Ghee Or Refined Oil - Know Which Is Better!

Ghee is commonly referred to as clarified butter, is a traditional dietary source of fat which is used in Indian cooking. It can be easily made at home by heating butter till it boils, yielding ghee. Refined oils are the vegetable oils like mustard, safflower, canola and the rest which are really popular these days as a cooking medium.

Refined oils are extracted from plants and are then treated with chemicals to get rid of the strong odor and taste, as well as toxins present. Like, unrefined mustard oil has a characteristic pungent odor, taste and is yellow in color, but the refined mustard oil loses all of these when it’s refined. Refined mustard oil has a whitish color and no peculiar mustard taste. In order to differentiate between the two as to which one is more beneficial for the health, let us take a look at the benefits and negatives of both ghee and refined oils. 

Clarified butter or ghee
Why is ghee good for you?

1. It is better tolerated by those with dairy sensitivities as it’s very low in case of the main protein found in milk and has a negligible amount of lactose present in it, making it easy to tolerate by those who suffer from dairy intolerance.
2. Ghee is also rich in butyrate, a short chain fatty acid which can decrease inflammation and help improve the digestive system.
3. Ghee tastes yummy and can be eaten on its own as it tastes nutty and wholesome. This makes it ideal for adding as topping for foods like rice, veggies, and bread.
4. Ghee is rich in fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K.
5. Just one tablespoon of ghee can provide around 15 percent of your daily requirements of vitamin A.
6. Ghee has one of the highest content of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which as per studies is known to insulin resistance in the body and has the potential to fight cancer.
7. Ghee can be stored easily at room temperature and doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Why is ghee bad for you?

1. Ghee has high saturated fat content so it’s bad for the weight-watchers.
2. Eat in moderation is the mantra.

Refined oil

Refined oils are the purified vegetable oils. The vegetable oils are purified with chemicals to remove suspended particles, toxic substances, flavour components, as well as colour and odour, leaving behind clear and bland oil.

What is good about them?

The positives of refined oils are that they have a higher smoke point. This means the temperature at which they start to smoke when heated is higher. Beyond the smoke point, the components of the oil break down. So, refined oils can be used for deep frying because they don’t break-down at lower temperatures.

What's bad in them?

1. The refined oils have lesser toxins which may be found in a few vegetable oils but they are full of chemicals according to experts, as they are obtained after treating natural oils with various chemicals to meet your expectations.
2. Refined oils are the equivalent of processed foods. And, like fast foods, they can be harmful to the digestive and respiratory systems. Refined oils have also been linked to cancer, diabetes, heart and kidney ailments, among others.
3. A chemical named, nickel is used in the refining of vegetable oils. And it’s this element which is implicated for the adverse effects on the respiratory system, liver, and skin. It also acts as a carcinogen.

Well, it is certainly clear that Ghee is healthier than refined oils. but make sure to use ghee in moderation though, because it has lots of fats and calories attached to it. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!