Heart
Attack by Ghee
Q. I have
been told that ghee is an inert fat; is it therefore safe to use
in cooking?
A.
No. Ghee is a form of butter and is the chief form of
cooking fat used in India. In the West, ghee is variously known as
‘clarified butter’, ‘butter oil’, ‘butterfat’ or
‘milk oil’.
Making Ghee
In addition to fat, ordinary butter contains about 20% water plus
some protein and minerals. Ghee is made by gently heating butter
so that the fat separates out from the water (and other
ingredients). The fat (ghee) rises to the surface and is skimmed
off.
Indian Paradox
In other words, ghee is a concentrated form of butter --
and is therefore even more dangerous. The common use of ghee in
India has led to what Indian researcher Dr. Ram Singh[i]
calls the ‘Indian Paradox’ -- skinny, underfed, people who
nevertheless get artery and heart disease.
Fulani
The nomadic Fulani cattle herders of West Africa are also great
consumers of butterfat (ghee). The American researcher, Richard
Glew, observed similar artery hardening in these tribesmen. In
addition, they suffer deficiencies of essential fatty acids[ii]
(in which ghee is deficient).
Artery Disease
Ghee is heavily loaded with the artery-clogging and artery rotting
saturated fats, myristic and palmitic acid. It strongly raises
‘bad’ cholesterol levels.
Fat Composition
Ghee’s fat composition compared to butter (in brackets) is:
saturated fat 62% (50%), palmitic acid 27% (22%), and myristic
acid 10% (8%). Ghee on all these counts is significantly worse
than even that arch-demon, butter.
Oxidation
Your misconception probably arose because these bad, saturated,
fats do not oxidize easily -- and oxidized fats are, of course,
also to be avoided.
Sources of Ghee
Most people have never heard of ghee and think that they are safe.
However its alias, ‘butterfat’, is present in a great many
processed foods, notably ice cream. Read the labels!
Our View
The real message is that all fat consumption should be kept
to a minimum, avoid oxidizing it (by heating) and focus on the
omega‑3 rich types. If you have to cook, use olive oil which
resists heat well.
[i]
Singh
et al; J. Am. Coll. Nutr.; vol 17; no 4; 1998.
[ii]
Glew
et al; J. Food Comp. Anal.; 12; 1999; p 235.
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