Submitted By: Anand Srivastava, a health & nutrition blogger
Ghee is the first and most essential of all foods – The Rig Veda
Ghee can only be described in superlatives. It has a very important place in Indian culture – it is one of the 5 Amrits or essentials when preparing prasad during festivals, it’s used to burn diyas at Hindu festivals and is essential in "Havanas". In fact from being mixed with honey for a newly born infant during the Naming Ritual aka "Namkaran Sanskar" to being used during the "Dah Sanskar" or cremation, it is important from the cradle to the grave.
In Ayurveda, it is considered the best form of fat, above butter.
• No meal is considered balanced without ghee.
• It is said to ignite the fires of digestion, so that the food digests properly.
• It is also said to balance Vata and Pitta Doshas, and must be avoided when Kapha dosha is dominant.
• It is said to be very important for the development of brain, intelligence and memory power.
• It is said to be very good for the skin, eyesight and bones
Contrary to Modern Medicine's expectation due to Saturated Fat and Cholesterol content, Ghee is not associated with increase in LDL Cholesterol. As a personal experience; I have been consuming ghee over a period of time; my HDL has increased and LDL has reduced. This has been observed in studies too.
There are several studies and individual reports from people following modern medicine – including Medical doctors or scientists – who endorse several of ghee’s properties as given by Ayurveda.
Health benefits of Ghee:
• It reduces plaques and calcification.
So a single factor - Vitamin K2; provides multiple benefits - better bones, low calcification, better eyesight and a softer skin that resists wrinkling. As a bonus it also prevents heart disease, by reducing calcification of the arteries.
• Ghee is a very good substitute for SCFA from fiber. This is great for people with gut dysbiosis or digestive disorders, as the primary benefit of fibers is to feed the bacteria which produce SCFA in the intestines and colon.
You can find more articles by Anand Srivastava on his blog http://mostlyvegpaleo.blogspot.in
I normally just mix the
I normally just mix the khurchan with jaggery and eat. It tastes great.
Hi! great article... always
Hi! great article... always felt guilty about wanting to eat ghee.. now will do so happily! BTW, here are some recipes to use the milk solids or khurchan left after making ghee at home...
1. Mix 2 tablespoons of khurchan with 1 clove of minced garlic. Heat on low till the garlic sizzles. Add a pinch of salt. Spread this on toasted pita or bread slices for a rich tasting, yummy snack
2. Heat 2 tablespoons khurchan along with 6 roughly crushed peppercorns. When the peppercorns are fragrant, add 2 cups cooked rice and some salt. Mix well. We call this vennai chatti sadam (butter pot rice) – a recipe specifically created to use up the by product of ghee making.
3. Add sugar and wheat flour to milk solids. Gently cook. Then form the mixture into balls or laddus.