A few years ago when I first changed my diet from processed food to whole foods, I discovered ghee.
I have a dairy sensitivity but love the taste of butter. Ghee I found was the perfect alternative to my love of butter.
Ghee is an ancient food. It was first used in India but now you can find ghee all over the world.
You can store ghee for long periods of time in a cool dark place without worry of spoilage.
In recent years, ghee has gained popularity in Western society because saturated fat is not as demonized as it once was.
If you are looking for a full-fat food that is packed with vitamins and has a buttery taste, ghee is your best bet.
1. Ghee has fat-soluble vitamins
Dietary fats are necessary for building healthy cells and producing hormones.
Ghee is packed with the vitamins:
- Vitamin K- promotes bone health, cognitive health, and helps stabilize blood pressure.
- Vitamin A- benefits vision, the immune system, and reproductive health.
- Vitamin E- protects from cancer-promoting cells, benefits vision, and skin rejuvenation.
2. Ghee reduces inflammation
Like coconut oil, ghee can help you reduce inflammation. Excessive inflammation will cause a plethora of diseases.
Oftentimes inflammation is the root cause of many diseases found in Western society.
Ghee has butyrate which protects against inflammation. The study, Butyrate inhibits inflammatory responses through NFκB inhibition: implications for Crohn's disease found that butyrate played a key role in reducing Crohn's symptoms.
To avoid inflammation in the bowels, foods like ghee will help you steer clear of a life-debilitating disease like Crohn’s.
3. Ghee can help you lose weight
Foods that are high in saturated fat increase your feelings of satiety. In his article, Are Ghee Benefits Better Than Butter? Dr. Axe highlights the fact that ghee can help you lose weight.
Medium-chain fatty acids can boost weight loss and help you burn body fat. If you consume a diet of oils like canola and corn oil, consider switching to oils like ghee and coconut oil.
In addition to these oils tasting better and leaving your skin with a healthy glow, your waistline will decrease over time.
While ghee is typically more expensive than canola oil, your overall better health (if you consume a whole foods diet) will offset the higher cost.
You will also be less tempted to binge on junk food because ghee will leave you feeling full and satisfied.
4. Ghee makes your food taste better
In addition to helping you lose weight, ghee enhances the flavor of your food. Ghee has a more buttery taste than standard butter and this becomes apparent once you start using ghee.
I found that if I sprinkle a bit of sea salt on my dollop of ghee, the buttery flavor is amazing. It's kind of hard to describe. You have a deep earthy rich flavor rather than the light velvet sweet taste of standard butter.
Tip: Ghee has a high smoke point so you cook steak with it. A cut of steak like ribeye or strip cooked with ghee tastes absolutely amazing!
5. If you have a lactose allergy ghee is a great alternative
Ghee is free of the proteins lactose and casein. Many of us have sensitivities or allergies to these two proteins.
Due to the skimming that is involved in the process of making ghee, these proteins are removed.
If you have a severe dairy allergy make sure you consult a doctor before consuming ghee because there still may be trace amounts of lactose and casein.
For most, eating ghee will not result in an allergic reaction.
Beware that excessive use of ghee will lead to a build of mucus and/or diarrhea. At one point I was using ghee too much and experienced a buildup of mucus.
Make sure that the ghee you buy is organic and grass-fed for the best health benefits.
Rotate ghee with other medium-chain oils like coconut, organic lard, and high-quality olive oil for best results.
Enjoy!
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