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WHAT IS GHEE?
"Ghee is life"
-Sarvadarsana Sangraha
For thousands of years, in the family homes, religions, peoples and kitchens of India, Ghee has been a sacred and celebrated symbol of auspiciousness, nourishment and healing as well as an esteemed article of everyday use.
The milk of cows is thought to possess the essence of plants and cream is the essence of milk. The essence of cream is butter and the essence of butter is Ghee.
Ghee is made by boiling butter for several hours until all the moisture has evaporated and all the lactose and milk solids have settled to the bottom. Unlike 'clarified butter' these milk solids are then caramelized or slightly burned.
Ghee is considered to be the very best fat one can eat. It is made up of short chain fatty acids and is easily assimilated, even helping in the digestion and
assimilation of other foods.
Ghee has one of the highest ‘flash points’ of any oil (485deg). Ghee is shelf stable and is only affected by sunlight and/or water.
Ghee is known to increase intelligence, refine the intellect and improve the memory. Ghee builds the aura, makes all the organs soft, builds up the internal juices of the body which are destroyed by aging and increases the underlying basis of all immunity. Ghee kindles or increases the digestive fire, Agni, on which all nutrition depends.
Ghee is used as a carrier for the potencies of herbs because of its supreme penetrating qualities and ability to carry these substances deep into the tissues. Ghee allows mind and body, both subtle and gross to burn with brilliance.
Ghee increases the overall strength, luster and beauty of the body. Used on the skin, Ghee softens and strengthens, protects and nourishes. Ghee is known as a substance that gives longevity. This is because it has opposite qualities (heavy, slow, oily, liquid, dense, soft), and thus pacifying effects,
to the light, dry and rough qualities of Vata dosha. It is the increase of the qualities of Vata that are synonymous with aging.
Ghee is smooth, lubricated and nurturing. Ghee is thought to make the voice soft and melodious. Ghee, in a very sure and steady way, slows the aging process by enriching the living one.
"Ghee is sweet in taste and cooling in energy, rejuvenating, good for the eyes and vision, enkindles digestion, bestows lustre and beauty, enhances memory and stamina, increases the intellect, promotes longevity, is an aphrodisiac and protects the body from various diseases." -Bhavaprakasha (16th century Ayurvedic text)
Ghee is more than an indulgence. Ghee is very important in regard to free radicals, health and longevity. In a healthy vegetarian diet, ghee can be viewed as an essential vitamin supplement. Ghee is such an important addition to the diet that quality should not be sacrificed, especially because only a very small amount of ghee needs to be used.
Ancient Organics Ghee sets the standard for Vedic-Organic.
"We make our ghee almost always on the full moon. The Full moon is when the qualities of Soma are at their height and it is also the traditional day of making ghee in the Vedic tradition. Also, we chant and play the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra before, during and after the making of the ghee (all day). We are Ayurvedic practitioners as well as having a spiritual practice in the Vedic tradition."
No other substance is as widely used to prepare Ayurvedic medicines as ghee. Ghee is also cited as the best substance for preparing the body for Ayurveda’s internal detoxification (Panchakarma). One reason for this is that ghee is given as the best remedy for diseases due to aggravated Pitta and Vata doshas. Ghee alleviates Pitta dosha by its cold, sweet properties and Vata by its oiliness. Ghee is hence recommended in autumn when Pitta’s hot nature can get aggravated after summer. But there is more to ghee than its dosha balancing properties. This article explores ghee’s role in working alongside Ayurvedic herbs, as well as its own inherent healing abilities not found in other fats.
Ghee is ideal for massage and detoxification. A unique aspect of Ayurveda is its use of large amounts of oily substances in treatment. Anyone who has had an Ayurvedic massage in India will have experienced this! External massage with sesame oil or ghee balances Vata dosha by countering its rough, dry properties. As such, oil massage can be very effective in Vata problems such as osteoarthritis, stress, insomnia and paralysis. However, ghee is more often used internally than for external massage. In Ayurvedic detoxification (Panchakarma) increasing doses of ghee are given each morning to prepare the body. Patients are also given a daily oil massage which brings toxins out of fatty tissues, followed by steam therapy to bring toxins to the surface. After several days, these are eliminated with different techniques such as emesis (vomiting), purgatives, enemas and nasal therapy to cleanse the body.
Maharishi Ayurveda research has shown that Panchakarma greatly reduces 14 important fat soluble toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. These would otherwise remain in the body for a long time as the body usually excretes only water soluble chemicals. The daily doses of ghee have the capacity to dissolve the lipid soluble toxins and bring them to the alimentary tract for elimination by purification procedures. With an increasingly polluted internal and external environment, Ayurveda offers a unique way to remove these harmful fat soluble chemicals. This powerful means to detox the body merits further research.
Ghee is used in most Ayurvedic formulations. “Ghee is the unctuous substance par- excellence because of its power to assimilate effectively the properties of other substances… it increases, thousand times in potency and develops manifold qualities.” (Charaka Sutrasthana 13/13).
Ghee is widely used in medicinal formulations due to its unusual ability to assimilate the properties of herbs it is mixed with, without losing its own qualities. For example, if ghee is mixed with a drying, heating herb, it doesn’t sacrifice its own oily, cold nature. Ayurveda considers honey to be the best in this regard. This is explained by it being made from many different species of flowers, each having different properties themselves. However, Ayurveda views honey is a living substance that must not be heated or it ferments acting like a poison in the body (Charaka Sutrasthana 27/248). As most Ayurvedic formulations require heating in their preparation, ghee is favored.
Ghee is no mere inert ‘filler’ for formulations. Its own therapeutic powers work to help cure disease, as well as increasing the effect of other herbs. For example, ghee’s effect of increasing the digestive fire (agni) allows other herbs to be more easily absorbed. More fundamentally, impaired digestion is also a cause, symptom and part of the pathogenesis of many chronic degenerative diseases. Ghee is invaluable as it not only increases digestive capacity, but simultaneously nourishes a weakened body. This is especially true when ghee is given with milk. Ghee also brings many other healing powers to a medicine.
Ghee rejuvenates the mind. Beyond rejuvenating the body, Ayurveda has specific tonics for the mind. These have ghee as a key ingredient as its sweet taste nourishes the nerve tissue and brain. Brahmi ghee is prescribed in the fifth month of pregnancy for mental development of the foetus as both Brahmi and ghee aid the development of consciousness and intellect. The newborn is also fed honey and ghee to stimulate intellect and ojas (the essence of all tissues) in an important ritual.
Beyond maintaining a healthy mind, ghee is also prescribed for anxiety, depression, dementia, insanity, epilepsy and other disorders of consciousness. Ghee older than one year is especially good for healing the mind. It is more heating and bitter, properties which enable it to remove blockages in the mind’s subtle channels. It is also considered auspicious and is given in mental disorders with no clear physical cause, along with Sanskrit mantras. The Ayurvedic masters of ancient India believed old ghee could regenerate brain cells, and this is an area worthy of further study with the rise of Alzheimer’s today.
Ghee is especially good for the eyes and helps the functioning of the extraocular muscles, eyelids and tear. Internal and external use of Mahatriphala ghee has been shown to play a significant role in the treatment of eye disorders, such as glaucoma. This formulation is made up of ghee, milk and thirteen herbs, all predominantly sweet in taste and cold in nature and beneficial to the eyes. Dr. Vasant Lad recommends putting one drop of lukewarm liquid ghee in each eye at bedtime for burning sensations. It not only soothes, but also strengthens the eyes and can help improve vision along with Yoga eye exercises.
Ghee’s widespread prevalence in Ayurvedic medicines and treatments is due to its beneficial effects on the digestion, absorption and delivery of Ayurvedic herbs, as well as its own healing properties. When the digestive capacity (agni) and life-essence (ojas) are weakened, the doshas are disturbed causing disease. Ghee’s actions on both agni and ojas are hence at the heart of all Ayurvedic chikitsa. Ghee also nourishes and regenerates the body and mind, improving the overall quality of treatment. Finally, on a practical level, ghee is rich in antioxidants and hence does not go rancid for a long time. In the days before refrigeration, this would have been invaluable in allowing formulations to be used for up to 16 months.
What is unique about Ancient Organics ghee?
Supreme ghee must begin with the very best butter! While most of the ghee that is available on the market is made from poor quality, non-organic butter leaving behind residues of pesticides, anti-biotics and growth hormones, Ancient Organics uses only use award-winning organic butter from the Straus Family Creamery. However, it is not enough to just use “organic” butter to make authentic, truly healthy ghee. The Straus cows are on pasture and are grass-fed for most of the year on the beautiful rolling green hills of west Marin county, CA. These Jersey and Holsetein cows are never corn fed and have their diets supplemented by the nutritious grass silage from the pastures that is rich in heart healthy Omega fatty acids.
This incredible Straus butter is then slow cooked, in stainless steel pots, for over two hours (many ghee companies “flash cook” their ghee using steam kettles). This process removes all the moisture, casein and lactose from the butter leaving behind a golden oil with a caramelized and nutty taste. Ancient Organics ghee is made according to a centuries old tradition - by hand, in small batches, only on the waxing to full moon, in a peaceful mantra-infused environment. This artisanal ghee is without a doubt the highest quality ghee on the market today!
15 Reasons to Eat Ancient Organics Ghee
- Taste: Sweet and “nutty” with hints of caramel and butterscotch. It is absolutely delicious!
- Quality: Our ghee is CCOF certified organic and is made from the Straus Organic Creamery butter. Straus butter is considered by many to be the best butter in the world. The Straus butter we use comes from Grass Fed, Free Range cows. There are never any anti-biotics or growth hormones used on these cows.
- Artisan: While other companies mass-produce ghee in ovens and other non- traditional methods, we produce our ghee by hand, in small batches, according to an ancient Indian method. Our ghee is made only during the waxing moon cycle while traditional vedic mantras are recited over it.
- Traditional: While some ghee is made in 30-40 minutes, our ghee is slow cooked for more then 2 hours to allow its rich, sweet, caramelized flavor to develop.
- Local: Our award winning butter comes from West Marin and our CCOF certified manufacturing facility is in Berkeley.
- Supreme cooking oil:With a flash point of nearly 500 degreed, our ghee it the most heat stable cooking oil available. Our ghee will never smoke, burn or oxidize when used in cooking.
- Highest Rated:In a recent comparison of all available ghees in the United States, our ghee was rated #1.
- Vitamins: Vitamins A, E, D and K
- Antioxidants: 9 ‘phenolic” antioxidants
- EFA’s: Omega 3 & 9 Essential Fatty Acids (Ancient Organics ghee is one of the highest sources of CLA – considered my many to be the most essential fatty acid.
- SCFA’s: High in Short-Chain fatty acids (the GOOD saturated fat) that is converted into energy and not stored by the body.
- Minerals: Calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other beneficial minerals
- Absorption: Ancient Organics ghee bonds with vitamins, minerals, medicinal herbs and spices – penetrating the cell membranes of the body. These active components are carried to the interior cells of the body where they impart the most benefit.
- Special Attributes: Lactose free, casein free, gluten free and requires no refrigeration. Ghee has a very long shelf life – up to a year.
- Healing: Ayurvedic Doctors and Western Naturopaths recommend ghee to improve immunity and promote sustained energy, mental clarity and vitality. Ghee also greatly enhances the digestive processes on which all nutrition depends.
Specifications:
Ingredients: Organic Ghee
Storage Requirements: It is very easy to contaminate Ghee with food or water, which will accelerate spoilage. It is very important to always use a clean, dry utensil to scoop the Ghee out of the jar.
Ghee must be kept out of direct sunlight and out of hot confined spaces. Either of these factors can degrade the quality of the Ghee.
Depending on the temperature it is stored in, Ghee will be either a solid, a liquid, or somewhere in between.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.
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