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Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
6 reasons why you should try ghee coffee to promote digestion, weight loss and more
Scroll through your phone these days, and you will end up finding a new health trend. One drink that has been getting a lot of buzz lately is ghee coffee. From nutritionists to celebrities, everyone seems to be raving about it, sharing posts about 'ghee coffee' or even 'ghee tea,' calling it an Ayurvedic remedy or something they grew up drinking. But have you tried it yet? If not, maybe it is time! You might be surprised to know that this simple drink could help boost your metabolism, support heart health, and even ease period pain. Find out what makes ghee coffee more than just a trendy beverage. Ghee coffee, also known as bulletproof coffee, is a blend of black coffee and ghee (clarified butter). It is a creamy, rich drink that is often enjoyed in the morning. Ghee adds healthy fats to the coffee, which can provide steady energy, improve focus, and keep you feeling full for longer. It is popular in low-carb and Ayurvedic diets. Here are 6 health benefits of adding ghee in coffee and drinking it every day: Not all fats are bad for you. 'Ghee is rich in healthy fats like omega-3, 6, and 9, and it is a natural source of vitamins A, E, and K. Coffee, on the other hand, is loaded with caffeine, cafestol, kahweol, and chlorogenic acid, all known to support immune health,' says nutritionist Vidhi Chawla. A study published in Trends in Food Science & Technology highlights the benefits of coffee for strengthening the immune system. If you believe that drinking coffee on an empty stomach causes acidity, try black coffee with ghee to get rid of it. Thanks to the butyric acid found in ghee, it can support healthy digestion and reduce inflammation in the gut. Ghee coffee is especially helpful for people who often feel bloated. Combining black coffee with ghee may support heart health. Ghee helps reduce inflammation and balance cholesterol. In fact, a study published in the Ochsner Journal shows that coffee can reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol levels. Ghee contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that may reduce the intensity of menstrual cramps. 'It can also help boost energy and support hormonal balance to support a healthy period cycle,' explains Chawla. Drinking ghee coffee in the morning can help keep hunger and cravings in check. The healthy fats make you feel full longer, so you are less likely to snack unnecessarily. This can support healthy weight management. Coffee is known to give you a quick energy boost. However, the fats in ghee slow down caffeine absorption, giving you steady energy without the crash. A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition links this sustained release of energy is because of the combination of fats with caffeine. You will feel less lethargic. This bullet coffee or ghee coffee can be enjoyed daily, but make sure you do not overdo it. Ghee is rich in saturated fats, so having too much may lead to weight gain, high cholesterol, or excess calorie intake. 'People with heart conditions or high cholesterol should be especially cautious,' warns Chawla. Also, drinking too many cups of coffee a day can increase your caffeine intake, which might cause digestive discomfort or other issues. So, stick to one or two cups of black coffee with ghee a day. NOTE: Do not over-blend as too much blending will separate the fat. 'For best results, drink ghee coffee in the morning on an empty stomach,' suggests Chawla. This helps kickstart your metabolism, supports digestion, and provides steady energy throughout the day. In fact, it is a great alternative to your sugary drinks like orange juice or tea in the morning.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Research into biodegradable plastics involves Arkansas scientist
Global plastic production has increased from 369 million tons in 2016 to 404.5 million metric tons in 2020, partly due to materials used in the COVID-19 pandemic. (Getty Images) FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While biodegradable plastics currently account for a half percent of the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic produced annually, a growing demand for the alternative reflects consumer awareness and corporate response. Researchers from Brazil, Germany and the United States document a multi-faceted global snapshot of the environmental aspects and trends surrounding single-use plastics in a review article titled 'Rethinking single-use plastics: Innovations, policies, consumer awareness and market shaping biodegradable plastics in the packaging industry.' The piece was recently published in Trends in Food Science & Technology. The researchers state that the largest area of application for biodegradable plastic materials is the packaging segment, which accounts for about half of single-use plastic production. The biodegradable packaging market was estimated to reach about $105 billion in 2024 with an expected annual growth rate of about 6 percent between 2024 and 2029, and 44 percent of patents filed worldwide for biodegradable polymers relate to packaging, the study noted. About 474 million tons of plastics are produced globally each year, and about a third of it is used for packaging, including single-use plastic products for food and beverage containers. Of this, only about 25 percent gets recycled. Plastic production, the article adds, is expected to triple by 2060 following a trend of transitioning from durable plastics to single-use plastics. Global plastic production increased from 369 million tons in 2016 to 404.5 million tons in 2020, partly due to materials used in the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing a 2021 study from the same research group in Brazil, the review article noted the pandemic 'exacerbated the use of single-use plastic and increased the demand for personal protective equipment and packaging, leading to remarkable growth in the plastics industry and generating more than 8 million tons of waste, mainly affecting Asia, Europe and America.' The same study mentions that the pandemic expanded food packaging due to a shift in eating habits and an increase in online purchases. Despite the transition to single-use plastics, an increasing number of patents and successful research and development of biodegradable plastic materials has sparked the interest of industries to invest in large-scale production technologies for renewable monomers and polymers, the researchers added. 'There is a lot of opportunity with zein, which is a family of proteins in corn that forms a beautiful film to make biodegradable plastics, and it's a little bit more expensive, but we hope that will be hitting the market soon as well,' said Sun Ferreira, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor in the food science department for University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Ferreira is part of both the research and extension arms of the Division of Agriculture, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service. Ferreira is a food scientist and food processing engineer who has worked with biopolymers for microencapsulation to protect flavors, vitamins and other ingredients during processing, storage and digestion. He collaborated with the study's lead author, Andreza Salles Barone, a nutritionist and Ph.D. candidate with the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro's Food and Nutrition Graduate Program. Barone is supervised by Ana Elizabeth Cavalcante Fai, corresponding author for the review article, a food engineer and associate professor in food science at Rio de Janeiro State University, where she coordinates the Laboratory of Multidisciplinary Practices for Sustainability at the Institute of Nutrition. 'Food packaging plays a vital role in ensuring food safety and quality,' Fai said. 'However, it is increasingly unjustifiable to produce short-life cycle packaging using synthetic plastics that persist in the environment for up to 400 years. Even more concerning is the growing awareness that plastics don't degrade completely — they fragment into micro- and nanoplastics, which are now recognized as widespread environmental pollutants and an emerging public health concern.' Ferreira said that while biodegradable plastics are a promising long-term alternative solution, it is not where he expects to see the biggest short-term impact on the reduction of overall plastic use. Fai and Barone said that plastic has undeniably transformed modern life since its mass production began in the 1950s. However, despite its versatility and usefulness, 'plastic has often been misused and is frequently applied to single-use items which are discarded with little regard for environmental consequences.' 'Most of the plastic ever made still exists in some form today,' Fai said. 'When people say, 'just throw it away,' we must remember — there is no 'away.' Everything remains within the boundaries of our shared environment. The planet simply cannot absorb this volume of waste indefinitely. If current trends continue, some projections estimate that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in our oceans. This is not just alarming — it's a call to urgent action.' A 'circular economy,' Ferreira said, could have a larger long-term impact on single-use plastic reduction. A circular economy broadens the familiar slogan of 'reduce, reuse, recycle' to 'rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle,' in that order. Brazil has an extraordinary biodiversity, Fai said, and a significant agro-industrial biomass base, rich in polysaccharides such as starch, pectin, lignin, and others. These valuable raw materials can be transformed into bio-based and biodegradable packaging for the food industry, she added. 'Through international partnerships, where each research group contributes its unique expertise, we can join efforts to develop sustainable and innovative packaging solutions,' Fai said. 'This collaborative approach is key to building a more sustainable future for food systems worldwide,' said Fai and Barone. 'We are part of the problem as consumers, but at the end of the day, as consumers we can be part of the solution,' Ferreira said. Co-authors of the review article on single-use plastics include Carollyne Maragoni-Santos of Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro; Patricia Marques de Farias of the Sustainable Packaging Institute in Germany; Camila Marcolongo Gomes Cortat of the Laboratory of Multidisciplinary Practices of Sustainability, Institute of Nutrition at the State University of Rio de Janeiro; Bianca Chieregato Maniglia of the University of São Paulo; and Ricardo Schmitz Ongaratto in the chemistry school at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Heather Friedrich, director of the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, said while there are a lot of plastics used in agriculture, her team avoids single-use plastics as much as possible out of concern for the environment and to reduce consumption. 'In our transplant production, rather than using the single-use plastics that you see in a store when you get plants, we use extra sturdy plastic transplant trays,' Friedrich said. 'We know farmers who have used these for 20-plus years and are still strong.' Friedrich said the CAFF farm also uses a paper pot system adapted from Japan that uses a chain of paper strips to form cells in which they grow the transplants. The training farm also uses a landscape fabric instead of plastic mulch for weed control, which can be reused over many years. However, use of single-use plastic is unavoidable at times. For its 'tractor-scale' production, CAFF uses the black plastic seen on strawberry beds at u-pick operations. 'Plants respond well to plasticulture because it warms the soil early, creates a weed free zone and delivers water directly to the plant roots,' Friedrich said. 'The current biodegradable options for this function can't hold up over the long, hot season.' A thick, clear plastic is used to cover high tunnels at the farm, but that material has a longer lifespan of four to six years. High tunnels differ from greenhouses by generally having less climate control but still allow protection of plants from the elements and extend the growing season from early spring to late fall. Irrigation drip tape — a flat tubing that provides water directly to plant roots — can also be a source of plastic on the farm, Friedrich said, and they try to use theirs for multiple years to minimize landfill deposits. 'In other areas of the state, there are recycling options that farmers can off-load their irrigation plastic,' Friedrich said. Polypipe is commonly used for irrigation in row crop operations. When the season has ended, farmers roll up the pipe and drop it off for recycling. The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food was developed to strengthen and expand our food and farming system by providing new opportunities to shape our current and future farmers, food entrepreneurs and food system leaders. CAFF is a program of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Through experiential learning, the center's programs train farmers and food entrepreneurs with the production and business skills and resources necessary to develop resilient businesses that sustain our ecosystem, our land and our communities. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
