Devising an appropriate meal plan is a very important way in dealing with diabetes. As such people often wonder what to eat and what to avoid in diabetes. Is Ghee (Clarified Butter) safe for Diabetic Patients? This has been a popular question for a long time now. In this article, we will try to answer the question by analyzing the health benefits of ghee and the relationship which this cooking medium has with diabetes.

Ghee and Diabetes

Although ghee does contain a good amount of fat, it is slowly gaining popularity as a healthy choice and has become one of the most sought-after cooking oils, just like it used to be in the past. People are now coming around to believe in the several health benefits that ghee has to offer. New research has found out that the cooking oils which claim to be healthy and full of essential nutrients are losing the race because of the growing popularity of ghee as a cooking oil.

It is claimed that some amount of fat is necessary for the body and the fat that is present in ghee is not bad for diabetics if you are not overindulging in ghee. It is a source of saturated fat and one tablespoon of ghee contains around 14 grams of saturated fat, 28 milligrams of cholesterol, and around 120 units of calories. Hence, you cannot afford to go overboard with its consumption and you will have to eat the right amount for benefitting from the health benefits that ghee has to offer.

The following paragraph describes the advantages of ghee for those who have diabetes:

Advantages of Ghee for the Diabetic Patients

If you are a diabetic, taking in ghee will help you in the following possible ways:

• Ghee is known to regulate the smooth functioning of the digestive system. When you include the right amount in your daily diet, you can manage the problem of constipation in a better way.
• The fats which are found in ghee helps in absorbing the nutrients from the food that you are eating. This process helps in boosting the immunity system of the body that further helps in diabetes management.
• Besides, the presence of linoleic acid in ghee helps to reduce the possibilities of several cardiovascular diseases which is a common complication in diabetes patients.
• The fat deposits that are accumulated in the body are also melted down by the right consumption of ghee thereby helping to better manage diabetes.
• Besides, consumption of ghee goes a long way in helping to improve the functioning of the GLP-1 which is an important gut hormone. By doing this, it enables better secretion of the hormone insulin which goes a long way in helping to manage diabetes in an effective manner.
• In diabetes, as we know, the beta cells of the pancreas are damaged because the immune system of the body is weakened. Due to the damage caused to the beta cells, the glucose that is taken from the various food items is not adequately converted into energy. This is responsible for the elevated levels of blood glucose. When you consume ghee in the right manner in diabetes, the damage to the pancreatic beta cells is reduced as the gut hormone GLP-1 functions efficiently.
• Another important way in which GLP-1 helps those who suffer from diabetes is by delaying the absorption of carbohydrates. GLP-1 prevents gastric secretion and the overall effect is that you feel full for a longer period of time. The glycemic index comes down and you need not worry about the increased levels of blood glucose in your body.
• Ghee is also known to be a rich source of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin K, as well as beta-carotene. These are essential antioxidants which go a long way in helping to manage diabetes in an effective manner.
• When you add ghee to the food, the otherwise carbohydrate high food with a high glycemic index such as parathas, rice, dosa, idly, etc. becomes low in the glycemic index and benefits those with diabetes.
• If you use organic ghee, the same is devoid of any type of preservatives or fatty acids.
• The bad cholesterol levels can be reduced if you add the right quantity of ghee to your daily diet.

Thus, you can benefit from taking ghee when you are diabetic as against the popular belief that taking ghee will only make you fat and your body will have unnecessary amounts of cholesterol. For best benefits from ghee, do follow the below-mentioned guidelines when you are including ghee in your daily diet.

Guidelines to Follow If You are Including Ghee in Your Diabetic Diet

As seen above, ghee has several health benefits to offer. However, for best results, you need to follow the below-mentioned guidelines:

• You cannot go overboard with the consumption of ghee if you are diabetic. Take care to not eat more than 500 grams of ghee in a months’ time. This means you should not eat more than a couple of teaspoons of ghee in one day if you are diabetic.
• You can also try to make your own pure ghee at home. That way you can ensure that the ghee does not contain any traces of added preservatives. Just follow the following easy procedure:
• You can collect the cream that is formed at the time of boiling the milk. Post that, after you have collected sufficient quantity of the same, you need to add yogurt to it. Now you need to filter it by putting is in a blender or otherwise until the time the butter starts floating. When you heat this butter, ghee is formed and the same goes on for a long period of time
• If you are someone who has been struggling with being overweight, you will have to watch out for the amount of ghee that you are eating even further.
• There are various brands of ghee that are available in the market. After proper consultation with your medical team, you should select the right brand which shall be most suitable to you and your condition.

We hope that the above article has been helpful in improving your understanding of the relationship between ghee and diabetes and how the same can safely be included in your diet if you happen to suffer from a chronic illness like diabetes. Although ignored initially, ghee is slowly gaining recognition as a healthy cooking medium. You should include it in your diet after proper consultation with a medical expert with regards to the amount that you should intake!