A systematical review of traditional Ayurvedic and morden medical perspectives on Ghrita (clarified butter): a boon or bane
Journal Title: Traditional Medicine Research - Year 2019, Vol 4, Issue 6
Abstract
Highlights Ghrita (clarified butter), treated as the culprit of a number of diseases, has been depicted incorrectly for a long time. This review presents the complete picture in view of Ayurvedic perspective and recent researches on Ghrita to let the readers contemplate again on Ghrita. Traditionality Ghrita, also called as clarified butter in Sanskrita, has been used for more than 5, 000 years throughout the Indian subcontinent and has been an inevitable part of diet in the Indian cuisine. It has also been traditionally associated with a number of health benefits recorded in Charaka (the most ancient written text of Ayurveda dating to second century B.C.), such as promoting strength and longevity, promoting appetite and digestion, increasing cognition, etc. Abstract Background: For long dietary guidelines, it is recommended to avoid foods rich in saturated fatlike Ghrita, also named clarified butter or ghee, which is considered as the culprit of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, etc. Contradictory to the modern medical science, Ayurveda advocated for numerous benefits of the usage of Ghrita in the judicious manner. This paper systematically reviews and analyses the scientific researches that carried out on the benefits and harms associated with the usage of Ghrita. Methods and Findings: A search over the various search engines like Pubmed, Google was made. The relevant articles and chapters from books retrieved in English language were saved to a folder and analysed for their utility relevant to the topic and the matter was presented in a systematic manner. Results: Ghrita consisted various fats (saturated, monosaturated and polyunsaturated), fatty acids, minerals, vitamins etc. And the composition of Ghrita varies along with the method of preparation. Scientific researches carried out on Ghrita plain as well as medicated have reported about the depressant effects of medicated Ghrita in gross behavioural tests, potentiated phentobarbitone sleeping time, analgesic effect and stimulatory effect on cognition. Further, studies conducted to evaluate the effect of Ghrita on the serum lipid levels showed a dose dependant decrease in the total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins, and very low density lipoproteins. Ghrita was also reported to have wound healing activity. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest the beneficial effects of plain as well as medicated Ghrita on the various components of health and break the myth associated to the exclusion of Ghrita in diet. These researches also substantiate the claims made by the classical texts of Ayurveda.
Authors and Affiliations
Vd. Varnika Singh, Vd. Shalini Rai, Vd. Vijay Kumar Rai
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP482006
- DOI 10.12032/TMR20190325111
- Views 240
- Downloads 0
Rat model for study of the essence of spleen deficiency and dampness in Chinese medicine
Objective: To explore the essence of spleen deficiency and dampness in Chinese medicine by successfully constructing a rat model with this syndrome. Methods: Rat models with the syndrome of dampness and spleen deficiency...
Is Colla Corii Asini just boiled donkey skin?
The preparation of Chinese medicine, exploration of the bioactive component, and underlying mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have always been regarded as a research hotspot and have attracted increasing at...
News and comments: Do aristolochic acids truly increase the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma?
Recently, Science Translational Medicine pointed out that 78% of the 98 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples from Taiwan, China, showed distinctive signatures of aristolochic acids (AAs) exposure. In addition, 47% of t...
When a child is sick, can acupuncturing his/her mother cure a child's illness?
Recently, an article entitled Exploring Quantum Entanglement and Acupuncture has attracted widespread attention from medical practitioners and the media. This article was published in the November 2017 issue of Chinese A...
Economic impact of traditional medicine practice worldwide
The aim of this literature review was to summarize available findings from publications that reported expenditure on traditional/complementary and alternative medicine (TM/CAM) within a representative general population...