Modern science now verifies what Ayurvedic health science has said for thousands of years: Ghee has a host of health and cooking benefits and is good for the mind and spirit.

Diana Herrington, researcher and author of the cookbook, Eating Green and Lean, actually turned a debilitating health crisis into a passion for helping others with healthy, sugar-free, gluten-free, eating and cooking. And one of the key ingredients to her healthy eating regime was ghee.

Ghee—a form of clarified butter—is considered an essential power-food. In a recent Care2 article, Diana shared many of the benefits to using ghee along with a tutorial for making homemade clarified butter.

IT’S DELICIOUS AND SAFE FOR COOKING:

• Ghee has a high smoke point (250 °C or 482 °F). You can cook and fry with ghee and it will not break down into free radicals like many other oils.

• Ghee does not spoil easily so it does not need refrigeration. (Some ghee mixtures last up to 100 years.)

• Ghee is not likely to affect people with a dairy or casein intolerance. It’s made from butter but the milk solids and impurities have been removed, so most people who are lactose or casein intolerant have no issue with ghee.

IT’S HIGH IN NUTRITION:

• Ghee is rich in the oil soluble vitamins A and E.

• Ghee is rich in K2 and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) – an antioxidant with anti-viral properties if it is sourced from grass fed cows.

IT’S BOOSTS ENERGY AND PROMOTES WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:

• Ghee is nutritionally rich like coconut oil. It is rich in medium chain fatty acids, which are absorbed directly by the liver (like carbs) and burned as energy. Athletes can use ghee as a consistent energy source.

• The energy from these medium chain fatty acids can be used to burn other fats in the system and lose weight.

IT’S DIGESTION ENHANCING AND IMMUNE STRENGTHENING:

• Ghee (unlike other oils) is rich in butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid. Beneficial intestinal bacteria convert fiber into butyric acid and then use that for energy and intestinal wall support. A healthy body therefore makes its own form of ‘ghee’ but you can aid that greatly by consuming it.

• Ghee aids in digestive health, supporting the production of butyric acid. Research shows that people with unhealthy digestive tracts do not produce butyric acid.

• Research shows that adequate production of butyric acid supports the production of killer T cells in the gut and thus a strong immune system.

• Ghee is anti-Inflammatory and anti-cancer. Researchers are using oral butyrate supplements and butyrate enemas to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. And Ayurvedic physicians have been using ghee enemas for centuries to decrease inflammation.

• Ghee stimulates the secretion of gastric acid, thus aiding in the digestive process. Better digestion equals better health and weight loss.

IT’S A NATURAL DETOXIFYER:

• Modern research has proven that negative emotions have a chemical nature…in other words, the mind and body are one. These chemicals are attracted to and stored in fat. Ghee can be used to replace those fats. Plus, if used properly in a cleanse, ghee helps with detoxifying by attracting and pulling out these toxins.

IT’S AN HERBAL ENERGIZER:

• So fry your spices in ghee. Many of the medicinal properties of herbs and spices can be absorbed and transported to targeted areas of the body with ghee. Just fry your kitchen spices in ghee before adding them to your dishes.

Ghee is made the same as clarified butter, but heated longer. For this you need 1 pound organic, grass-fed, unsalted butter. This is the ideal. But I’ve used my store brand unsalted butter and had good results (without the CLA, though). You also need a heavy bottomed, stainless steel sauce pan, a metal spoon, a small strainer, cheese cloth, and a clean glass jar.

Lesson #1: Use cheese cloth. Don’t substitute.

Lesson #2: Be patient. Make sure all the milk solids have separated. There’s a tendency to worry about the ghee burning and so the cooking is cut short. Don’t do that. It takes a while for ALL the milk solids to separate. If they’re not all removed the result will go moldy after a few days.

Now for the HOW TOs:

1. Put butter in the sauce pan over medium heat; stir periodically with the metal spoon.

2. When the butter has melted and comes to a boil reduce the heat to medium-low or low depending on your stove. You want the liquid to continue to simmer with small bubbles.

3. From the milk solids a foam will develop on top and will eventually sink to the bottom. Continue to stir every few minutes until all the foam has gone to the bottom and there is golden ghee on top. This should take about 15 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and let it sit for an additional 15 minutes.

5. Place a piece of cheese cloth (folded a few times) over a small strainer and place over the glass jar. Then gently pour the ghee through the cheese cloth and strainer into the jar. Make sure none of the milk solids make it into the jar.

6. Cover the jar and let it cool overnight.

It’s important that you store your ghee properly. The two things that will degrade ghee are water and sunlight. So always store your ghee in a container with a good seal in the dark. Ghee will last 2-3 months if you keep it in an airtight container. When kept in a refrigerator, without opening, ghee can last up to a year.

Ghee was once thought to be unhealthy because it is saturated, but research has now revealed the truth about fats and oils. Ghee is one of the seven healthy fats you need in your kitchen (the others being extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, extra virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, and flax seed oil).

To close, I’ll share a terrific recipe I found on Care 2 (www.care2.com) for a recipe using ghee. This is one of our favorite ways to make popcorn. You get not only a delicious snack, but it’s loaded with the health benefits ghee and turmeric provide!

CURRIED POPCORN

Popcorn (organic)

Curry powder

Turmeric

Coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter)

sea salt

1. Make popcorn in preferred method.

2. In a saucepan put in some coconut oil or ghee.

3. When hot add curry powder, turmeric and salt.

4. Heat for only a minute, then remove.

5. Then sprinkle on popcorn

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