- What Is
- What is ghee?
- Nutrition
- Ghee nutrition
- Fats
- Fats in your diet
- Health Effects
- Health effects of ghee
- Who Should Avoid
- Who should avoid ghee?
- How to Avoid
- How to avoid ghee
What is ghee?
Ghee is clarified butter. It's similar to butter but loses the milk solids and water during processing. Ghee has the same nutritional composition, benefits, and dangers as butter, except that the fat content is higher. Since it contains no milk solids, it doesn't need refrigeration. Ghee has been used for cooking in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years.
Fats are one of the three macronutrients (along with proteins and carbohydrates) that provide energy for your body. But fats also raise the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Abnormal blood lipid levels (dyslipidemia) are associated with heart disease and strokes. Consuming the right proportions of different fats is vital for good health. Thus, some people should avoid the higher fat content in ghee.
Ghee is almost pure fat and is usually made from cow or buffalo milk. It is heated longer than butter, which evaporates the water. The milk solids settle at the bottom and are discarded. Ghee has a higher smoke point than butter and doesn't need refrigeration.
Ghee is used both as a spread and as a cooking medium. It is also used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine system of India. Like other fats, ghee is provides a lot of energy to the body. Each gram of ghee has nine calories.
Ghee is made from milk but doesn't provide the nutritional benefits of the dairy food group. Like butter and cream, it is not considered part of the dairy food group.
Ghee nutrition
A 100-gram portion of ghee contains:
- 900 calories
- 100 grams of fat
- 60 grams of saturated fats
- 300 milligrams of cholesterol
Ghee contains no protein, no carbohydrates, and no dietary fiber. Since all milk solids have been removed, ghee also has no vitamins or minerals. The sugar in milk, lactose, is also almost completely removed. Therefore you may be able to use ghee for cooking if you are lactose intolerant.
Fats in your diet
Fats (also called lipids) are an essential part of your food. Each gram of fat provides 9 calories of energy. You also need fats:
- To get essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6). These are substances that are crucial for bodily functions and can't be made in the body.
- To get fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K)
- For proper functioning of the immune system
- To make hormones
- For a healthy nervous system
There are two types of fats — saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats contribute to several health problems, and you should make an effort to avoid them. Try to replace them with unsaturated fats whenever possible. Saturated fats are mostly found in foods of animal origin, such as meats and dairy.
Health effects of ghee
Ghee is 60% saturated fat. When this is absorbed by your digestive system, it reaches your bloodstream as triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein. These are also known as LDL and HDL. HDL is called good cholesterol because it collects cholesterol from all over the body and delivers it to the liver for disposal. It reduces your risk of lipid-related disorders.
Consuming ghee raises your blood levels of LDL. High levels of LDL in the blood causes clogging in the walls of the arteries, known as atheromas or plaques. These atheromas cause the arteries to narrow and their walls to harden. The blood flow through the affected arteries is reduced, starving the cells they supply of oxygen. Some effects of such blockage are:
- Strokes: These are caused by the obstruction to the brain's blood supply. You might have weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, and other symptoms. Strokes can be fatal.
- Transient ischemic attacks: The symptoms are similar to those of a stroke but temporary.
- Coronary heart disease: The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. When plaques block them, you're likely to have a heart attack.
- Angina: These are periods of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. A heart attack may follow.
Who should avoid ghee?
Ghee and other foods rich in saturated fats are especially dangerous in some situations.
Obesity
Overweight and obesity are risk factors for many disorders, including heart disease. People with obesity have higher blood levels of LDL and triglycerides. They also have low levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Reducing your intake of ghee and other saturated fats is vital to avoid heart disease.
Type 2 diabetes
T2DM is a metabolic disorder that affects almost every system of your body. It affects 37 million Americans. Your body's cells stop responding to insulin, the hormone that allows sugar (glucose) in your blood to enter the cells. This insulin resistance causes a rise in blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels damage many systems and organs.
Many people with T2DM die prematurely of heart disease or stroke. Both of these conditions are caused by blockage of the blood vessels. Diabetes lowers blood levels of HDL and increases those of LDL. While good control of blood sugar prevents diabetes complications affecting the kidneys, eyes, and nervous system, prevention of vascular disease requires attention to blood lipids. Avoiding ghee and other saturated fats, exercising regularly, and taking lipid-lowering medications protect you from high cholesterol levels.
Family history
High blood cholesterol levels can be familial. If many people in your family have dyslipidemia, you should take precautions like exercising regularly and avoiding ghee and other saturated fats. Frequent laboratory testing of blood lipid levels helps in early detection and treatment.
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
People with this genetic condition have very high levels of cholesterol in the blood. The high levels of LDL cause blockage of the arteries and heart attacks at young ages. Though the high levels of LDL are caused by a genetic defect, eating a diet low in saturated fat can reduce your blood cholesterol levels by as much as 10%.
Other conditions
Several lifestyle choices and medical disorders increase your risk of dyslipidemia and the associated problems. If you're living with any of them, you should avoid ghee to help lower your blood cholesterol:
- Chronic kidney disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Alcohol overuse
- Sedentary lifestyle
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How to avoid ghee
You can reduce your consumption of ghee and saturated fats by changing your cooking and eating habits:
- Cook with vegetable oils like olive oil, sunflower oil, soya oil, and rapeseed oil.
- Use nut or avocado spreads.
- Instead of frying, try boiling, grilling, steaming, or roasting.
- If using ghee, measure carefully using a spoon or use a spray bottle.
Because ghee contains high levels of saturated fat, people who suffer from dyslipidemia or others reducing their intake of saturated fats should avoid using ghee. Dyslipidemia is dangerous, leading to several serious and life-threatening conditions. Careful attention to your diet, regular exercise, and timely testing can help detect and treat dyslipidemia effectively. Avoiding ghee and other saturated fats is an integral part of the lifestyle changes needed.
Medically Reviewed on 2/16/2023
References
SOURCES:
British Heart Foundation: "Fats explained."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "About Cholesterol," "Know Your Risk for High Cholesterol," "Type 2 Diabetes."
Family Heart Foundation: "Familial Hypercholesterolemia 101."
Heart UK: "Fats and oils."
Holt, T., Kumar, S. ABC of Diabetes, Wiley, 2015.
Merck Manual: "Dyslipidemia."
National Health Service: "Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis)," "Fat: the facts."
U.S. Department of Agriculture: "Pure Cow Ghee."
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