Desi ghee has earned a reputation of being unhealthy lately. From fitness enthusiasts to wannabe fit blokes everybody is bashing desi ghee. This is largely on account of the popular myth which states that “Fats make you fat”. This is anything but the truth.

Let us break down desi ghee to get to the truth.

Ayurveda’s  ViewPoint

Ghee is butter from which water and milk solids have been removed. In Ayurveda there are 3 doshas or bio elements which make up the constitution of every human being. For optimal health there has to be a balance between these doshas(bio elements).

Desi Ghee can do a world of good to anybody. Here are some of them

• It can pacify all the doshas ,
• It strengthens the body, improves memory, mental function and promotes longevity.
• It stimulates digestive fire, if taken with a meal .

However Ayurveda while singing all the praises for Desi ghee has a word of caution. It clearly doesn’t want you to go overboard with it. Consume it in moderation . 2 teaspoon a day is fine.

Modern Day Science View Point

Lot of people demonise saturated fat. The consensus amongst the general population is that saturated fat makes you fat and is bad for your heart[2].It raises your cholesterol[3]. However such claims don’t find any backing in science. This is the precise reason Desi ghee is considered unhealthy.

The fat break down of Desi ghee is

• 60-66% Saturated Fat
• 27 % Monounsaturated fat

Remaining is polyunsaturated fat. The majority of the fats in the saturated Fat content of Desi ghee are short chain fatty acids. These are relatively easily absorbed and assimilated in the body as compared to their long chain counterparts.

Desi Ghee is a natural source of Conjugated Linoleic Acid(CLA). CLA can help in fat loss.   

Desi Ghee is also a good source of Vitamin A,D,E and K.

Desi Ghee and Fat loss

When somebody is looking to lose weight, controlling cravings is one of the biggest challenges. So a meal should be as satiating as possible. Adding fat to our meal can help us to ward off this challenge. Neuropeptide YY[4] is a hormone which suppresses appetite. Incidentally fat elicits the  biggest release of this hormone amongst all other macronutrients. So desi ghee sits perfectly in any fat loss diet.

Desi Ghee and Testosterone Production

A diet high in fat elicits more testosterone[5] and androgen production vis-a-vis it’s low fat counterpart[6]. Optimal testosterone production is vital for good health and a great physique.

References

[1] https://books.google.co.in/books?id=F5vtk18tO-QC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_vpt_read&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071648

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3215354/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19820013

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15741266

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8942407