ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res.

13(01), 55-60

Journal Homepage: -www.journalijar.com

Article DOI:10.21474/IJAR01/20163
DOI URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/20163

RESEARCH ARTICLE
KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES ABOUT GOGHRUTA (COWS GHEE) IN
ADOLESCENTS IN MUMBAI

Kalpana Dhuri1, Namrata Kamble2 and Ashwarya Gaur3

1. Professor and HOD of Kaumarbhritya Department of D.Y. Patil Ayurvedic College, Nerul, Navi Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
2. Final Year Post Graduate Scholar, Department of Kaumarbhritya, of D.Y. Patil Ayurvedic College, Nerul, Navi
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
3. Final Year Post Graduate Scholar, Department of Kaumarbhritya, of D.Y. Patil Ayurvedic College, Nerul, Navi
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
Manuscript Info Abstract
……………………. ………………………………………………………………
Manuscript History In India, traditionally ghee is being used in both rural and urban areas.
Received: 05 November 2024 Adolescents' modern lifestyles are influenced by the western diet,
Final Accepted: 09 December 2024 which excludes cow’s ghee. The purpose of this KAP study was to
Published: January 2025 investigate teenage consumption habits, attitudes, and knowledge
regarding cow ghee in Mumbai, India. Eight hundred and fourteen
teenagers, aged 14 to 19, were asked to complete a questionnaire
regarding their awareness of the qualities of cow's ghee and practices
and habits of consumption of cow’s ghee.Out of these 13 % did not
respond .Out of those who have responded ;Sixty-eight percent of the
individuals did not include cow ghee in their diet. Butter and cheese
intake was greater than average. Merely 32% of the subjects regularly
included cow's ghee in their diet. Out of 32%, only 7 % utilized their
own homemade ghee; the rest used commercial ghee. People making
ghee at home weren't sure if it came from buffalo milk. Of the
participants, about 14.8% thought ghee was beneficial for health.
Merely 11.3% of the population was aware of A1 and A2 milk and
ghee, and only seven of them knew enough about the subject. These
results suggest that teens are less likely to consistently consume ghee
in comparison to cheese and butter .They are ignorant of the health
advantages of cow ghee. The study also emphasizes the importance of
teaching teenagers about the benefits of incorporating cow ghee into
their diets and the necessity to adjust their eating habits.

Copyright, IJAR, 2025,. All rights reserved.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
Introduction:-
Ghee constitutes important position in Indian culinary. Cows' ghee is mentioned in Ayurveda as Medhya (enhancing
cognitive abilities),Deepan (increases digestive enzymes), Pachan ( enhances metabolism) 1..It contains Ca (~239
mg), P (~183.5 mg), K (~224 mg), Mg (~18.4 mg), riboflavin (~0.2 mg), and other nutrients. 2
Teenagers are influenced by Western food habits. 3 Despite a wealth of research, not many people are aware of the
health advantages of cow ghee4 . Considering the nutritional value and health advantages that ghee offers, it's critical

Corresponding Author:-Kalpana Dhuri

Address:-Professor and HOD of Kaumarbhritya Department of D.Y. Patil Ayurvedic 55
College, Nerul, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 13(01), 55-60

to comprehend the viewpoint of the consumer. Thus, the purpose of this study is to ascertain the attitudes, beliefs,
and knowledge that teenagers and young adults have about ghee and ghee-related products.

Materials and Methods:-

The study involved 814 teenagers from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai city, ages 14 to 19. In order to perform the
current study, personal meetings were held during camps held between August 2022 and January 2024 with all of
the screening participants. Parent’s and kid’s assent was acquired with informed consent, respectively. Of the 814
participants, 13 (%) chose not to answer. Thus, a total of 708 individuals took part in this investigation.
collection of Information : Three Ayurvedic vaidyas and a nutritionist helped create and validate a questionnaire. An
Ayurvedic Vaidya with training ;questioned each participant to find out what kind of ghee they ingested, how much
and how often and in which form they took it, and which beverages (such rice or chapatti) they had with it during
the day. The participants were also given pictures of a list of ghee goods that are widely available and consumed in
Mumbai, such as laddoo, kheer, and halwa. They were questioned about whether they ate these goods and if they
made them themselves or bought them from the store. In addition, participants were asked if eating ghee and ghee
products caused them to have any other gastric discomforts, such as, constipation, flatulence, diarrhoea, stomach
aches, nausea, or vomiting. As ghee is mentioned as Anuloman in Ayurveda, they were also questioned about their
regular bowel evacuation habits.Additionally, questions were asked regarding awareness about ghee prepared from
A1/A2 milk.

Results and Discussion:-

Among the total population who responded ;Girls (n= 475 (67%) made up a higher portion of the study sample than
boys 233(n= 33%) (figure1). Of the individuals involved,255( 36%) ingested ghee and its derivatives (Group 1),
while 453( 64%) did not consume any ghee at all (Group 2) (figure 2). Group 1 was composed of boys (n= 46.5% )
in a significantly higher percentage than girls (n =34.5%). Among those in group 2, 48.4% disapproved of ghee due
to its smell and frequent evacuation .

Figure 1:- Distribution as per sex.

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500

450

400

350

300
consume
250
not consume
200

150

100

50

0
Figure 2:- Distribution as per ghee consume / not consume.

800.000

700.000

600.000
A1 MILK
500.000
A2 MILK
400.000

300.000

200.000

100.000

0.000

Figure 3:- Knowledge about A1 and A2 milk.

Four participants reported avoiding ghee due to high cost (n=4 , 1.01%), Three participants (0.7 %) did not
provide any reason for not consuming ghee.All participants from group 1 who used ghee in practice had used it on
chapatti or with rice or sometimes with laddoo or kheer.

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Knowledge about A1 and A2 milk : The participants were inquired about their awareness of A1 and A2 milk and the
extent of their knowledge about it. The majority of participants (n=727, 89.31%) were not aware of A1 and A2 milk,
and only 87 of the total participants (10.7 %) knew about it. Nine participants (1.10 %) did not respond to this
question. The 87 participants who knew about A1/A2 milk were further asked what they knew about benefits of
these two types of milk (Figure 3). Among them, 22 participants (25.3%) did not reply and 20 participants (22.9%)
did not know any details about A1/A2 milk. Only five participants (5.7%) provided accurate scientific information
about milk casein and the difference between A1 and A2 milk.

Opinions about ghee as a health-giving food : Participants were asked whether they considered ghee to be health-
giving. Of theparticipants,369 (45.3%) did not respond. Among the remaining, participants 148 (33.2%) opined that
ghee was good for health because their mothers insist so. Only 5 (1.3 %) participants knew that ghee contains
several nutrients including protein, calcium, vitamins, other minerals, etc. 47 (10.56%) participants opined that ghee
increases weight and is the cause of obesity. Three participants replied that it increases cholesterol.Seven
participants 1.57 % opined it to be healthy but not a dietary essential. 11 respondents (2.47%) stated that ghee is not
important in the diet, and another 11 (2.47%) believed that it should be consumed only in limited amounts. 9
participants (2.02%) consumed ghee out of compulsion of mother. 13 Participants opined that it creates nausea when
there is a smell of ghee. Three of the participants (0.67%) did not have any opinion about ghee, and the remaining
three participants (0.67%) were unsure of ghee being a health-giving food. Out of 255; 179 participants had regular
bowel moments and had not experienced gastric discomfort. Rest of them had experienced flatulence sometimes and
irregular bowel habits.(figure 4)

255

205

155

not occurred
105
occurred

55

-45
Figure 4:- Distribution as per GI problems occur/not occur after ghee consumption.

Discussion:-
Ghee is an important part of Indian culture and plays a vital role in the different regional cuisines of the country.
Ayurvedic texts speak highly of ghee for its medicinal and nutritional properties. Besides cow ghee, Indians also
consume buffalo ghee.5 In our study, results show a wide disparity in consumption patterns. The majority of
participants, i.e., 343 participants (60.9%) were found to be lacking ghee content in daily diet. The 340 number of
participants were using cheese and butter in daily diet instead of ghee. Cheese and butter have been reported to be
the of major etiological factor PCOD 6

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Goghruta (Cow Ghee) is mentioned as medhya rasayana .It believed to support acquisition, memory, and
abrogation—the three facets of mental functioning. 7. According to the traditional scriptures, cow ghee also helps
enhance cognitive functions 8, 9 Ghee is described as ― product exclusively obtained from milk, cream, or butter, by
means of processes which result in almost total removal of water and non-fat solids, with an especially developed
flavour and physical structure― by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and CODEX Alimentarius.
10, 11
. Ghee is mostly made up of less than 98.9% fat and less than 0.5 % moisture content. Furthermore, ghee is
composed of vit. E and vit A , beta carotin, omega 3 alpha linoleic acid , calcium phosphate. 12

Sussan etal; had found that consuming ghee in usual diet reduces the cardiometabolic risk factor in healthy adults. 13

In an animal study ; Cow ghee has been found beneficial in enhancing the permeation of fluocinolone acetonide
medication 13 . Another study has shown that vitamin E and cow ghee were useful in treating cataracts in sheep eye
lenses caused by glucose. 14.

Karandikar et al. found that obese mice in the cow ghee group lost weight. This weight loss could be attributed to
the therapeutic benefits of cow ghee, which promotes rapid meal absorption and digestion. While other fats and oils
can slow down the body’s digestive process.Ghee promotes the secretion of digestive enzymes that improve
metabolism 15. The cow ghee-fed group experienced a lower increase in TGand VLDL. Short chain saturated fatty
acids, which are easier to digest, are abundant in cow’sghee 16 . Additionally, ghee promotes the excretion of bile
acids and dietary cholesterol fromthe digestive system. This could also be the reason why rats in the ghee group had
lowerincreases in blood and LDL cholesterol levels than those in the butter group. 17Antioxidants including vitamin
A, vitamin E, and carotenoids, which are abundant in ghee,may help stop lipid peroxidation. 18Western diet including
cheese butter has been a major cause of obesity in young adolescents.This has also led in increase of PCOS in
adolescent girls.19

Conclusion:-
Our study reveals that there is lack of awareness and knowledge about nutritional,cognitive values of cow’s ghee in
adolescents.Also there are misconceptions that it may add to weight where scientifically it is shown in one of the
experiments that it decreases the weight.

Very few adolescents are consuming ghee daily so the practice of cow’s ghee in daily diet of Indians (Mumbai
residents) is reduced and consumption of western diet has been increased significantly . Recently there has been an
increase in PCOS in adolescent females.

Way Forward: It is necessary to create awareness about scientific nutritional and cognitive functions of cow’s ghee
among young adults as their health is nations health.

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