Ghee vs butter vs olive oil: Find out which is healthier and better for weight loss

Including some form of fat in your diet is essential to achieve optimal weight loss.

While there are a lot of options available to us today, healthy oils and butters are most talked of.

In recent years, ghee too has made a comeback and is used in multiple ways- cooking meals, adding to coffees to whip up Keto drinks and what not.

Now, all of the three fat sources are good sources of fats and deemed helpful in their own ways. But when it comes to weight loss, which amongst these is the healthiest choice to make? Which can drive you to faster fat loss?

If you had to include one fat source, which seems to be the better one? We compare the differences.

Why do you need to include fat to lose weight
As contraindicatory as it seems, it’s important to include some form of fat in your diet to drive up calorie burning and reach weight loss goals faster. You need to eat the right kind of fat, in the right quantity to burn fat.

While certain kind of fat make us feel fuller and satisfied, some of these play an additional role of absorbing essential vitamins, including A, D and E. What’s also benefiting is that fats do not usually trigger insulin the same way as carbs, glucose or sugar do.

Now onto the question, which fat source should you be adding to your diet, of the popular choices- butter, olive oil or the humble desi ghee?

We compare some of the differences and benefits of the same and help you decide what to have:

Health benefits of using butter
Butter can be a high-priority ingredient if you are following the Ketogenic diet for weight loss, and for rightful reasons. Not only does butter add a flavour to dishes, it can also be a great oil substitute.

Despite long believed myths, butter isn’t completely bad for you, as long as it is consumed in moderated portion sizes. It contains no trans fats and since it is extracted from dairy, you get to harness beneficial nutrients like Vitamin A, E, antioxidants, calcium. Not to forget, it can act as a quick energy source for the body. Interestingly, higher-fat dairy products like butter have been also linked to a lower risk of obesity, and cardiovascular issues.

Since it mostly contains fat, butter packs about 100 calories in a spoon and over 12 grams of fat.

Olive oil for weight loss- how does it help?
There are a lot of solid reasons which make olive oil one of the healthiest and nutrient-rich oils. A big constituent of the Mediterranean diet (consistently ranked to be one of the best diets to follow), olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which is a healthy source of fat, assists weight loss and promotes satiety.

Dietary guidelines suggest that one tablespoon of olive oil contains 119 calories, 13.5 grams of fat (of which 1.86 grams is saturated) and good trace vitamins.

Extra virgin olive oil also has rich antioxidants (more than any other oil) which garner a lot of potential health benefits. Pairing it up with certain food combinations too make for a great choice.

Ghee for weight loss
Despite being termed to be a ‘weight-gain’ ingredient, ghee has now takers from all across the world for its purposeful weight-loss aiding benefits.

Ghee is a form of clarified butter that is also a good source of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D and K. Ghee has a high smoke point making it great for cooking. Ghee is a pure form of fat and contains no casein, making it perfect for dairy-intolerant people. Ghee also contains gut-friendly enzymes which help in its easier digestion.

As for the nutritional benefits, a serving spoon of ghee contains 115 calories, 9.3 grams of saturated fat, 0 carbs and 38.4 grams of cholesterol, so much like butter, best consumed in moderate quantities.

Which amongst these makes for a healthier choice?
Butter, ghee and olive oil are no doubt healthy fat sources. However, if your primary concern is weight loss, sticking to one fat source would be better, depending on your preferences, lifestyle and overall food consumption.

Both ghee and butter are derived from dairy. Therefore, if you are someone who follows Veganism, sticking to oils, or nut butter would be more ideal. However, at the same time, both ghee and butter make good choices to include on a Keto diet.

As for the calorie count, butter is the heaviest calorie-dense source of all, since it is mostly composed out of fat. The fat intake is also similar in all three. What would be rather ideal is to look for the nutritional aspects of all fat sources, as they could help drive faster weight loss, and serve additional health benefits.

Of the three, incorporating olive oil would be best suited, while the other two fat sources can be added to the diet, in limited quantities.