Aashu’s Dilemma
When Aashu’s mother is out of town, he needs to prepare dinner. he is surprised and confused to know that his mother is using 3 different substances to prepare dishes namely Ghee, Butter & Oils. All three of them carry reasonable quantities of fats, but they have different effects on the human body.
Fats are an essential part of our diet & every individual has to rely on any one of the three to fulfil his daily requirement of it. When Aashu visits a nearby grocery store, he is always fascinated by, why his mother includes all 3 of them in the purchase list.
So, to clear that confusion, Aashu started searching on Google about the major differences between butter, ghee & oil. He wants to make clear comparison on Ghee v/s Butter v/s Edible Oil. Let us see what he finds-
What is Ghee?
Ghee or clarified butter has its origin in the Vedic period & is still a dominant source of healthy fats for Indian families. But in recent years, ghee has been consumed in western & eastern countries. We can even find the ghee to be mentioned in Ayurveda for its medicinal properties.
Ghee carries a different aroma & flavour from cooking oils that make it a better option to be consumed even directly either by teaspoon in the early morning or by spreading on the chapati.
Special properties of ghee help it to remain fresh even in warm weather which means you can even store ghee without a refrigerator. This is the opposite of butter which needs below the room temperature to be consumable.
How ghee is prepared?
There are different methods to prepare ghee that are used in the industrial production of ghee. But you can even have homemade ghee for your daily consumption.
For that, you just need to have a bowl full of milk cream (malai). Put it in a pan & heat it until the liquid doesn’t get separated from the milk solids.
Stop heating when you see that settled milk solids start to turn golden or dark brownish & now separate the upper layer of liquid from the pan & collect it in any jar or container.
After cooling down, your homemade ghee is ready to be consumed with any form of meal you like.
The micronutrient content of Ghee
As we said earlier, desi ghee is a good source of healthy fats which means fats make the major part of desi ghee’s micronutrient content. These fats are monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats.
Other than fats, ghee also provides you with Vitamin A, K & E in minimal quantity. Along with them, you can also have protein & carbs from ghee.
If you look at the nutrient contents of ghee & butter, then you will know many similarities in them but the difference is in the type of fats they both provide.
Ghee is loaded with more short-chain saturated fats that can help in reducing inflammation & maintain the health of your gut. It also carries a good amount of linoleic acid that promotes weight loss.
On the other hand, butter still has milk sugar lactose which can be harmful to those who are suffering from lactose allergies. In that case, ghee is a good alternative as it is free of it.
Types of Ghee
A major confusion among new ghee buyers is what different types of ghee are there in the market & which would be good for health. So following are some of the most commonly used ghee:
| Types | Details |
|---|---|
| Vanaspati Ghee | One of this types of ghee is prepared by hydrogenating or hardening the palm oil. There is no use of milk or any other dairy product in the preparation of this ghee. Compared to desi ghee it is cheap which makes it affordable to low-income people. But vanaspati ghee has no health benefit while it is harmful to the health of the heart. |
| Buffalo Ghee | Buffalo ghee comparatively has a lower fat content but is higher in calories than cow ghee. It is also rich in magnesium & phosphorus that are essential minerals for good health. However, phosphorus can make the absorption of calcium difficult for your body. |
| A1 Cow Ghee | A form of cow ghee that is prepared from the milk of A1 cows that are non-native to India. A1 cow ghee carries A1 beta-casein & BCM-7 compounds that can be harmful to your health. They are responsible for heart diseases & type-2 diabetes. Nearly 90% of cow ghee available in the market is A1 cow ghee. |
| A2 Cow Ghee | The most nutritious form of ghee, A2 cow ghee is extracted from the milk of A2 cows that are native to India. It carries A2 beta-casein that has many health benefits such as reducing the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol & reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes. It is also a good source of Vitamin K1 & Vitamin K2. |
To Read more about the A2 Cow Ghee. Click Here
Desi Ghee benefits over oils & Butter
As we have discussed above, A2 cow ghee is the most nutritious of all the types of ghee, so we will see how it is even healthier than butter & oils of different kinds.
Ease of Storage
Butter & ghee are majorly similar in nutrition content but there are some areas where ghee leads the count. While ghee can be stored at room temperature for three months, you need a refrigerator to store butter for multiple uses.
Low in Calories
Most butter that is consumed in India is prepared by mixing milk fats with water-carrying milk proteins which are used as emulsifying agents. It makes butter much more loaded with calories than desi ghee. On the other hand, Desi ghee is comparatively low on calories and adding it to your diet can helpful in weight loss.
“stream of ghee- full of elixir – “ghritasya dharamariten sambhritam”
– (3-12-8 Atharva Veda)
Loaded in Nutrients
In the case of oils, ghee is superior in nutritious value & benefits to health. Vegetable oils & palm oils are the most commonly used edible oils for cooking purposes. These oils are consumed only after they are refined as they carry toxins that can only be removed through the refining process.
Reduce Chances of Chronic Disease
All refined oils are linked with chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases & even cancers. Consuming more than normal quantities can even cause damage to your digestive & respiratory systems.
Benefits of Ghee on face
If you think, ghee can only be beneficial if used for cooking then you need to correct yourself. Ghee is loaded with Vitamin A, E & D that can reverse the ageing process of your facial skin. Also, omega-3 fatty acids in ghee can help you in having smooth skin and reduce skin inflammation.
Benefits of consuming one teaspoon Ghee empty stomach
Elders in Indian families always suggest for consuming one teaspoon of ghee empty stomach. The reason is quite clear, ghee has properties to stimulate stomach acids that can improve digestion & absorption of nutrients efficiently.
What is better for cooking?
In Indian kitchens, you would find all sorts of foods that require different forms of cooking such as frying, grilling, baking, steaming & Roasting. When we compare desi ghee, butter & refined oils then you will see that every one of them is better for cooking specific food compared to another.
Refined oils are always considered good for frying purposes such as deep frying or shallow frying but you can also substitute refined oils with desi ghee for frying as it also has a high smoke point which allows cooking at high temperatures.
Mostly, butter is preferred in Indian kitchens for baking & roasting purposes but when we look at the smoke point, ghee again claims to be a clear winner. So you can choose ghee for roasting & baking foods. Both ghee & butter can be used for grilling & barbeque but as we noted that ghee has more nutritious value, you should prefer it over butter.
Comparing Ghee v/s Butter v/s Edible oil
Now let’s make some last comparisons between Ghee, Butter & Edible Oils.
Consumption Areas
| Type | Properties |
|---|---|
| Ghee | Historically, ghee has been preferred throughout India to prepare foods for special occasions only such as prasad. But due to its high nutritious value & numerous health benefits, it is now being widely recommended by doctors & health experts worldwide. |
| Butter | First appeared in European diets but now it is consumed worldwide due to its low prices & easy use in preparing fast foods. |
| Edible Oils | Edible oil is widely consumed throughout the world as a primary source of oil for all types of cooking. |
Nutrient content
| Type | Properties |
|---|---|
| Ghee | Contains Vitamins A, E & K as well as proteins & carbs in small quantities. A2 cow ghee carries both Vitamin K1 & K2 which can help prevent blood clotting & improve bone & heart health. |
| Butter | Has the same nutrient content but it is high in calories that can cause obesity & it also contains long-chain saturated fats that are hard to digest & can be responsible for inflammation. |
| Edible Oils | The Nutritional value of edible oils depends on their source of extraction. However, most of them carry high polyunsaturated fats that are unstable in cooking. They are also low in antioxidants that are required to boost your immunity. |
Storage
| Type | Properties |
|---|---|
| Ghee | It has a unique property that it can be stored at room temperature for at least 3 months after its preparation. |
| Butter | It needs a refrigerator to be stored for multiple consumptions. Can also be stored in greaseproof or foil paper. |
| Edible Oils | Should be stored in dark and air-tight container away from sunlight as heat can break down oil and can turn it toxic. |
Digestion
| Type | Properties |
|---|---|
| Ghee | Thanks to the presence of butyric acid which promotes better digestion. Ghee is also beneficial in lubricating your digestive tract & keeping the motion flow normal without constipation. |
| Butter | Compared to desi ghee is hard to digest. Butter which is a high-fat food can accelerate the occurrence of constipation. However, some studies claim butter is also easy to digest because of the presence of butyrate. |
| Edible Oils | All edible oils affect differently in the digestion process but a diet high in oil can cause gastrointestinal problems like bloating, acidity and even constipation. |
Other Uses
| Type | Properties |
|---|---|
| Ghee | Other than internal health benefits, ghee can also be applied on skin & hair as it has great hailing properties that can help you cope with many skin & hair-related problems. |
| Butter | Butter doesn’t possess any such properties that make it useful for external use but you can use butter as a preservative in the preparation of jams & pickles. |
| Edible Oils | Edible oils such as Coconut oil and olive oil are known for their healing properties as well. Both have been used for hair and skin care since earlier times. |
Conclusion
At last, Aashu knows that Desi ghee is a clear winner if he compares it with butter & refined oils at any point other than price. Know Your Diet has given him all necessary information about ghee v/s butter v/s edible oils.
he has seen that Desi ghee (especially A2 cow ghee) is not only nutritious but can even give you many health benefits compared to oils & butter.
In the case of oil, he can substitute refined oils with coconut oil which is healthier & can be used externally.
