Individuals these days are gaining more of unwanted weight or fats, because of their sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food habits. The junk or fast foods that they regularly consume roots to issues such as, increase in obesity, inadequate growth and development, improper digestion and many more. Junk foods contain less or no quantity of required essential nutrients. Moreover, due to high sugar content, they are packed with high amount of calories which lead to weight gain.
Why does staying fit become important?
Excess weight may lead to various diseases like
- Coronary heart diseases
- Hyper tension
- Type 2 diabetes
- Reproductive Disorders like PCOD
Myth about Ghee:
We all have heard at some point - intake of ghee will lead to weight gain because of the fat content in it. However, recent research proves that, consumption of Desi Cow A2 Ghee in moderate quantity will help in weight loss. One of the major reasons being its high Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acid Content that helps you stay fit and healthy.
Molecular content in Ghee:
Ghee is basically 99% Milk Fat. The major component of this fat is saturated fatty acids (57.5g per 100g). These Predominant saturated fatty acids contain or include palmitic, stearic, and myristic acid. However, SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids) in ghee, such as butyric, caproic, caprylic, and capric acid, fatty acids are potentially beneficial for weight loss and shedding body fat. And also, these fatty acids are easily digestible and transferred directly from the intestine to the portal circulation and are a preferred source of energy (β-oxidation). In desi cow A2 ghee, it is found that there is Higher concentration of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid which in turn have various biological benefits. MCFAs (medium-chain fatty acids) with dietary substitution also helps in weight loss.
It has been proven by research that, Daily intake of 10g of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) aids in weight loss and reduction of hip and waist fat for individuals with a body mass index of 23 kg/m2. (1)
How Malnad Gidda ghee can help you lose excess fat by converting it into energy source:
Compared to other oil and fats, Malnad gidda Ghee is nutritionally superior, because of its medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) content, which is absorbed directly by the liver and burned to provide energy. Therefore, Ghee is consistent energy source for athletes. Also, the medium chain fatty acids energy can be used to burn other fats in the system to lose weight (St-Onge & Jones, 2008: Nokasa et al, 2009), therefore in MCFAs (medium chain fatty acids) anti-obesity properties are well recognized. Ghee contain butyric acid; is a short chain fatty acid (Kumar et al, 2015), which contributes to its distinct flavour and easy digestion properties to ghee. Beneficial intestinal bacteria convert fiber into butyric acid and then use that for energy and intestinal wall support. (2)
While all these research data have compelling evidence to prove some added benefits of Desi Cow Ghee, as compared to other cooking oil mediums, to contribute to stubborn weight loss. But conventional wisdom states that, predominant saturated fat content of Ghee aids in weight gain of individuals. It all depends on the quantity of Ghee intake and the lifestyle one leads. Moderate amounts of Ghee intake with sufficient amount of calorie burning exercises and active lifestyle would definitely help in weight loss for certain individuals.
However, People who are already obese and suffering from cardiovascular diseases should exercise caution and consume Ghee only after consultations with medical practitioner.
References:
(1)
In book: Milk and Dairy Products in Human Nutrition: Production, Composition and Health (pp.412-434) Chapter: Butter, Ghee, and Cream Products Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Editors: Young W. Park, George F.W. Haenlein
Author: Palanivel Ganesan, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea Kwak Hae-Soo Ganesan Palanivel* and Mijan Mohammad Al
(2)
In book: Ghee: Its Properties, Importance and Health Benefits
Authors: Anil Kumar, Shreya Tripathi, Nidhi Hans, Falguni Pattnaik, Satya Narayan Naik December 2018.