From India’s ancient system of medicine, Ayurveda, to global wellness circles, the ritual of starting the day with ghee has gone viral. But do the benefits stack up?
It begins with a spoonful of liquid gold. Not olive oil or lemon water this time, but ghee - clarified butter made by simmering butter until the water and milk solids separate, leaving behind a rich golden fat. Each morning, from Delhi to Los Angeles, people are swallowing it on an empty stomach and calling it their “morning ghee shot.”
What is a Morning Ghee Shot?
At its simplest, the ritual involves taking a small spoonful of ghee before eating or drinking anything else. Advocates say this coats the digestive system, primes the body to absorb nutrients and delivers steady energy throughout the day. The practice is rooted in Ayurveda, India’s ancient system of medicine, where ghee has been revered for centuries as both food and medicine. In traditional households, it is added to rice, used in rituals, even applied to the skin. The modern version strips it back to a single act - a spoonful at sunrise - now embraced far beyond South Asia.
The Trend Gaining Momentum
Like celery juice before it, the morning ghee shot has become a shorthand for wellness. Lifestyle magazines run features, nutrition coaches debate it on podcasts, and celebrities reveal it as part of their morning routines. Delhi socialite and art collector Shalini Passi told the Economic Times she starts every day with one to two tablespoons of ghee, crediting it with supporting digestion and immunity. Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor prefers a smaller spoonful, saying it helps keep her skin clear, while Rakul Preet Singh stirs ghee into her morning coffee for workout fuel. In Hollywood, Kourtney Kardashian has admitted she begins her mornings with a melted teaspoon, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop has promoted ghee in its Ayurveda-inspired cleanses. Even outside the celebrity world, wellness bloggers in the UK and Australia are sharing the ritual as the latest morning health hack, showing just how far this tradition has travelled.
The Promised Benefits
Supporters believe the practice delivers a host of benefits: better digestion and metabolism, stronger immunity, lubricated joints, glossier hair and skin, and a calmer, steadier flow of energy. For some, the appeal is as much ritual as result. There is comfort in a practice that feels both simple and intentional - a quiet act of self-care before the day begins.
Modern health writers echo part of this. TIME magazine has reported that ghee is rich in vitamins A, D, E and K, while Healthline notes that its butyrate content may support gut health and immunity. But both sources caution that ghee is calorie-dense and high in saturated fat, meaning moderation is essential.
What the Experts Say
Doctors and nutritionists are intrigued by the revival of this ancient ritual, but they are careful to separate tradition from hard science. Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head of Dietetics at Max Healthcare in Delhi, says ghee can aid digestion and help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins when eaten in small amounts. Nutritionist Shikha Gupta has argued that a teaspoon in the morning may help stabilise blood sugar, curb cravings and support hormone balance, particularly for women with conditions like PCOS.
Scientific evidence backs some of this up. Research confirms that ghee contains butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that supports gut health, and it is lactose-free, making it easier to digest for many people than butter. Yet experts caution against seeing it as a miracle food. TIME and Healthline both point out that ghee is high in calories and saturated fat, while Verywell Health notes that eating it daily in large amounts could raise cholesterol.
“The key is moderation,” says dietitian Jyotika Sharma - a view echoed outside India too. Dr Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist at Harvard, has described ghee as “nutritionally rich, but best enjoyed sparingly.”
Balancing Tradition and Trend
Part of the fascination lies in how an ancient tradition has been repackaged for a modern audience. In Ayurveda, ghee is considered sattvic - pure and nourishing - and used in everything from cooking to healing practices. The morning ghee shot borrows from this heritage, but in its stripped-down, globally marketed form, it also reflects our modern hunger for quick fixes and photogenic rituals.
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