What is Ghee? | Ochsner Health

If it looks like butter, it's made with butter and it kind of smells like butter, is it butter?

Ghee, or commonly referred to as clarified butter, is a dietary source of fat traditionally used in Indian cooking. Whereas butter contains butterfat, milk solids and water, ghee is pure butterfat cooked longer, until all moisture is removed and the milk solids are then filtered out. Ghee is solid at room temperature, but can easily be melted if necessary. Many people prefer cooking with ghee over butter because it does not burn as easily.

The process of making ghee removes the water and milk fats, leaving a high-smoke point (meaning that it can be heated to a high temperature before it starts to smoke) fat. Plus, it’s nutritionally rich like coconut oil.

So how is ghee better than butter?

Allergen Help: Ghee has a unique nutrition profile without any lactose or casein. For people who are lactose or casein-sensitive, they can use ghee because the process has removed these allergens. For example, if you’ve been told to stay away from dairy and butter, you may want to experiment with ghee made from grass-fed beef!
Chain Reaction: In addition, butter contains 12-15 percent medium and short-chain fatty acids, while ghee contains 25 percent or greater. This means, in this case shorter is better. The body actually metabolizes these fats in a different manner than long-chain fatty acids. The result? Medium and short chains are not associated with cardiovascular disease.

Is changing my butter the only answer?
Keep in mind that cardiovascular disease is not influenced only by things people eat, like butter. Not smoking and exercising regularly can help you maintain a healthy heart The American Heart Association recommends that saturated fats, such as those found in butter, should comprise of no more than 7 percent of your daily caloric intake to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. This means you don't need to cut out butter completely. Instead, watch your intake and eat it in moderation.