The Charaka Samhita Sutra, the oldest known treatise on Ayurveda says, “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”.
This property of ghee, or clarified butter, has made it one of the most commonly used bases for Ayurvedic formulations. It is believed that ghee, besides possessing therapeutic powers increases the potency and efficacy of the elements with which it is mixed in the formulation. For example, when used in a medicine prescribed for digestive ailments, ghee not only helps improve digestion, but also fortifies a weak constitution.
Ghee is known to be digested 96% which is highest as compared to all other vegetable or animal source fats. It contains anti oxidants like Vitamin E and beta carotene (600IU) besides other nutrients like phospholipids, diglycerides and triglycerides.
Ghee is regularly used in formulations in Ayurveda especially for chronic and degenerative ailments. It is either used as a part of a formulation as a nourishing, extracting, assimilating and/or absorbing agent. It is also used as a carrier of nutrients to be absorbed across the cell membrane.
Why ghee?
The potency and efficiency of a drug is usually dependent on its
- Ionization
- Solubility in body fluids
- Blood flow changes on administration
Sometimes a water based drug will not be able to diffuse properly in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or other body parts. However, with ghee as a solvent, an ayurvedic formulation would reach the targeted areas with more accuracy.
Ghee based medicines are digested and absorbed more easily
The antioxidant properties of ghee help prevent damage of nervous and brain tissues besides retarding the progress of degenerative diseases.
The cholesterol problem does not raise its ugly head in the administration of ghee as it is found that absorption of ghee increases only the ‘good’ (HDL) and not the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) level.
This is because ghee is capable of increasing the range of vitamins soluble in fat, like Vitamin E and thereby prevents the oxidation of LDL. Due to this there is no conceivable change in the lipid profile. All this leads to higher chances of prevention of atherosclerosis, stroke or heart attack.
Ghee is also known to retard the undesirable effects of drugs besides cancelling the effect of toxins in the body. However, ghee has to be used in its optimal volume and form in order to increase the efficacy of the Ayurvedic preparations. Most ghee based formulations in Ayurveda are aimed at treating ailments related to the nervous system, digestive system and for psychological ailments too.
How ghee is used in Ayurveda
- Body massage
- As “Purvakarma”- having ghee first thing in the morning to get rid of toxic wastes in the body
- As the base for ayurvedic preparations because of its ability to penetrate into tissues to reach the nutrients and medicinal benefits
- As a laxative– two spoons of ghee followed by a glass of warm water
- For cooking to enhance aromas of both spicy and sweet dishes
- Gargling with ghee is also a prevalent practice, to help maintain healthy teeth and gums
Ghee is an excellent base for preparing ayurvedic medicines. The virtues of this clarified butter and its ability 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 ghee within the Ayurvedic science that make it an invaluable part of this ancient medical science.