Cardiologist shares if starting your day with a spoonful of ghee is healthy: ‘Ekdam bekar baat hai’

Dr Bimal Chhajer said 'ghee is a high-calorie food, and it is the worst for your weight'. But should you start your day with ghee? Here's what he said.

Ghee, or clarified butter, has been a staple in Indian cuisine for centuries. In the February 7, 2024 episode of Figuring Out With Raj Shamani, Dr Bimal Chhajer, a cardiologist specialising in non-invasive cardiology highlighted the potential drawbacks of having ghee. According to him, ghee is predominantly composed of saturated fats, which may raise cholesterol levels and increase heart disease risk when consumed excessively.

Do you actually need ghee?

Asked how ghee has been a part of traditional Indian diet for years, Dr Chhajer said in Hindi, “Earlier people used to exert themselves physically, and needed to eat ghee, but that is still being carried forward, even when our lifestyle has changed.”

Ghee is high in calories

Responding to people believing that they should start their day with a spoonful of ghee, especially those who follow Ayurveda (one of the world's oldest medical systems, originating in India), he added, “Ekdam bekar baat hai (that is not good at all). Ghee is 100 percent triglyceride (a type of fat found in your blood). Now let me explain how having too much ghee is problematic. Ayurveda is 2500 years old. The world has changed since then. People have stopped physical labour. But Ayurveda is still stuck in the past and has not adapted to the changes in our world. Ghee is fat and one gram of fat has 9 calories as compared with a roti, rice or dal that have 4-5 calories per gram. Ghee is a high-calorie food, and it is the worst for your weight.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.