Benefits of Ghee – 15 Reasons to Use It Every Day
Many people use ghee while cooking as it gives a delicious flavour to the food and can be used to prepare pretty much anything. Ghee is technically clarified butter made from cow’s milk, and no roti seems to be complete without it. When you melt regular butter, it divides into milk solids and liquid fats. When the milk solids are removed, you are left with ghee. Ghee adds a very delicious flavour to any food when it is used in the recipe and can be used as a substitute for butter if you are looking to improve your diet.
Benefits of Eating Ghee Daily
While we are all used to having ghee as a part of our diets, not many people are aware of the benefits of ghee for health. Here are some of the ways ghee is good for us:
1. Long Lasting
It is not easy for ghee to spoil and some ghee mixtures have been known to last for even a century. It is not necessary to refrigerate ghee for it to remain good.
2. Higher Smoke Point
Oils that do not have a high smoke point often break down into free radicals when cooked in high heat. This is ultimately bad for our health. Ghee can be cooked with and fried with, and it will remain healthy for you.
3. Low Lactose Content
If you have an intolerance to lactose or casein, ghee may not affect you as severely as other milk-based products will. This is because when ghee is made, most of the impurities and milk solids are taken out.
4. Rich In CLA And K2
A benefit of cow ghee is that it is rich in the antioxidant CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) which contains anti-viral properties and can be found in the milk of cows that have a rich grass diet. K2 is a vitamin that can help with anti-ageing, PCSD and many other things.
5. Gives Energy And Improves Flexibility
As ghee has a high content of medium chain fatty acids, it provides a lot of energy because they are directly similarly absorbed into the liver to carbs and will be able to be burned to produce energy. It lubricates the connective tissue, and the joints will lead to increased flexibility.
6. Weight Loss
A benefit of desi ghee is its ability to be burned as a source of energy. When this takes place, it becomes a great tool to aid weight loss as it also helps to burn other fats.
7. Better Immunity
Having high levels of butyric acids, ghee has proven to be very beneficial to the health of the immune system and provides good anti-inflammatory benefits.
8. Healthy Digestive System
People who do not have a healthy digestive system will be unable to produce butyric acids naturally. The acids that are found in ghee will help them to regain health in their digestive systems.
9. Lowers Cholesterol
Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, ghee can lower cholesterol, which in turn helps improve the health of the heart.
10. Cures Cough
One warm teaspoon of ghee can be taken to cure a dry cough, or it can be used by mixing other herbs or spices in with the ghee. Making a paste of holy basil, tulsi and ghee and ingesting it can be beneficial. You can also fry a cinnamon stick in ghee and then swallow the stick as a remedy.
For ridding the mucus that may block your airway, you can fry cardamom and ginger powder and take the mixture.
11. Improves Health Of Eyes
High in vitamin A, ghee can improve the health of your eyes, and it will also prevent cataracts from developing. If you have any irritation in the eye, Ayurveda suggests rubbing a bit of ghee underneath the eyes to provide relief from it.
12. Beautiful Babies
K2 is highly beneficial, and it plays an essential role in developing the facial features of the skin and the teeth of your growing child.
13. Absorbs Nutrients
In Indian food is rich in spices and herbs and each has many beneficial nutrients. When food is cooked with ghee, it helps these nutrients to reach the body parts in which they are needed the most.
14. Better Emotional Health
According to research, negative emotions have a chemical reason behind them. The chemicals that are responsible for negative emotions can be stored in fat in the body. Ghee is something capable of replacing these fats and can also be used to release toxins from the body if it is used correctly during a body cleanse.
15. Protects Arteries
The vitamin K2 is responsible for aiding in the reduction of calcium that is prone to get deposited in the arteries. This is very important as it is helpful in preventing calcification of arteries.
When to Avoid Eating Ghee?
If you are suffering from obesity, kidney problems, heart diseases or stomach issues, you should avoid ghee. This is because in obese people, eating ghee daily can cause their weight to increase even more and will cause more health problems. As ghee is rich in certain fatty acids that can cause an increase in blood pressure, it is best avoided by those who have heart disease. Consumption of too much ghee can cause an increased risk of having a heart attack. Severe problems with internal organs can be caused in people who have abdominal discomfort or are suffering from diseases like jaundice if they consume too much ghee. 1-2 times a week is enough ghee consumption in these cases.
Other Uses of Ghee
Now that we know the benefits of ghee, it can be worth the read to find out what other uses ghee provides other than its consumption. Ghee has proved to have many benefits for skin and can help in treating swelling and inflamed skin by applying it topically on the areas. After mixing 1 teaspoon of turmeric with two teaspoons of neem into a half cup of cow’s ghee, you can apply it onto any wound that you have and use it as a healing balm.
If you have very dry skin, ghee can also be used as a moisturiser to get very supple and soft skin. Ghee can be used as a lip balm and an eye cream at night to help in the reduction of puffy and dark circles that tend to appear under the eyes. You can use it to moisturise your scalp as well, which will eventually prove beneficial for hair growth as a dry scalp is prone to itchiness and dandruff.
FAQs
Some frequently asked questions that you may be wondering about include:
1. Is Consuming Ghee Safe during Pregnancy?
Since pregnant women are well advised to consume a healthy diet, it is only natural that ghee should be included in it as it is a rich source of healthy fats Omega 9 fatty acids, omega 3 fatty acids, minerals, antioxidants and multiple vitamins. Ghee is good for aiding in the relief from constipation, which is quite common for pregnant women to face. Ghee is also said to help make labour more manageable and will assist in nourishing your baby and aiding in the development of your baby’s brain, skin and teeth.
Ghee also helps pregnant mothers to remain energised and able to exercise and go about their daily routine, while also helping to keep the mood good and relieve any stress that the body feels during pregnancy.
While ghee does have its benefits, it is best not to overdo it when adding it into your meals. Ghee can also cause you to gain an excessive amount of weight if you overeat it and this will be bad for you and your baby. During your last month of pregnancy, you need to be careful to avoid eating food that will cause you and your baby to become overweight as you will have great difficulty in delivering your child through vaginal birth. Consult your doctor about if you are thinking about consuming ghee during pregnancy.
2. Should You Give Ghee to Babies?
For the first six months of your baby’s life, he or she gets all the needed nutrients from your breast milk. As a baby grows and reaches the age of six months to a year, weaning becomes very important. Many parents often wonder what to start weaning their babies on as their digestive system is still so new and so delicate. Most may think of mashed vegetables or fruits, but not all of them are very tasty. Breast milk also contains a certain amount of fat, and many babies begin to lose this fat content in their diets when they stop drinking breast milk. Ghee is an excellent replacement for these fats as it contains healthy fats that prove beneficial for your baby.
Ghee is very good for your baby as it is excellent for and aids in digestion and will help your baby take in more calories and fat. Not only that, but babies should not be consuming salt, so using a bit of ghee in their food will also help improve the taste of their food for their delicate taste buds.
Another use for ghee consumption in your child is if he or she is suffering from a dry cough. To make the most effective home remedy for a dry cough, mix dried, fried and powdered peppercorn with ghee and give a little to your baby.
Ghee should be added into your baby’s diet slowly, so starting with a few drops of it beginning from when they turn seven months old is an excellent place to start. If you are unsure about this, you can always consult your paediatrician. The amount of ghee can be increased if your baby likes it, but it is a good idea to keep the amount of ghee you feed your baby at a moderate level because too much of it can prove to be quite unhealthy for your child.
3. Is Ghee Massage Good for Babies?
While it may sound strange to some, ghee massages are good for your baby if you live in cold climates or high altitudes. The reason is that ghee can protect your baby’s body from the cold, but it can be greasy if used in hot or humid climates, and this can irritate your baby’s skin instead have proved beneficial to it. Massages help in blood circulation, so it is very helpful and useful for your baby to get regular oil massages. If you feel like your baby’s skin is too dry, you can use a little ghee to help soften the skin and make it supple and healthy.
Some babies suffer from eczema or skin rashes when their skin becomes too dry, so if you notice that your child is having problems such as these, massaging ghee into the affected areas will be of tremendous help in relieving your baby from the itchiness and will help to moisten the areas. Ghee has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties which will ensure that further spread of eczema or rashes and from a further infection that may appear on the skin.
As seen, ghee has a lot of benefits to the body and can even be very beneficial to you if you are pregnant or have a baby. Just make sure not to consume too much ghee as it will have the opposite effect of what you want and remember that only the best quality ghee will provide these benefits. Consult your doctor before you decide to add ghee to your everyday diet if you have health issues.
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