Ghee Cultured Butter vs Churned Butter

 

GHEE 

Cultured Butter

Ghee is one of the most important medicines used in Ayurveda. It’s used in many different ways. The most important is as an ANUPAN, which is a substance given along with the main medicine which helps in enhancing the properties and action of the medicine. It is considered to be the best Anupan.

The Ghee used when as medicine is mainly Cow’s ghee (A2 Milk). So today we are going to be talking about ghee that is cow’s  ghee. Ghee used is prepared by the traditional method, where in milk cream is converted to curd and then the curd is churned and butter is extracted. The butter is then heated on a low flame to get ghee. This method though tedious has been proven to have its benefits. Research has proved that compared with ghee prepared from modern method the ghee from traditional method is rich in DHA one of the Omega -3 fatty acid . Also its useful even in people with lactose intolerance.

As is proven by research; that Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in children. DHA is also required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults. The inclusion of plentiful DHA in the diet improves learning ability, whereas deficiencies of DHA are associated with deficits in learning.

Although, many of us think that the high content of fat in ghee is bad for health but, fat is something which is one of the major nutrients that is required by our body to function properly.  Traditionally made Ghee as we know is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good fats and are essential for improving the brain and heart health. According to modern nutrition, Ghee also contains vitamin A, E and D.

Traditionally all Indian household use Ghee it is also considered sacred and auspicious. The traditional method of preparation also enhances the flavour and colour of ghee. Ghee nourishes body tissues and is suitable for all age groups. It helps in improving memory, it strengthens the sense organs and also improves immunity. It is helpful in increasing the digestion power when taken in the right amount. Every day having 1 teaspoon of ghee in lunch and dinner is really helpful. You can use it for sauté or directly. The recipe that I love is when we have it poured over hot steaming rice and boiled arhar dal having a bit of haldi and hing, then you add some drops of lemon juice and salt as per taste, it not only is very tasty but enhances the flavour and acts appetiser. In Maharashtra we call it Varan Bhat with limbu and Ghee.

 If you cannot consume ghee then you can at least use it for application to the skin. Applying Ghee just 1 to 2 drops to the inner part of the nostrils before sleeping has great benefits like a better quality of sleep. Also it prevents allergies. It is good for the eyes, Enhances skin tone and also prevents premature greying of hair. Also applying a drop of ghee to belly button also helps in improving appetite and reducing Vata dosha. Ghee applied to the sole of the feet not only has a calming effect but is excellent for the eyes. Especially useful in these times when we our screen time has increased due to the changing lifestyle.

1 teaspoon of ghee with 1 cup of warm milk taken at night enhances sleep quality and is also helpful in reducing constipation.

Overall whether you take ghee internally or apply it externally it does wonders to both your body and mind!

 

-By Dr. Pradnya Bedekar (Mumbai, India)