X, Dwivedi C. The effect of ghee (clarified butter) on serum lipid levels and microsomal lipid peroxidation. Ayu. 2010;31(2):134-140. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.72361
- Kumar M, Sharma V.I., Lal D, Kumar A, Seth R. A comparison of the physico-chemical properties of low-cholesterol ghee with standard ghee from cow and buffalo creams. Int J Dairy Technol. 2010;63:252–255. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0307.2010.00572.x
Can you use the Himalayan Salt version and still get the benefits??