Ghee vs. Coconut Oil: 2 Healthy Super-Fats

Healthy fats are important for good health, but which ones are best? Here is a helpful comparison between two of the most popular healthy fats – ghee and coconut oil.

Fat has been maligned for decades as “unhealthy,” but in fact, fat is necessary for a healthy brain, body, and metabolism. Recent media coverage has revealed that fat, in fact, is not the main culprit in heart disease, diabetes, or many of the other modern diseases it was originally blamed for causing. (Many of us in the natural health world have known this for years!)

But when it comes to fat and your health, quality is a key factor that we cannot afford to ignore. Not all fats are created equal, and in fact, some fats truly are detrimental to your health.

We have shared numerous articles on this topic, so feel free to check them out on this blog, and our sister site, www.newholisticliving.com, for more information on good and bad fats.

Today, we’re discussing two of the good ones. Natural fats, such as animal fat and coconut oil, which are not highly processed, can in fact be very good for your health (in moderation, of course).

Two of the most popular healthy fats that you may have heard a lot about over the past few years are coconut oil and ghee (clarified butter). The article below discusses some of the differences – and different uses – for these two super healthy fats.

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

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…Not only is this functional food a source of calories, it has many healing and medicinal properties….

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Aside from its many positive influences on our health, coconut oil is excellent for cooking. It tolerates high heat much better than butter, olive oil and other low-smoke point oils….

Coconut oil is also very digestible. It’s primarily composed of medium-chain triglycerides, whereas most other saturated fats are long-chain triglycerides. MCTs require little to no work from the digestive system to break down into energy….

This makes coconut oil a fantastic source of fat for those with no gallbladder, poor digestion or who are intentionally keeping their digestive load light to reserve energy.

Reasons to Avoid Coconut Oil

Perhaps the only real downside to coconut oil is that it is not very rich in fat-soluble Vitamins A, D and K that we will find in ghee.

Also, for some, the taste of fresh coconut oil might take a bit of getting used to. Coconut oil has a bit of a natural sweetness, which might not pair with some foods according to some people’s palates.

While coconut oil is a perfectly healthy fat, each individual has a unique metabolism. In the case you tend to be underweight or anxious, experiment with removing coconut oil from your diet….

The Benefits of Ghee

The reason so many are intolerant to dairy is because it’s a relatively new food compared to coconut oil – our systems simply aren’t used to it. Humans did not start consuming dairy until the domestication of animals….

There is speculation that the consumption of raw, fermented milk dates back to biblical times. The fermentation of milk makes it easier to digest, and still to this day, it is generally considered healthy to consume fermented dairy.

In the big picture of human evolution, 13,000 years isn’t much time at all. Milk and other dairy products still aren’t very popular in some parts of the globe. This would explain why many people are still intolerant to it.

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You might be wondering, if dairy is not well-tolerated by humans, why would we go out of our way to produce ghee? There are many reasons, actually. It turns out that butter fat is exceptionally rich in Vitamins A, D and K (IF pasture-raised)….

What’s great about ghee is that it is pure butter fat. All of the sugar and proteins are cooked out, leaving behind an easy-to-digest liquid gold that is grass-fed butter fat.

…Aside from ghee’s delicious creaminess and subtle sweetness, ghee makes an exceptional cooking fat. Because it lacks any water, it doesn’t spatter when used for pan cooking. Also, because it lacks any sugar and protein, it has a very high smoke point.

For these reasons alone, ghee is superior to butter. The only time I would say butter has the upper hand is if it were of outstanding quality and also raw and cultured. Raw butter is also very easy to digest, since it contains the enzymes to aid the digestive process. In addition, raw butter contains healthy bacteria to support gut health. If you do not have access to raw, cultured butter, though, ghee is comparable or just as good.

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…Because ghee has no casein and is pure fat, typically even people who are very dairy sensitive can consume ghee liberally and have no symptoms or immune response.

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Which Is Better?

…Both coconut oil and ghee are wonderful foods…. While they have their differences, the main deciding factors would be:

• Weight: If you’re trying to lose weight, then go for coconut oil. If you’re looking to add some weight, then ghee is your best bet!
• Nutrition: …If you are trying to get a healthy dose of fat-soluble vitamins, then ghee is going to provide more nutrition. If you want something strictly anti-fungal, then coconut oil may be better.
• Taste: Coconut oil tends to have a somewhat strong taste; some people may dislike that about coconut oil. On the other hand, ghee is more neutral and versatile in its application to dishes.

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