Ayurveda – Ayurvedic – India

“Cow’s ghee is the best of all fats.
 It has thousands of action.”
- Caraka samhita

Of all the Milk products, Ghee has the best taste and flavour. Ghee is
clarified butter. It is prepared from butter or cream of the milk. When butter is melted at approximately 100 degree C, the water evaporates and ghee is produced.
 Ghee is called Ghrita or Ghrittham in sanskrit. In Hindi it is ghee and in Tamil, it is ‘Neyi’.
 Ghee is a much respected food – stiff in Ayurveda. It is widely used in most of Ayurvedic medicinal preparations. Ghee pacifies all doshas, according to Ayurveda. It is hence called “Rasayana”, that helps overall health.
What the Ayurvedic Acharyas say about ghee
Acharya Caraka – “Ghee increases memory and intelligence, stimulates appetite (Jadaragni), improves semen, ojas, kapha and medas (fat tissues). Useful in treating poisoning, insanity, fever, phthisis. Old ghee is beneficial for treating – intoxication, seizures, phthisis, Ear ache, Head ache, pain in the female genitalia.”
Acharya sushruta:- “Ghrita (Ghee) is sweet, soft, gentle, least irritating and generally beneficial to the body. It balances vata and pitta, stimulates digestive process, but ghee it self is heavy to digest. It alleviates pain, fever, hysteria. It improves memory, intelligence, radiance, glow, beauty and strength. It improves longevity and semen. It is good for the eyes. It increases kapha”.
Acharya Vagbhatta:- “Ghee is suitable for all age groups. It stimulates fertility, heals wounds, burns and injuries.
Acharya Bhava Mishra:- “Ghee alleviates tuberculoes and cures many disorders of the blood. It improves digestion and eye sight. It protects the body from diseases. Improves memory and life.”
Constitugents
 The main constituent of Ghee is fat. One hundred grams of ghee contains 100 gms of fat and 600 ug of carotene. Now carotene is an yellow or orange pigment occurring in four forms – alpha, Beta, Gamma and delta. of these four, the most important form is Beta – Corotene, which is converted in the body to Retinol (vitamin A). Except Ghee and cod liver oil and other fish oils, no other plant oil or fat contains vitamin A. This vitamin helps bubrication of the eyes and protects them. It keeps the ephithelial cells in order.
 The fats in ghee are mainly Triglycerides (97%). Triglyceride is a lipid or neutral fat and is the form in which fat is stored in the body. The other constituents in ghee are Di-glycerides, monoglycerides, ketoacid glycerides, free fatty acids, steroles, vitamin A, traces of vitamin E K etc. The glycerides in the ghee are Butric acid, caproic, coprylic and capric acids, linoleic acid, stearic acid palmitic acid etc.
The special altributes of cow’s ghee:- 
? It is generally accepted that some fat is necessary for maintaing health. Ghee does not contain oxidised cholesterol or trans – fatty acids, associated with heart diseases. It imparts the goodness of fatty acids without the problems of oxidised cholesterol, transfatty acids or hydrogenated fats.
? It’s linoleic acid (Un – saturated fatty acid essential for growth but cannot be synthesized by the body and has to come from foods) helps in regular body growth. Ghee has 4 to 5% linoleic acid.
? Ghee contains high quality edible fats. These fats are lower saturated fatty acids. Because of this, ghee is easily digestible. Its rate of absorption is 95%, highest among all fats and oils.
? Ghee resists spoilage by micro – organisms. It is also resistent to free radical damage and is lactose free. Because of its butric and linoleic acid contents, ghee has anti – viral, and anti – cancer properties. It does not need refrigeration.
? The colour of ghee ranges from white to light yellow, depending on the quantity of carotene present in it. Ghee is aromatic with a rich taste and flavour.
? Ghee melts as 35 degree C itself, less than human body’s temperature
? Ghee has the special character of attraction to lipid cells (lipophilic action). It bonds easily with lipid soluble nutrients and herbs. Hence ghee / medicines with ghee directly reach the mito chondria, microsome and nuclear membranes parts of the cell easily, thus enhancing the potent action of the herbs.
? Another reason for large use of ghee in Ayurvedic medicines is – Ghee added medicinal compounds have the three essential properties – delivery, digestion (of the medicine), and absorption. All these 3 actions are ably achieved by ghee.
? According to Ayurveda, Ghee contains all the “Pancha mahabhutas” viz. Earth (pritvi), water (Jala), Avi (vayu) Fire (Agni) and Ether (Akash). The “contents” of these elements can be manipuleted in the Ghee so as to cure the disorders caused by vitiation of the three doshas (vata, kapha & pitta).
Medicinal Uses
1. Ghee promotes mental functions – learning, memorising and recalling. It is sometimes called ‘Ayush’ because it increases life span, keeps the body healthy. It facilitates growth.
2. It fortifies body’s immune system.
3. Ghee helps balancing the excess acid secreted in the stomach and ‘repairs’ the mucus lining of the stomach.
4. Caraka samhita says that ghee heals stomach ulcers.
5. It stimulates the digestive power if taken with every meal. The quantity taken per meal should not exceed 1 teaspoon.
6. It improves physical stamina, good for use in nervous disorders. Taken with juice of onion and boiled egg, it acts as a nerine tonic.
7. It corrects imbalances of vata and pitta.
8. When ghee gets frozen, a thin liquid forms on top. This liquid is good medicine for constipation pain in the pelvis and is a mild eaxative.
9. Fresh ghee prepared from butter that was gathered from a day old milk, has special qualities. It is called “Hayyanga veenam” in Ayurveda. It is good for reducing body heat, stomach ulcers, Nervous debility & pain.
10. Old ghee may not be accepted as food but has medicinal values. Caraka samhita uses the term “Mahaaghrits” for III years old ghee! Ghee does not spoil easily. Old ghee is very useful in treating brain and nerve disorders, chronic head aches and it improves eye – sight. It reduces fever. It is used in rheumaic afflictions, stift joints etc
11. Ghee has the characteristic of acquiring the properties of herbs with which is added or fortified. Such medicines are -
a) Bringraj Ghrits – For hari growth Ghee + Eclipta Alba
b) Sankupushpa Ghrita – For memory and intellect Ghee – convolvulus pluricalis
c) Tripala Ghrita – For improving vision. Ghee + 3 myrobalans
d) Shatavar Ghrita – Improves, Increases semen. Ghee + Asparagus race mosus
e) Brahmi Ghrita – For memory and in tellect. Ghee + Bacopa moneri.
Caution: While cow’s ghee is essential for health, do not take too much of
it. Limit your daily intake to one or two teaspoons a day.