So, what's the truth about ghee?

I go to this place called Poorna Tiffins every Sunday morning to have Idlis. The idlis here are very soft, light and tasty. The trouble is they pour a lot of ghee on the idlis. This definitely adds to the taste. I am a little worried these days about all that ghee I'm having. I keep reading a lot about how saturated fats are bad for us. They are supposed to cause cholesterol problems and more.

On the other hand is the line of thinking of our family elders. My grandmother always extolled the virtues of ghee and said that it is actually very good for health! I also knew another person who supposedly drank a cup of ghee, plain - everyday! Ghee made from cow's milk is supposed to be used in many ayurvedic medicines.

Proponents of ghee say, "All the cheese you have on your pizzas and pastas isn't doing your cholesterol any good!" Good point!

But that doesn't necessarily prove that ghee is good, does it? At the most, it proves that both cheese and ghee are equally bad - or good!

The trouble with all our ancient knowledge that has been coming down from our ancestors is that there are no studies to prove or disprove the theories. I sometimes wonder how they knew so much. Is there an element of the supernatural?

So, what then is the truth about ghee? Is it good, or is it bad?

It is an important question for me. Here's why: I have been assuming it is bad and yesterday, when I went to Poorna Tiffins, I had my idlis without ghee. I did not enjoy them half as much as I usually do. So, if I go to Poorna Tiffins I will have to do the idlis with ghee. There is a healthier alternative. There is another place that gives great idlis. It is opposite Pragati College near King Koti. They do not serve the idlis with ghee - there is no ghee option at all - and I find those idlis really good as well. Poorna idlis with ghee beats those idlis hands down. But minus the ghee, they could give the Poorna idlis a run for their money!

So, if I am convinced ghee is bad (at least the quantity I polish off with my idlis every Sunday), then I will make the switch to Pragati. If I convinced that the ghee I am having every Sunday is actually good or at the very least, not bad, then I will continue my Sunday pilgrimage to Poorna Tiffins.