Does Moderate Ghee Intake Improve Cholesterol or Harm Your Heart?

You might enjoy ghee in your food. It has a rich flavour and is used in many homes. Many people want to know if eating some ghee helps the heart or makes it worse. Here’s what we know.

What Is Ghee?

Ghee is a type of clarified butter. You make it by heating butter. This removes the water and milk solids. What’s left is pure fat that looks yellow and smells good. People use ghee in cooking, for frying, or as a topping.

What Happens When You Eat Ghee?

Ghee is pure fat. Most of its fat is saturated. Saturated fat is found in foods like butter, cheese, and meat. Some experts think eating lots of saturated fat raises “bad” cholesterol. But what happens when you eat a bit of ghee? Will it harm your heart or is it safe?

Ghee and Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance in your blood. You need some cholesterol for your body to work. There are two main types: 

• LDL cholesterol (“bad” for the heart, can block blood vessels)
• HDL cholesterol (“good” for the heart, helps keep blood vessels clear)

If you have too much LDL, you have a higher risk for heart problems. Most doctors say eating lots of foods high in saturated fat can make your LDL cholesterol rise. Ghee has a lot of it.

But some studies say small amounts of ghee do not make LDL rise much. When people eat small amounts of ghee (not buckets and buckets!), sometimes their “good” HDL goes up a little, too. And sometimes the “bad” LDL does not change much.

How Much Is “Moderate” Ghee Intake?

Foods like ghee are strong in taste and high in fat, so you do not need much. “Moderate” means not adding it to every meal, and not eating it with every snack. For most people, cooking with one or two teaspoons a day is moderate.

Is Ghee Worse Than Other Fats?

Ghee has more saturated fat than olive oil or sunflower oil. But it is like butter, coconut oil, or lard. Some experts say if you already use fat in the kitchen, swapping some butter for a little ghee does not make your diet much worse or better.

Ghee has nearly no trans fats, which are really bad for the heart. It also does not have the milk solids that some people with allergies do not want.

What The Experts Say

Major heart organisations say that people should eat less saturated fat, and more unsaturated fat like olive oil, rapeseed oil, and nuts. But they don’t say you must never eat butter or ghee again. They say use those fats for flavour, not as the main thing in the meal.

Some newer studies look at people who eat small amounts of ghee (one to two teaspoons a day). These studies often find that blood cholesterol stays about the same, or goes up a small amount. Some even show no change in heart health when people eat moderate ghee as part of a balanced diet.

What Happens If You Eat Too Much Ghee

Eating lots of ghee can raise your cholesterol. It is pure fat. Taking in too much makes you gain weight. Being overweight also makes heart problems more likely.

If you eat ghee with lots of sugar and fried food, your heart risk grows. Ghee is for flavour, not for eating by the spoonful.

Can Ghee Help Your Heart?

Ghee has a tiny amount of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Some animal studies say ghee might lower inflammation in the body. But, these effects are small and you still get lots of fat. A bit of ghee won’t cure heart problems, and it does not make bad food good.

Final Thoughts

Moderate ghee in your food will not harm your heart if you are healthy, active, and not eating other foods high in saturated fat. But too much is not wise. If you already have heart or cholesterol problems, limit saturated fats like ghee even more. For everyone, it’s okay to add a little ghee if you like its flavour, as long as you also eat plenty of other healthy foods.