By Kishore Indukuri – Founder, Sid’s FarmAlso Read – Real-Life Weight Loss Journey: With No Exercise, And PCOS, Khyati Rupani Loses 40 Kilos

“Tere munh mein Ghee Sakkar”—one of the age-old and most auspicious lines uttered by guardians and seniors whenever there is a positive expectation and promising development in the family—marking the goodness of Ghee. A guard against the common cold, an auspicious ingredient to light up the traditional ‘diyas’ during festivals and a necessary item for home-made beauty regimes, Ghee is a pretty versatile product that needs no introduction in Indian households. Also Read – Is Anjeer (Figs) Really Helpful for Losing Weight? Read on to Find Out

Traditionally, Ghee has been one of the key secret ingredients in Indian cooking, especially vegetarian dishes. And even with the awareness buildup for a healthy, fat-free diet, Ghee has certainly not lost its appeal, especially for foodies. Also Read – How Can Exercise Help Manage And Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

In fact, recent studies have amply shown that taken in moderation, regular ghee intake has got numerous benefits to boast about. Many nutritionists claim that swapping ghee with fattening refined oils has perhaps been one of the biggest bloopers of modern cooking. Ghee or the clarified butter also finds a coveted space in beauty and hair care rituals.

Given the point that Ghee contains plenty of water-soluble omega-3 fatty acids along with Vitamin A, D, K, E, modern health-conscious generations have also started viewing this ancient product as one of the key ingredients that aid weight loss.

As positive facts and extraordinary health benefits of Ghee has been established by studies led by National Centre for Biotechnology Information and various other organisations, this ‘liquid gold’ is now considered a nutritional powerhouse by many. The emerging positive trend regarding Ghee has put the ‘desi’ staple in the circuit of international recognition. And the advantages of consuming Ghee as a part of the diet is today an established health fact and fad.

  1. Ghee Strengthens immunity. As it is loaded with essential fat-soluble vitamins D, K, E and A, these nutrients ramp up our body functions, including immunity. Ghee’s ability to aid the body to absorb fat-soluble minerals and vitamins from other foods, nourishes our immune system arming it with the right defence mechanisms. Moreover, the quintessential desi ghee is known to possess anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant properties that wards of viruses, flu, cough, cold.
  2. Ghee is a source of butyric acid. It is a short-chain fatty acid that is created when the good bacteria in the gut breaks down the dietary fibre butyrate. The colon cells use butyric acid as their preferred source of energy.
  3. Ghee consists of fat-soluble vitamins, which aid weight loss.
  4. Ghee also plays a key role in balancing hormones and maintaining healthy cholesterol.
  5. Ghee also has a high heat point, which prevents it from producing free radicals that damage cell function.
  6. Healthy saturated fats in ghee boost cognitive functioning. It prevents cell, tissue damage, promotes longevity. Eating ghee in the morning on an empty stomach improves the process of cell rejuvenation which boosts the healing process of our body. Ghee’s antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory properties soothe the skin, reduces inflammation, pigmentation, delays ageing, flushes out toxins from the body. It acts as a natural moisturizer that imparts radiance to your skin and hair.
  7. Ghee is daily diet is also said to aid good heart, eye-sight, cancer prevention, constipation, and overall good health.
  8. According to Ayurveda, ingesting ghee helps one keep warm from within, which is why it is extensively used in many winter preparations like gajar ka halwa, moong dal halwa. An inherent fighter against cold, headache and exhaustion, the Nyasa treatment use lukewarm ghee

The necessity and requirement of Ghee in our diet does not need to be proved. Only re-affirmed. Indian mythology, our grandparents and mothers, our ayurvedic practitioners are all well-versed with the natural immunity boosting qualities of this very common product in Indian households. The scientific studies on Ghee, backed with data and research, reiterates the fact that India’s traditional knowledge about food and health has always been robust and there is every reason to adopt the practices in our regular lifestyle.

(Author, Kishore Indukuri is the Founder and Managing Director at Sid’s Farm Private Limited. It was established in 2013.  Indukuri is an IIT Kharagpur and the University of Massachusetts Alumni. Sid’s Farm under Kishore’s leadership with 100+ strong team now serves 15000 households daily and impacts 1200+farmers.)