Effect of partial replacement of visible fat by ghee (clarified butter) on serum lipid profile

A randomised controlled trial with a parallel design was conducted on 24 healthy young volunteers who were divided into two groups. After a lead-in period of 2 wk, the experimental group (n = 11; 9 male, 2 female) had for 8 wk a lactovegetarian diet providing about 25% of the energy intake in the form of fat, of which ghee provided 10 en% and the remaining fat energy came from mustard oil and invisible fat. The control group (n = 13; 8 male, 5 female) had a similar diet except that all visible fat was in the form of mustard oil. In neither group was there any significant change in the serum lipid profile at any point in time. At 8 wk, 2 volunteers in the experimental group, and 1 volunteer in the control group had more than 20% rise in serum total cholesterol as compared to their 0 wk values. There was also an appreciable increase in HDL cholesterol at 8 wk in the experimental group, but it was not statistically significant. Consuming ghee at the level of 10 en% in a vegetarian diet generally has no effect on the serum lipid profile of young, healthy, physically active individuals, but a few individuals may respond differently.