Pure Ghee – The Magical, Secret Ingredient of Ayurveda

Pure ghee has been the royal ingredient of not just Ayurveda but also every important aspect of Indian living. It’s a symbol of love, happiness, celebration, prosperity, and health. In addition to the enviable power it wields in our homes, ghee has a special place in Ayurveda since it is considered to be one of the best fatty nutrients that helps calm a lot of disorders.  Pure ghee has many incredible benefits. Our body undergoes complete detoxification with ghee as its primary medication carrier.

Ghee is the purest form of milk since it is clarified butter. Cow’s milk is considered the best source of ghee for human consumption and is ideal for balancing vata and pitta rogas. Of course, the older the ghee, the better it is – given its innumerable medical influences in Ayurveda. As an Ayurveda doctor ghee is one of my favorite ingredients both in my Ayurvedic formulations and the massages.  Of course, Chennai has always been in love with the ghee! So let’s look at why Ayurveda also loves ghee so much.

Why’s pure ghee so special?

Ghee is sweet, but its cooling effect and light nature help in cooling the body, at the same time increasing its digestive power. No wonder, ghee has been a popular ingredient in Indian cooking since time immemorial. Ancient Ayurveda texts have also praised ghee as an ingredient that delays aging, probably given the percentage of antioxidants it has. Ghee is safe for almost all ages of people and improves the capability of all the sense organs.

Various applications of ghee

1. Ghee plays a constructive role in the body, helping in bone formation, which is useful when the body is healing from a fracture. As an extension, ghee also slows down the aging process
2. It is also of great use in case of gastritis or ulcers – both in the stomach and in the intestinal tract.
3. Pure ghee is also an excellent lubricant, helping in smoothening the connective tissue of the body
4. This magic ingredient is an incredible moisturizer and helps enhance the skin’s complexion.
5. Ghee plays a magical role in healing from burn injuries, skin rashes, and bedsores.
6. Pure ghee enables intelligence and stimulates thinking.
7. Ghee works wonders with our voice boxes, making us sound melodious
8. Complete detoxification with ghee is possible because of its ability to dissolve all the toxins and eliminate them from the body.
9. Ghee is a great replacement for the regular mouthwashes and gargles since they help retain the strength of gums and teeth

Ghee in common procedures

A critical step of panchakarma is detoxification with ghee, which involves preparing the body for the panchakarma treatment by giving patient ghee to consume. This helps in loosening the toxins which the body easily eliminates during panchakarma.

Netra basti is another important procedure where the treatment involves creating a small well around the eye and pouring warm ghee into it. The eyes become soft after this treatment.

Pure ghee is one of the most popular options for abhyanga, especially in the case of the person opting for a self-massage for the head, torso, limbs, and joints.

Conclusion – Detoxification with ghee – warnings

Ghee causes an imbalance of the kapha; hence Ayurveda does not recommend ghee in case of obesity and high cholesterol. Hence, when used in moderation, ghee can have a wide range of positive effects. Its benefits range from calming the mind to reducing the speed of aging. This makes ghee truly the superstar ingredient of Ayurveda.

Contact me at The Madras Institute of Ayurveda for any questions you have about how you can use ghee to deliver overall health benefits or in case of specific health conditions. You can connect with me at http://www.miayurveda.org/ or call me at +91-9444615161.