The separation of water and milk solids from the fatty portion of milk itself (butterfat) forms yet another derivative of milk called clarified butter or ghee. Mainly consumed in South Asia, this derivative of milk is known for enhancing the taste of the meal and is often used for frying them too. Furthermore, the use of ghee is also a part of Ayurveda, the ancient traditional medicine practice of India. Apart from culinary and medicinal purposes, ghee is also used during prayers and worship by Hindus. A lamp burning with ghee is believed to purify the air around it, does making the place of worship clean and pious. Pregnant women in India are often advised to consume moderate amounts of pure ghee to help the developing baby. There are innumerable ways in which ghee is used and revered in India. Let’s take a look at the health benefits of consuming this favorite ingredient of Indians.
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Health Benefits Of Ghee Or Clarified Butter
Since ghee can be consumed and also externally applied, it can have both health and beauty benefits associated with it.
First, here are a few health benefits linked to it:
1. Aids In The Management Of Weight
Though it may sound absurd, to lose weight you don’t have to avoid all the fats. Fats, just like protein and carbohydrates, are an important macro-nutrient that is required for the proper functioning of the body. What you need to do is to choose a better source of fat. For example, you must avoid junk foods and instead choose items loaded with good fibers such as ghee or avocados, both of which contain a high amount of heart-friendly fats.
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2. Known For Its Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Significantly loaded with butyrate, a fatty acid, consumption of ghee can be linked with the low-inflammatory response of your body tissues, as butyrate itself is linked with the response of the tissues, thus it soothes the inflammation and acts as a pain reliever. This acid also has an anti-viral property, which makes it a great choice for your diet if you have a weak immune system.
3. A Rich Source Of Antioxidants
With an adequate amount of vitamin E and A, incorporation of ghee into your diet can prove to be quite effective in increasing the concentration of antioxidants in your bloodstream. Antioxidants are also known as free-radical scavengers, as they also aid in reducing free-radical damage in the cells. Free-radicals, or free oxygen atoms, tend to combine with the healthy cells of the body, thus it exerts oxidative stress over the cell walls and damages them. Eating a significant amount of ghee can further help in increasing the antioxidant concentration in your bloodstream.
4. Ghee Is Great For People Who Are Lactose Intolerant
Since the preparation of ghee includes the removal of milk solids, it can be digested by people who are suffering from lactose intolerance. With very low amounts of lactose content, consumption of ghee or clarified butter can turn out to be quite beneficial for people who are allergic to milk.
5. Significantly Strengthens The Immune System
Antioxidants are not only beneficial for the prevention of free-radical damages, but they can also support the immune cells, as a higher level of antioxidants in the body can increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Moreover, the butyrate acid, upon being consumed, is a great aid for T-cells, which are one of the essential immune cells that help in fighting-off of the foreign particles the enter the body. Being an adequate source of vitamins and minerals, ghee is, without a doubt, a great addition to your diet for a healthy immune system.
6. Great For Cooking
Ghee is known to be a great ingredient of cooking as well, sometimes it is even considered to be better than other cooking oils. This is because ghee, or clarified butter, has a high smoking point. A smoking point is a temperature at which the oil, or any other fat-loaded substance such as ghee, starts to smoke. This smoke appears because of the breaking down of the fats into harmful free-radicals, thus creating toxic fumes. Since ghee, unlike various cooking oils, has a high smoking point, it could be a great substitute for ordinary oils for cooking at high temperatures.
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7. Ghee Is Loaded With Energy
Just a single tablespoon of ghee can provide you with about 469 kJ of energy, a fact that makes it beneficial for athletes. As a source of many medium-chain fatty acids, it can be quite easily absorbed by the liver and get converted into energy, thus making it a great part of your pre-workout regime, as it will allow you to exercise more.
8. Enhances Your Mood
Since the antioxidants present in ghee helps in the protection of neurotransmitters against the attack of free radicals, it helps in stabilizing the mental state. Furthermore, the beneficial nature of ghee towards one’s digestive health also plays a major role in its mood-enhancing capabilities. Why? Well, about 90% of the body’s serotonin, which is a happy hormone, is produced in the gut. Apart from that, the proper functioning of intestines is responsible for regulating other neurotransmitters that are vital in regulating the mood and stress levels. This also gives it a great advantage as an ingredient that can improve your sleep pattern.
Beauty Benefits Of Ghee
Ghee, as it is now clear, can be a beneficial part of one’s diet, for it can aid in digestion, weight loss, and is loaded with antioxidants that can help in lowering the risk of free-radical damage. But surely its health benefits don’t make it much of a superfood, as there are a lot of food items that can help you achieve that perfect health with their long list of health benefits. However, it is the combination of its beauty benefits along with its health benefits that make it stand out. Let’s take a look at some of the beauty benefits associated with the consumption of ghee.
9. Soothes Burns
Externally applying ghee over the burnt part of the skin can aid in pain relief. It is considered to be one of the greatest natural remedies for soothing sunburns. If you keep on reapplying a suitable amount of ghee over the burnt area, you’ll find out it also fastens the healing process and prevents the formation of the burn scar as well.
10. Increases Skin’s Glow
This is yet another benefit of ghee that is the result of its antioxidant quality. The presence of antioxidants in the system keeps the free-radicals from interacting with healthy cells, which also includes skin cells. This factor helps the skin cells in retaining their moisture, which further results in a soft, hydrated, and glowing skin.
11. Prevents Hair-Dryness
Dry scalp can often result in damaged and dull hair. But, a fatty-acid rich diet can aid in the nourishment of the scalp, thus giving the hair follicles a dose of hydration that could restore your hair’s health. And where else can you find an adequate amount of healthy fatty-acids apart from a jar of ghee?
12. Improves Hair Quality
The external application of ghee over the scalp can help in the formation of shiny and strong hair that also has a smooth structure. By applying just a single spoon of melted ghee, upon being gently rubbed over the scalp, can do the trick.
13. Fastens Hair Growth
A warm-ghee massage is known to improve and increase the blood circulation in the scalp apart from acting as a great conditioner. This factor helps in fastening and promoting hair growth, thus resulting in a much thicker and longer set of hair.
How To Use Ghee For its Benefits
Having full knowledge of the various health and beauty benefits associated with the consumption of ghee, but it won’t do you any good if you haven’t got any idea about how to incorporate it into your lifestyle in a healthier way.
Its addition to one’s diet is something that everyone knows, so we would rather focus first on how you can use ghee for its beauty benefits.
Use Of Ghee For Beauty
The best type of ghee that you can apply for glowing and radiant skin is the grass-fed cow ghee, or otherwise known as desi-ghee. Its application results in deep hydration of the skin and results in a likable soft texture. The use of grass-fed cow ghee over the skin can make you see the results within a few days of its regular application.
Ghee As A Herbal Remedy
Ghee has been a part of various herbal remedies, which often contributes to the historic significance of its beneficial nature. Its herbal preparation mostly involves heating it alongside other flavorings such as cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger, in either pure or powdered form. This preparation can be used as a remedy for cough, digestion, and even cold.
Ghee can be an important ingredient for people who are health-conscious and who are searching for a good diet plan full of healthy food items. However, due to its high fiber nature, some precautions must be taken. For example, too much of it can lead to weight gain, and you must take note of the fact that an average daily limit of ghee consumption for an individual must not exceed 10-15 grams. A regulated consumption is an important part of a healthy diet, for it maximizes the beneficial capacity of the item and prevents the occurrence of its side-effects.
