When it comes to cooking oils, there is a lot of confusion and nutritional myths surrounding which oil is best - and the answer isn’t that simple. However, there are a few standout oils that I recommend incorporating into your cooking repertoire. You need a stable high-heat oil for stir-frying and pan-frying, a medium light-bodied oil (like olive oil) for light sautéing and salad dressings and a finishing oil (like flax seed or macadamia nut oil), which should never be heated. But overall, my favorite cooking oil is ghee.
What Is Ghee?
Essentially, ghee is clarified butter with the milk solids removed. It was traditionally used in India for Ayurvedic cooking. Because the milk solids have been removed, those who are casein and lactose-sensitive can enjoy the taste of butter again.
Health Benefits Of Ghee
1. It’s a stable saturated fat that can withstand high cooking temperatures and doesn’t oxidize as quickly as other cooking oils. This is important because oxidized oils cause inflammation in the body. Ghee’s smoke point – the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke and generate toxic fumes and harmful free radicals – is nearly 500°F, which is higher than most cooking oils and much higher than butter’s smoke point of 350°F.
2. Ghee is rich in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K2, which are critical to heart, bone, brain and immune system function.
3. As I mentioned above, all of the milk solids have been removed, including the casein and lactose that can upset tummies for some.
4. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is the essential fatty-acid found almost exclusively in grass-fed animals and 9 phenolic antioxidants, as well as numerous other minerals. These are believed to protect against cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
5. Due to its low moisture content and lack of dairy, ghee won’t go bad at room temperature like butter does and retains its original flavor and freshness for up to a year without refrigeration.
6. Loaded with short chain fatty acids such as butyric acid – a fatty acid, which is believed to prevent cancers and tumors – ghee helps restore the integrity of the gut lining, reduces inflammation, has antiviral properties and has been shown to benefit those with gut disorders such as ulcerative colitis and crohn’s disease.
7. The fats in ghee aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals from other foods, strengthening the immune system. Great for sautéing veggies!
8. The ratios of omega 3 to 6 are in proper proportion. Ghee doesn’t contain hydrogenated oils or trans fats that can cause heart disease, like vegetable and industrial crop oils.
9. Ghee helps break down your food. Ghee does this in several key ways, from stimulating and balancing the secretion of necessary stomach acid that facilitates the breakdown of our foods (especially our proteins) to helping deliver the nutrients within the food to the cells.
10. Such ghee alone or in combination with honey is considered to be extremely useful for treating wounds, inflammatory swellings and blisters.
11. Ghee is also libido boosting. A healthy amount of dietary fat optimizes sex-hormone balance. Healthy saturated fats like ghee are better than vegetable oils for balancing hormones.
12. Our skin absorbs everything we put on it. When using ghee internally, the skin radiates through the healthy assimilation of fats into the body and balancing of digestion. Ghee can also be applied directly onto the skin.
13. Emphasizing a balance of healthy fats, using ghee and eating grass-fed meats will help you get balanced sources of saturated fats necessary to combat adrenal fatigue. Our adrenal glands produce cortisol and regulate energy levels.
Where Do I Find Ghee?
It’s important to purchase ghee from a reputable source to be certain that your ghee is from grass-fed or pastured animals. Ghee is concentrated and if the original source contained antibiotics, hormones or the animal was fed GMO corn or soy, you can be certain you’ll be consuming this too. Some good brands to look for are Pure Indian Foods, Tin Star Ghee, Purity Farms or you can even make your own very easily on the stove or in a slow-cooker.
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