Health and Me

Ishita Srivastava

Cardiologists Lift The Lid On Whether Ghee Is Unhealthy For Your Children

Days after actor Genelia D'Souza revealed she does not feed her children <span>ghee</span> over fears of blocking their arteries and causing heart damage, cardiologists have exclusively revealed to HealthAndMe whether the superfood is healthy for youngsters. 

During an episode of Soha Ali Khan’s YouTube podcast 'All About Her', <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/genelia-dsouza-reveals-she-keeps-ghee-away-from-her-kids-claims-it-blocks-their-arteries-article-153416402" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">D'Souza said</a>: "Ghee was never a very big part of my diet. I’ve always been more conscious because cholesterol issues run in my family. Whether it was non-vegetarian food or anything else, it was always on my mind, I didn’t want to go overboard.

"We start building habits early. You can't keep feeding children excessive amounts of certain foods and then expect them to suddenly not be overweight and head to the gym later in life. It has to make sense."

And <span>Dr Lakshmi</span> Sukumaran, senior consultant <span>cardiologist</span> and cardiac anesthesiologist at Metromed International Cardiac Centre agrees!

The specialist told the publication: "Children need appropriate fat for growth, brain development, and hormone synthesis. However, children also do not need excess saturated fat.

"Small amounts of ghee, a teaspoon added to food is not harmful for healthy children with normal weight, active lifestyle and no genetic lipid disorders.

What should be avoided is high daily intake, especially when combined with sedentary lifestyle and calorie excess."

<h2>Is Ghee Indeed Bad For Young Children?</h2>

Made from cow milk butter, ghee contains about 130 calories and 15 grams of fat on average. It is also known to be rich in Vitamin A, D, K and E as well antioxidants.

However due to its high saturated fat content, some experts claim ghee can raise bad cholesterol levels in some people. Dr <span>Neville Solomon</span>, pediatric cardiac surgeon at <span>Apollo Hospitals</span>, Chennai further advised that it is important for parents to practice caution over the amount their children are consuming of the superfood. 

He exclusively told HealthAndMe: "Excessive intake can be harmful and manifest as weight gain, and indirectly in adulthood, as metabolic syndrome, which can manifest as hypertension, diabetes and raised bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol, which can translate into 'hardening of arteries' and coronary artery disease in adulthood."

Additionally, he suggested that children should be kept away from fried foods, be allowed to to consume ghee in moderation and encouraged to be physically active to maintain cardiac health as they grow. 

"A sensible policy, if your child is overweight, it is best to avoid or restrict ghee and related potentially harmful foods like fried items, sweets, salty foods like chips and pickles. Ensure your child is physically active, and screen time is restricted. Adequate sleep and avoiding excessive stress are equally important for the long-term 'heart health' of a child," he said. 

Dr Sukumaran explained that while low amounts of ghee in itself is not unhealthy for children and cannot block arteries, it is necessary for adults to also practice moderation as it can pave the way for development of atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up inside your arteries over years and cause artery blockage. 

She noted: "Ghee is simply a concentrated source of saturated fat. Saturated fats are known to raise LDL cholesterol in many individuals. Elevated LDL is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But this effect is dose-dependent, meaning quantity and frequency matter. So, intake of ghee in moderation does not worsen heart health. What matters is long term dietary patterns. 

"Studies on ghee consumption show mixed results , some show mild increases in LDL or triglycerides at high intake, while others show neutral effects when intake is modest and part of a traditional diet.

"Science supports moderation, not fear mongering a particular type of food, and certainly not oversimplified statements of celebrities about arterial blockage."

Experts recommend those suffering from conditions such as heart, digestive and kidney issues as well as obesity to steer clear from the superfood. Cholesterol patients should also avoid ghee as it is rich in fatty acids that may increase blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease.

Lastly, those suffering from jaundice should also avoid it as it can cause major problems for the liver. Doctors suggest consuming not more than two teaspoons of ghee every day as it may pose certain health risks.

<h2>What Did Genelia Say About Her Children's Diets?</h2>

The 38-year-old mother-of-two clarified during the podcase episode that she considers ghee to be a problem when consumed in excess. D'Souza, who follows a strict plant-based lifestyle, explained that ghee, a known superfood, stays far away from her diet and instead she prefers to consume sesame seeds (til) for similar benefits.

She also addressed questions about giving up ghee and butter, stating, "I enjoyed a little bit of ghee and butter, but only in tiny portions. So when I eventually gave it up, it wasn’t a big deal," while acknowledging the sensory appeal of ghee, "I know it’s very tasty and it smells amazing."

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Days after actor Genelia D'Souza revealed she does not feed her children ghee over fears of blocking their arteries and causing heart damage, cardiologists have exclusively revealed to HealthAndMe whether the superfood is healthy for youngsters. During an episode of Soha Ali Khan’s YouTube podcast 'All About Her', D'Souza said: "Ghee was never a very big part of my diet. I’ve always been more conscious because cholesterol issues run in my family. Whether it was non-vegetarian food or anything else, it was always on my mind, I didn’t want to go overboard."We start building habits early. You can't keep feeding children excessive amounts of certain foods and then expect them to suddenly not be overweight and head to the gym later in life. It has to make sense."And Dr Lakshmi Sukumaran, senior consultant cardiologist and cardiac anesthesiologist at Metromed International Cardiac Centre agrees!The specialist told the publication: "Children need appropriate fat for growth, brain development, and hormone synthesis. However, children also do not need excess saturated fat. "Small amounts of ghee, a teaspoon added to food is not harmful for healthy children with normal weight, active lifestyle and no genetic lipid disorders.What should be avoided is high daily intake, especially when combined with sedentary lifestyle and calorie excess."Is Ghee Indeed Bad For Young Children?Made from cow milk butter, ghee contains about 130 calories and 15 grams of fat on average. It is also known to be rich in Vitamin A, D, K and E as well antioxidants.However due to its high saturated fat content, some experts claim ghee can raise bad cholesterol levels in some people. Dr Neville Solomon, pediatric cardiac surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai further advised that it is important for parents to practice caution over the amount their children are consuming of the superfood. He exclusively told HealthAndMe: "Excessive intake can be harmful and manifest as weight gain, and indirectly in adulthood, as metabolic syndrome, which can manifest as hypertension, diabetes and raised bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol, which can translate into 'hardening of arteries' and coronary artery disease in adulthood."Additionally, he suggested that children should be kept away from fried foods, be allowed to to consume ghee in moderation and encouraged to be physically active to maintain cardiac health as they grow. "A sensible policy, if your child is overweight, it is best to avoid or restrict ghee and related potentially harmful foods like fried items, sweets, salty foods like chips and pickles. Ensure your child is physically active, and screen time is restricted. Adequate sleep and avoiding excessive stress are equally important for the long-term 'heart health' of a child," he said.                   View this post on Instagram            A post shared by HealthAndMe (@healthandmedotcom)]]>What About Adults?Dr Sukumaran explained that while low amounts of ghee in itself is not unhealthy for children and cannot block arteries, it is necessary for adults to also practice moderation as it can pave the way for development of atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up inside your arteries over years and cause artery blockage. She noted: "Ghee is simply a concentrated source of saturated fat. Saturated fats are known to raise LDL cholesterol in many individuals. Elevated LDL is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But this effect is dose-dependent, meaning quantity and frequency matter. So, intake of ghee in moderation does not worsen heart health. What matters is long term dietary patterns. "Studies on ghee consumption show mixed results , some show mild increases in LDL or triglycerides at high intake, while others show neutral effects when intake is modest and part of a traditional diet."Science supports moderation, not fear mongering a particular type of food, and certainly not oversimplified statements of celebrities about arterial blockage."Who Should Avoid Ghee?Experts recommend those suffering from conditions such as heart, digestive and kidney issues as well as obesity to steer clear from the superfood. Cholesterol patients should also avoid ghee as it is rich in fatty acids that may increase blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease.Lastly, those suffering from jaundice should also avoid it as it can cause major problems for the liver. Doctors suggest consuming not more than two teaspoons of ghee every day as it may pose certain health risks.What Did Genelia Say About Her Children's Diets?The 38-year-old mother-of-two clarified during the podcase episode that she considers ghee to be a problem when consumed in excess. D'Souza, who follows a strict plant-based lifestyle, explained that ghee, a known superfood, stays far away from her diet and instead she prefers to consume sesame seeds (til) for similar benefits.She also addressed questions about giving up ghee and butter, stating, "I enjoyed a little bit of ghee and butter, but only in tiny portions. So when I eventually gave it up, it wasn’t a big deal," while acknowledging the sensory appeal of ghee, "I know it’s very tasty and it smells amazing."