The golden-yellow grains of fresh desi cow ghee makes everyone drool and grab a morsel more. The fresh aroma and the lip-smacking taste make every meal with the desi ghee a gastronomic delight. Filled with goodness of taste and health. Not just the meals, cow ghee is a part of every Hindu household as it has a special place even in our worship to the Gods. No puja, yagna, or yaga is complete without offering the cow ghee to the lords of fire.
Ancient texts say that this is a way of pleasing the Gods with the best that mankind has, scientific research says that there could be more than what just meets the eye. Desi ghee, when offered in fire, emits smoke that is capable of purifying the air and eliminating harmful bacteria. When breathing, this air helps in boosting the immune system of the person.
Our ancestors aimed at helping us benefit from these yagas & yagnas, which is evident from the number of times they were mentioned in our scriptures. In 4 Vedas the term “Yajna” finds a mention over 1184 times. Some researches also claim that burning 10 gms. of desi cow ghee in fire produces close to a ton of oxygen, and when the Desi cow ghee is burned with raw rice it produces Ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and Formaldehyde, all of which play an important role in enhancing immunity against bacteria and purifies the atmosphere.
Desi Cow Ghee – Base as Pharmaceutical Aid
Desi Cow Ghee is an excellent base for preparing Ayurvedic medicines. The virtues of this clarified butter and its capability to reach within the deepest of tissues in the human body make it an ideal base to prepare Ayurvedic formulations targeting specific parts/organs/tissues of the body. There are many other uses of desi cow ghee within the Ayurvedic science that make it an invaluable part of this ancient medical science. Desi ghee also known as clarified butter, is a traditional adjuvant/ vehicle described in Ayurveda. It is an excellent vehicle for transporting the drugs to the deeper tissue layers of the body. Proper digestion, absorption, and delivery to a target organ system are crucial in obtaining the maximum benefit from any therapeutic formulation; the lipophilic action if desi cow ghee facilitates transportation to a target organ and final delivery inside the cell since the cell membrane also contains lipid.
Read our blog – Why The Pure Desi Cow Milk Ghee Is Costlier Than Normal Ghee?
Medicinal value of desi cow ghee
Desi Cow Ghee are widely used in ayurveda system of medicine as mediums to administer herbal preparations. Herbs, pastes of herbs or decoction of herbs are infused in cow ghee and later administered to patients after diagnosing the condition of diseases. Desi cow ghee, when churned from yogurt or buttermilk, it is not only a perfect & healthy cooking medium, but also a wonderful medicine. In ayurveda, Desi cow ghee is known as ‘amrita'(nectar) & considered the natural oil for all internal body mechanisms.
- For body massage-abhyanga (oil massage). Apply desi cow ghee all over the body, rubbing into head, chest, limbs, joints & orifices. It will bypass the digestive system & allow the qualities of desi ghee to penetrate directly into the deeper tissues. Massaging the skin creates endorphins or peptides, which enhances the body immune system. Regular abhyanga slows the aging process.
- In ancient India desi cow ghee used for recovery from wounds. It can be applied on broken bones, bruises and effective against skin rashes. Cow Ghee is excellent for scrapes and both type of burns i.e. fire or chemicals.
- Desi Ghee is excellent for a gargle, to improve the health of the teeth & gums.
- It can be used as a bath oil & an exquisite facial moisturizer.
- It is used as a carrier for herbs and bhasmas because of its supreme penetrating qualities and thus ability to carry these substances deep into the tissues.
The Benefits of Desi Cow Ghee
Desi cow ghee is one of those special superfoods that gives you the best of both worlds: it’s deeply rejuvenating, powerfully health-boosting and has out-of-this-world flavor. It should come as no surprise that it has been honored as a prized food in India for thousands of years. In fact, many Ayurvedic practitioners consider ghee to be such a supreme health tonic that it is often recommended, in small doses, as the first food given to a newborn child. Desi cow ghee is a wonderful health-boosting tonic at any age, the benefits of which affect nearly every system and process in the body.
1. Rich in Essential, Health-Boosting Vitamins, Minerals and Nutrients
In addition to all of its medicinal benefits, desi cow ghee is also rich in some harder-to-get essential nutrients:
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is important for skin, hair, eye and immune health among other things.
Vitamin E
Ghee contains high amounts of vitamin E, which is one of the most powerful and important antioxidants in the human body.
Vitamin K2
Important for healthy bones and heart, vitamin K2 can be hard to get, as it is somewhat rare in most foods, but ghee is rich in it. Proper levels of vitamin K2 help to protect against tooth decay, support proper growth and development of bones, and protect against the calcification of the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis.
Omega-3 and Omega-9 Fatty Acids
As long as it is from grass-fed cows, ghee contains omega-3 & omega-9 fatty acids, which play a number of vital roles in the human body and are particularly important for mood and brain health, among other things.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
Abundant in ghee made from grass-fed cows’ milk, some studies indicate that CLA may help to reduce tumors, lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, reduce inflammation and actually burn body fat.
2. Detoxifying Physically and Emotionally
Desi ghee also helps to lubricate the body and intestines, helping with constipation and promoting regular bowel movements in healthy individuals, which assists in elimination and detoxification. Traditionally, it has been used in panchakarma treatments (a special Ayurvedic cleansing ritual) to remove deep-rooted physical and mental toxins. It is considered to be a vital step in the initial phase (purvakarma) of the cleanse, as well as during the cleanse itself. By taking ghee in large quantity prior to the cleanse, it “loosens” the deep-rooted toxins from the tissues, which allows them to be eliminated through purgation.
3. Physically, Energetically and Emotionally Calming and Nourishing
In Ayurvedic medicine, desi ghee is said to be tri-doshic in smaller doses, meaning that it restores balance and harmony and tends to calm (pacify) all body types (or constitutions). For people of a skinny (vata) and medium build (pitta), desi ghee in small to large doses is generally calming and relaxing both physically, emotionally and energetically. For those of a larger or heavier build (kapha), desi ghee is best taken in smaller quantities for maximum benefit, as it can calm an otherwise sluggish metabolism too much. For this reason, desi ghee can be taken at night just before bed to help drift off into a pleasantly deep sleep. It is also great in combination with more stimulating, hot and spicy foods like peppers of all kind, ginger & garlic, which it helps to balance out.
Desi Cow Ghee is one of the most popular Ayurvedic foods which has magnificent healing properties. Ghee is one of those food items which has strong relevance to our lives as it is not just a part of our traditional cuisine but is also strongly recommended by Ayurveda due to its medicinal properties. Cow ghee is full of antioxidants and is also antibacterial and anti-fungal in nature. Loaded with important nutrients and fatty acids, ghee is also considered a superfood. Cow ghee is believed to be most beneficial when consumed with milk. Sounds weird? But it’s true. In ancient times, milk with ghee was a part of not just the diets recommended by Ayurvedic physicians but was also what the kings and warriors consumed for bodily strength.
Promotes Appetite and Reduces Malnutrition
Ghee proves to be an essential addition in your routine diet which is highly recommended for children and adults to supplement their nutritional requirements which maintains gut health and improves metabolism. Consumption of Ghee in our daily diet helps build immunity as it fights against the toxic elements in the body and supports in detoxifying the body of harmful bacteria.
Presence of Ghee helps promote our level of appetite when included in our regular diet. According to Ayurvedic study, a reason for such loss of appetite could be due to weak digestion which could be caused by an imbalance between Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas that gives rise to incomplete digestion of food. Such an imbalance accelerates insufficient secretion of gastric enzymes in the stomach leaving a loss of appetite. Ingestion of pure cow ghee on a daily basis balances the digestive fire and enhances appetite.
Also, regular consumption of ghee promotes functioning of all sensory organs which leads to a reduction in stress and anxiety levels.
Not just promoting digestion and boosting the immune system which eliminates the accumulation of toxins in the body which helps to combat a massive problem of malnutrition. When there is a lack of nutrients and improper digestion as it affects the proper absorption of food. It is recommended to regularly intake Ghee as it helps to increase appetite which helps combat malnutrition due to Kapha increasing property which promotes strength in the body. Combat against infections to increase immunity as Ghee consist of nutrients which provides instant energy and fulfills the calorie need of your body.
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