I love ghee. For many years now it has been the fat of choice in my kitchen. Have you tried it? Here are 6 reasons why you may want to:
You may have seen my post last week on 5 Reasons to STOP Cooking with Olive Oil. It is my opinion that your olive oil is best left cold. What I use instead is wonderful and amazing ghee.
What is ghee?
Ghee is clarified butter. It is made by heating butter to remove the water and milk solids leaving the butter fat. What you are left with is an easily digestible oil that is rich with flavor. It has it’s origins in India and to this day is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine because of it’s healing properties
And I am here to tell you that it’s time to break away from the commercial industrial oils like canola, sunflower, safflower, soy, etc. They are highly processed, inflammatory oils that are contributing to the huge rise in cardiovascular disease and degenerative diseases that we have seen since people have stopped eating REAL foods like butterfat, bacon, and eggs.
7 Reasons to Start Cooking with Ghee
1. Loaded with fat soluble vitamins:
Ghee is full of the fat soluble vitamins A,D, E, and K. Vitamin A and E have been shown to act as powerful antioxidants. Vitamin A and D are critical in immune function. Both Vitamin A and D are important in bone development and health as well. And the amazing health benefits of Vitamin K are just being recognized.
2. Easily digestible:
Ghee is very easy to digest. Because ghee is free of casein and other milk solids, it is a great option for people with sensitivities to dairy. It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine because of it’s digestibilty. Ayurveda teaches that ghee increase digestive fire, leading to better digestion and faster metabolism.
3. Heat stable:
Ghee has a high smoke point (485’F.) . This has to do with the molecular structure of saturated fats. Saturated fats contain no double bonds so are not sensitive to heat, light or oxygen, unlike unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats (vegetable oils) have double bonds, making them very sensitive to heat, light and oxygen. Heating these types of oils will change their molecular structure, destroying many of their healthy properties. Read my post 5 Reasons to STOP Cooking with Olive Oil.
4. Stores well:
Ghee can stay out on the counter for up to a month and lasts in the fridge for about 6 month. This is due to the lack of moisture in the oil. Be sure to store your ghee in a sealed jar, away from heat and liquids.
5. Helps fight illness:
Ghee contains both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties making it a great way to boost your immune system and to help heal minor illnesses like cold and flu and stomach upset.
Ghee has been shown to have strong anti-cancer properties. It is rich in short and medium chain fatty acids that have been shown to have anti-tumor effects. The linoleic acid in ghee has also been shown to protect against cancer.
The vitamin A and the other antioxidants in ghee (vitamin E, selenium and cholesterol) also have been shown to protect against cancer as well as heart disease.
6. An ideal food for growing children:
Rich in vital nutrients, ghee is a perfect food to ensure optimal growth and development in children. Research by Dr. Weston Price highlighted the importance of the Vitamin A in butterfat in bone and teeth development. The cholesterol found in butterfat plays an important role in the development of the brain and nervous system. Dr. Price also found that the Vitamin K from grass fed butter fat was critical for optimal growth. And butterfat has a uniquely absorbable form of Vitamin D that helps with the proper functioning of the synapses in the brain.
And with the increased calorie needs of growing children (like 1500 calories per day for an active toddler), ghee is an easy way to make sure your little one is getting the calories she/he needs.
7. Tastes amazing:
OK, so maybe I should have put this as number one. Ghee tastes amazing! It’s rich. It’s nutty. It’s delicious. There is nothing like a big plate of steamed veggies smothered in ghee. YUM!
Are you ready to try it?
Ghee is easy to make at home. See the recipe HERE. Or you can buy it at your local health food store or online
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Still worried about all the saturated fats? I get it. Modern industry has tried to push us towards consuming highly processed vegetable oils for some time now. But we are again realizing that REAL food is where it’s at. Much research is coming out on how vegetable oils are actually causing inflammation and heart disease. Stick with natural butterfat, bacon, and eggs, I say.
Read more here:
Would love to hear what you use for cooking at your house. Have you ever tried ghee?
Sources:
- http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-butter-is-better
- http://chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2-the-missing-nutrient
photo credit: depositphotos.com / PixelsAway
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Laura says
February 20, 2014 at 10:13 amKajta,
I found one of your recipes on Skinnymom.com. I started browsing and came upon the article on olive oil. Wow I did not know this. I buy huge bottles of it to cook with. I didn’t realize all the negatives.
I’ve never heard of ghee but it seems pretty easy to make yourself. Till them I will use coconut oil. I dislike lard or anything pork. Look forward to trying some of your recipes.
Thank you.
Laura
Katja says
February 20, 2014 at 3:57 pmLaura-
I’m so glad you found me. Coconut oil is a great cooking fat. I hope that you try ghee sometime. It’s amazing! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Chaya says
March 11, 2014 at 9:56 pmGreat article! I routinely cooked with ghee for a long time, and then reasons unknown, hadn’t been. I JUST started cooking with it again this past week and am remembering just how much I enjoy it! Everything is richer and creamier. Thanks for the info.
Kait S says
March 15, 2014 at 1:20 pmI have recently tuned to ghee. It gives off more flavor than butter. I did not have butter on hand when I wanted to make cookies, so I replaced it with ghee…..delicious! It also makes the cookies flaky and buttery! Thank you for this post 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
Katja says
March 16, 2014 at 2:43 pmYes! Ghee is my favorite. So tasty. I use it in baking all of the time. Thanks for coming by!
Thomas Olesen says
May 5, 2014 at 7:00 amGreat information Katja
You need to get the link fixed for the The Truth About Saturated Fats link though. Point s to the same as the Know Your Fats link.
Katja says
May 5, 2014 at 8:03 amdone! thanks!
Maria says
July 1, 2014 at 10:53 amHiKatija. I was shocked to read about ghee. I am an American living in Central Asia and they sell Ghee. But I thought all this time it was a cheap substitute for Crisco and therefore unhealthy. It’s cheap and readily available whereas coconut oil isn’t anywhere. So glad to know this. Now I haven’t read your site to see if you talk about drinking raw milk, We can also get that here, but even in this not-so-concerned-about-bacteria society, they DO bring their milk to a boil and immediately shut it off. From that, i can also make yogurt, etc. Do you think bringing it to a boil destroys the protein or changes its healthfulness?
Katja says
July 2, 2014 at 10:32 pmI am so glad that you found the info on ghee. Ghee is my favorite! About the raw milk : I buy a gallon of raw milk for my family a week to make yogurt and for my little one to drink. I get it from a local farmer who has clean practices. I trust the quality. If drinking raw milk, I would be sure that I knew exactly where it was coming from. Asa far as boiling it, it really defeats the purpose of raw milk. Milk boils somewhere around 170-180’F. You would be killing destroying the amazing enzymes that help your body assimilate the milk. You can read more here—> http://www.realmilk.com/health/more-about-raw-milk/ That being said, I am NOT advocating that you drink raw milk from a questionable source. You may want to find other whole food sources of nutrition that are safer. BTW: I’m surprised that yo can’t find coconut oil in Central Asia 🙂
Bob D says
March 16, 2017 at 3:00 pmI’ve tried Ghee for a couple of months now but am totally done with ever trying to fry another piece of fish in my stainless steel pan. Why does everything stick and the light breading turn into glue? I have cooked fish all my life usually with butter and never had the problem so bad. It must be the little extra fat that allows butter to fry without a sticky broken up mess. Any ideas on how to get around this?
Katja Heino says
March 19, 2017 at 7:57 pmHi, Bob! Hmmmmm…. not sure why you are having this issue. Ghee has the same amount of fat as butter. The only difference is that the milk solids have been cooked out of it. I fry in ghee all of the time. But I use my cast iron skillet. If I were you, I would just stick with what works for you when you cook fish. Wish I could be more helpful. 🙂
Dilly says
February 7, 2019 at 8:01 amCan you please advise if any particular kind butter is required to make ghee or any butter is ok. I have bought organic butter in the past. Firstly it is ridiculously expensive and secondly I found no difference in taste.
Katja Heino says
February 7, 2019 at 11:23 amI recommend getting the best quality butter that you can afford. Butter made from organic milk is obviously healthier and cleaner. That is why I use it. Butter made from commercial milk can be full of chemicals and hormones that are fed to the cows. And often those cows are kept in unclean and unethical ways. Of course, this is just my opinion. I prefer to support farmers who are making efforts to have sustainable and healthy practices. Hope that helps. 🙂