Introduction
Clarified butter (Ghee) is a type of liquid butter produced from milk (cow’s milk, buffalo milk, or mixed milk with the addition of yogurt culture) by traditional methods like heating butter or cream to just over 100°C in order to remove water content. Then filter out the precipitated milk solids. The following article is all about what is clarified butter and its benefits.
Ghee is present in the crystalline form, granular appearance with pleasant, slightly cooked, and caramelized flavor. The flavor of ghee is due to a wide range of compounds like free fatty acid (FFA), carbonyls, lactones, esters, ketones, aldehydes, and other volatile compounds like alcohols and diols.
The word Ghee is originated in Sanskrit meaning “bright”. It has been utilized for thousands of years in Ayurveda as far back as 1500 BC. Ghee is strongly recommended in the daily diet and Ayurvedic therapeutics such as “Panchakarma” or “Anupana” (Vehicle) for various medicines. Ghee’s benefits are increases digestive fire agni and improves absorption and assimilation. It nourishes dhatus, improves memory, and has lubricating activity in joints (1).
Common name Ghrta (Sanskrit), Clarified butter, Anhydrous milk fat, Butterfat, Indian butter oil, Butteroil, Indian ghee, Yellow oil or Kermanshahi oil (Iran) (2).
Geographical distribution
Ghee is the most common dairy product in Asia (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh) in the Middle East and Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda) (3).
Constituents of Clarified butter
In Ayurveda, eight kinds of clarified butter (ghee) from eight different animal milk is described among them ghee made from cow’s milk is considered superior due to the presence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), vitamin-A and small quantities of vitamin D, E, and K (4,5).
| Nutrients | Value per 100 gm. |
| Water | 0.5 gm |
| Energy | 900 Kcal |
| Protein | 0 gm |
| Total lipid (fat) | 100 gm |
| Carbohydrate | 0 gm |
| Fiber | 0 gm |
| Sugar | 0 gm |
| Calcium | 0 mg |
| Iron | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 0 mg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 4000 IU |
| Fatty acids total saturated | 60 gm |
| Palmitic acid | 32.6 gm |
| Stearic acid | 23.3 gm |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 4 gm |
| Palmitoleic acid | 1.32 gm |
| Oleic acid | 26.2 gm |
| Linoleic acid | 1.12 gm |
| Cholesterol | 300 mg |
Why clarified butter (ghee) is good for you?
Ghee is rich in polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA), omega 3 fatty acids,s and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is strongly recommended in a daily diet as it helps in good digestion, improving memory, lubricating the joints, and glowing skin.
In Ayurveda ghee is used as a vehicle for various medicines as it is readily absorbed in deeper tissue layers of the body and thus recommended for the promotion of brain and neurological health.
7 Health benefits of Clarified butter (Ghee)
1. Lowers the cholesterol level
Clarified butter contains a rich amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which increases the antioxidant enzyme activities (6). Intake of 10% dietary ghee for 4 weeks increases triglyceride levels. The consumption of clarified butter (dose-dependent) helps in decreasing the serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglycerides levels. It also increases the excretion of bile constituents and lower serum cholesterol levels from the gastrointestinal tract (7).
Therefore CLA enriched ghee (clarified butter) has antioxidant and antiatherogenic properties and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (8).
2. Anticonvulsant properties of clarified butter
Cows Ghee (76 g) in combination with herbs like Ferula narthex (6 g), Gardenia gummifera (6 g), Ellataria cardamom (6 g), Bacopa monneri (6 g) collectively known as ‘Unmadnashak Ghrita’ act as a sedative and anticonvulsant agent and useful for the treatment of epilepsy, mania and other disorders of the central nervous system (9).
3. Protects the liver from chemical injury
Amalkadi Ghrita is a combination of different Ayurvedic formulations containing Emblica officinalis (Amla), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), and cow’s ghee (clarified butter fat) has a beneficial effect on liver injury induced by chemicals (10).
4. Preserves nutrients during cooking
Clarified butter possesses a high stable point and may use for cooking/frying with less deterioration of valuable ingredients because 140–150°C does not affect its natural molecular composition of ghee. Above a temperature of 180°C, it deteriorates more and more and becomes rancid at 250°C (11).
5. Good for brain
Clarified butter (Ghee) acts as a carrier that is readily absorbed in deeper tissue layers of the body and is recommended for the promotion of brain and neurological health.
Most of the Ayurvedic products are clarified butter (Ghee) based in Kalyana Ghrita, Mahakalyana Ghrita, Mahapaishaachika Ghrita, Brahmi Ghrita, and Lashunadi Ghrita which promote memory, intelligence, Agni (digestive fire), and Ojas (12).
6. Benefits of applying ghee or clarified butter on the skin
Clarified butter (Ghee) contains high moisturizer bioactive compounds like saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Thus applying ghee on skin and face helps in the treatment of various types of allergies, rashes, dryness such as psoriasis (13).
It also contains antimicrobial properties and promotes epithelization, fibrosis, and collagen formation thus enhancing wound contraction and healing processes (14).
7. Good for memory and treats dementia
Cow ghee has a high amount of polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA), omega 3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linolenic acid. DHA had been found higher in the retina, cerebral cortex which is helpful in dementia.
What is the difference between butter and clarified butter (Ghee)?
Clarified butter (Ghee) possesses longer shelf life at room temperature as compared to butter. Ghee is helpful to reduce weight than that butter. Clarified butter (Ghee) helps fast absorption and digestion of food while other fats and oils, can slow down the body’s digestive process and sit heavy in the stomach.
However, Ghee is relatively safer when compared to Butter in considering lipid profile because mystic acid found in this are responsible for cholesterol-raising effect Palmitic acid and oleic acid is a predominant fatty acid in ghee and butter. However, Ghee contains more amounts of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) and linolenic acid (15).
Which is better Clarified butter (Ghee) or Mustard oil?
Clarified butter is better than mustard oil as it helps in protecting the heart. A research study suggested that mustard oil consumption may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) because it contains high oleic acid and low linolenic acid which are associated with a high risk of ischaemic heart disease.
Mustard oil also contains a high level of erucic acid, which causes myocardial lipolysis. However, intake of ghee has no serious adverse effect on lipoprotein profile, the prevalence of CHD in men was low, who consumed more clarified butter (Ghee) in their diet because it is rich 32% Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) which rise in HDL cholesterol level (16).
Clarified butter (Ghee) vs. Soybean oil
Research study proved that Clarified butter (Ghee) contains high protective effect against carcinogen-induced liver, breast, and mammary cancer than soybean oil because cow Clarified butter (Ghee) decrease bad enzyme activity, has contributed to decreased incidence of mammary tumors, and also increase good enzyme activity which detoxifies the compounds such as carcinogens from the body than soybean oil. Thus cow ghee downregulates the enzyme activities responsible for carcinogen activation in different cancer and upregulates carcinogen detoxification activities in liver and mammary tissues than soybean oil (17, 18). Furthermore, ghee is not prepared by heating to very high temperatures, such as refined oils thus does not lose its original nutritional properties, which are lost during refining oils. It also contains linoleic/alpha-linolenic acid (LA/ALA) ratio prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) as well as diabetes.
Edited By: Dr. Asha Jyoti Bharati