Walk into any Indian kitchen, and you will find a small brass vessel filled with golden ghee. The aroma brings back vivid memories for anyone raised in an Indian household. Ghee has been used as more than just a cooking fat in desi households. It is the star ingredient in many healing concoctions, a cornerstone in sacred offerings, and a key ingredient in beauty products. Today, the world is slowly catching up to the health benefits this clarified butter offers. Here are five surprising ways cow ghee can enhance your well-being.
Weight Management
You may have heard it before: ghee, if used the right way, can help you manage your body weight. This golden fat is a good source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Studies have shown that CLA may help fight obesity by helping some people lose weight and reduce body fat. However, ghee should be used in strict moderation for this purpose. Overuse can lead to weight gain.
Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Ghee is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Its healing properties largely come from its rich nutritional profile. Ghee contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and other compounds that combat inflammation throughout the body. Regular ghee consumption is also linked to reduced inflammatory markers.
Boosts Vitamin A Intake
One of the potential health benefits of ghee is that it boosts vitamin A intake. This fat can ramp up your intake of vitamin A, which is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a significant role in maintaining eye health, skin health, and immune function. So, adding moderate amounts of ghee to your diet may improve your eye and skin health.
Improves Digestion
Ghee has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Adding some ghee to your food may stimulate stomach acid production and bile flow, both essential for proper digestion. “Adding it to your meal, of course, helps digestion and assimilation of nutrients,” says Rujuta Diwekar, a nutritionist based in Mumbai, India. In a video shared on Instagram, she explained that people who struggle with indigestion, flatulence, burping, IBS, and chronic constipation may benefit from it. Ghee also contains butyric acid, which nourishes the gut lining and feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
Supports Heart Health
Ghee is also beneficial for your heart. Though ghee is rich in fat, it has high concentrations of monounsaturated omega-3s. Studies have shown that these fatty acids support a healthy heart by reducing inflammation. However, be mindful of how much ghee you have in a day. According to Diwekar, ghee should be used in moderation. “So, enough ghee to enhance the flavour of food, but not so much that it masks all the flavour of the food,” she said.
