Ghee, mustard oil or refined? Using fats wisely for heart health
Few kitchen questions cause more confusion than ‘which oil is healthiest?’ The practical answer: use a variety of traditional oils, in small total quantities, avoid reusing frying oil and trans fats, and enjoy ghee in moderation.
Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.
The Ayurvedic view
Ayurveda values ghee highly as a nourishing, digestion-friendly fat — but in the right amount for one's constitution and activity level; excess is said to increase kapha and meda. Regional Indian cooking traditionally used mustard, groundnut, sesame and coconut oils. Modern nutrition suggests a mix of fats, limiting saturated fat and avoiding trans fats (vanaspati, repeatedly heated oils).
Ingredients
- Two or three oils to rotate, such as mustard, groundnut, sesame or rice bran oil
- Pure ghee, used sparingly
- A measuring spoon or oil pourer with a small spout
How to prepare
- Set a monthly oil budget for the household — roughly 500 ml per adult per month is a common guideline — and measure it out.
How to use
- Use oil for tempering and sautéing with a measuring spoon rather than pouring from the bottle.
- Enjoy about 1 teaspoon of ghee a day on dal, roti or khichdi, if your doctor hasn't advised otherwise.
- Save deep-fried food for occasional treats; never reuse oil that has been heated to smoking several times.
Helpful habits
- Baked, roasted and steamed snacks can replace fried ones most days.
- Nuts and seeds are a healthy way to include good fats.
Precautions
- If you have heart disease, high cholesterol or diabetes, follow your doctor's or dietitian's advice on total fat and ghee; continue prescribed medicines.
- Avoid vanaspati, ‘dalda’-type hydrogenated fats and street food fried in reused oil.
- Don't heat oils beyond their smoking point.
