Use Ghee Instead of Butter
Ghee has long been a staple in Indian cuisine and is quite popular in US cooking.
Ghee is a type of clarified butter. It’s more concentrated in fat than butter, as its water and milk solids have been removed. Because there are no milk solids, it does not have to be refrigerated. Ghee stays solid at room temperature and does not go rancid.
It is full of fat-soluble vitamins (A, C, D, and K) and healthy fatty acids. Ghee benefits can range from building stronger bones to enhancing weight loss. This can be especially crucial if you suffer from any conditions like leaky gut syndrome, IBS or Crohn’s, as your body may have difficulty absorbing fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, E and K. Vitamin K is essential in supporting bone health. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the diets of 2,591 adults and found that a low intake of vitamin K was associated with reduced bone mass density in women.1
Ghee contains nearly double the amount of short- and medium-chain fatty acids as butter. These types of fats are metabolized differently in the body than long-chain fatty acids, and studies show that they are not associated with heart disease.2 3
How is Ghee Made?
First, butter is gently simmered until its liquid evaporates and milk solids settle at the bottom of the pan and turn golden to medium brown. Next, the remaining oil (the ghee) is allowed to cool a bit before being strained and transferred to jars.
It can easily be made at home using grass-fed butter, or purchased at your local health food store.
Health Benefits of Ghee
Ghee may support heart health. Ghee is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help decrease inflammation and protect against heart disease,4 but for those on a low-fat diet, it is still all fat.
Ghee may reduce gut inflammation and digestion. Ghee is a great source of butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid that has been linked to lower levels of inflammation and improved digestive health5 in human and animal studies.6 7
Butyric acid is key to promoting a healthy gut microbiome, which plays an integral role in health and disease.8 9 Butyrate has potential beneficial effects in intestinal and extraintestinal diseases.10
Ghee boosts vitamin A intake. Ghee can help ramp up your intake of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that’s important for maintaining eye health, skin health, immune function, and more.11
Ghee is rich in conjugated linoleic acid. Some research suggests that conjugated linoleic acid may be beneficial for conditions like cancer, high cholesterol, and obesity.12
Ghee may help reduce body fat. Ghee is rich in conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, a fatty acid known to be protective against carcinogens, artery plaque and diabetes.13
Ghee may reduce the risk of cancer. Conjugated linoleic acid has inhibitory effects against multistage carcinogenesis at relatively low dietary levels.14
Using Ghee
Ghee has a high heat tolerance, or smoke point, so it is alright to be used in cooking at high temperatures. Use ghee with spices such as turmeric which are more easily absorbed when cooked with oil.
For those who are lactose intolerant, ghee is free of lactose and casein protein.
Like any oil, use ghee in moderate amounts. You can spread it on toast, mix it with herbs for herb butters, and use it for sauteing, making a roux and other sauces, and general cooking and baking use.
Recommended Eye Supplements
Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula (whole food) 60 vcaps – whole food, organic, GMO-free formula.
Dr. Grossman’s Meso Plus Retinal Support and Computer Eye Strain Formula with Astaxanthin 90 vcaps
ReVision Formula (wild-crafted herbal formula) 2 oz
Dr. Grossman’s Whole Food Organic Superfood Multi-Vitamin 120 Vcaps
Books
Natural Eye Care: Your Guide to Healthy Vision and Healing
Footnotes
- Booth SL, Broe KE, Gagnon DR, Tucker KL, Hannan MT, et al. (2003). Vitamin K intake and bone mineral density in women and men. Am J Clin Nutr. Feb;77(2):512-6. ↩
- Montgomery MK, Osborne B, Brown SHJ, Small L, Mitchell TW, et al. (2013). Contrasting metabolic effects of medium- versus long-chain fatty acids in skeletal muscle. J Lipid Res. Dec;54(12):3322-33. ↩
- Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Ascherio A, Colditz GA, et al. (1999). Dietary saturated fats and their food sources in relation to the risk of coronary heart disease in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Dec;70(6):1001-8. ↩
- Jain AP, Aggarwal KK, Zhang PY. (2015). Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015;19(3):441-5. ↩
- Rivière A, Selak M, Lantin D, Leroy F, De Vuyst L. (2016). Bifidobacteria and Butyrate-Producing Colon Bacteria: Importance and Strategies for Their Stimulation in the Human Gut. Front Microbiol. 7: 979. ↩
- Canani RB, Di Costanzo M, Leone L, Pedata M, Meli R, Calignano A. (2011). Potential beneficial effects of butyrate in intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28; 17(12): 1519–1528. ↩
- Borycka-Kiciak K, Banasiewicz T, Rydzewska G. (2017). Butyric acid – a well-known molecule revisited. Prz Gastroenterol. v.12(2): 83–89. ↩
- Donohoe DR, Garge N, Zhang X, Sun W, O’Connell TM, et al. (2011). Microbiome and Butyrate Regulate Energy Metabolism and Autophagy in the Mammalian Colon. Cell Metab. May 4; 13(5): 517–526. ↩
- Shreiner AB, Kao JY, Young VB. (2015). The gut microbiome in health and in disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2015 Jan;31(1):69-75. ↩
- Ibid. Canani. 2011. ↩
- LJ den Hartigh. (2019). Conjugated Linoleic Acid Effects on Cancer, Obesity, and Atherosclerosis: A Review of Pre-Clinical and Human Trials with Current Perspectives. Nutrients. v.11(2); Feb; 11(2): 370. ↩
- Ibid. Hartigh. (2019). ↩
- Gaullier JM, Halse J, Høye K, Kristiansen K, Fagertun H, et al. (2004). Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation for 1 year reduces body fat mass in healthy overweight humans. Am J Clin Nutr. Jun;79(6):1118-25. ↩
- Lee KW, Lee HJ, Cho HY, Kim YJ. (2005). Role of the conjugated linoleic acid in the prevention of cancer. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 45(2):135-44. ↩