How We Traded Health for Marketing

If you grew up in the 90s or early 2000s, this story might sound familiar.

Your grandmother cooked with a mix of local oils — mustard, coconut, sesame — and ghee in moderation. Your mother switched to "refined" sunflower oil because the ads said it was heart-healthy. By the time you started cooking, anything labelled "low-fat" felt like the smarter option.

It turns out, that switch came with a cost.

The "Healthy Oil" Revolution in India: What We Gave Up

Here’s the truth: Science never supported this shift. In fact, the latest research shows the exact opposite — highly processed fats are harming your hormones, skin, and metabolism.

What the Largest Study on Indian Women’s Fat Intake Revealed

The Study: 3,678 Indian women aged 18–59, tracked over 2 years across urban and rural areas. Researchers studied their fat intake, hormones, skin health, and weight patterns.

The Surprising Results:

• Women who ate a moderate amount of whole-food fats (nuts, seeds, cold-pressed oils) maintained better weight and skin than those on low-fat diets.
• The low-fat group reported higher cravings, PMS, and more emotional eating.
• Researchers concluded: “Adequate intake of diverse, minimally processed fats is associated with better hormonal health, skin quality, and long-term weight management in Indian women.”

The Science: Why Cutting Fat Actually Backfires

1. Your Hormones Can’t Function Without Fat

Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol — all of these are made from cholesterol and fatty acids. When fat intake drops below 20% of your calories, your body starts producing less estrogen and progesterone. This leads to PMS, mood swings, infertility, and even weight gain.

Clinical Evidence: A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women consuming less than 20% of their calories from fat had 15% lower estrogen levels and a 25% increase in menstrual irregularities.

2. Fat-Soluble Vitamins Need Fat to Work

Vitamins A, D, E, and K — all critical for skin, immunity, and bone health — are fat-soluble. That means your body can’t absorb them without dietary fat. Eating dal, spinach, or carrots without ghee, oil, or nuts can cut vitamin absorption by half.

Everyday Example: A bowl of palak dal made without fat delivers less than 50% of the Vitamin A compared to the same dish tempered with ghee or sesame oil.

So, What Should You Do Now?

• Go back to using cold-pressed oils like mustard, sesame, and coconut.
• Add nuts and seeds — soaked almonds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds — to your day.
• Use ghee in moderation. It supports digestion and hormones, especially in women over 30.
• Avoid anything labelled "lite", "cholesterol-free", or overly processed.

Need a Personalised Food + Supplement Plan?

We help Indian women understand their unique hormonal needs — and build practical, food-first plans that actually fit real life. No fads. No complicated tracking.

We’ll help you with:

• What fats work best for your body, based on digestion, skin and stress
• When and how much to include — not just what to cut
• What supplements you actually need — and what’s a waste of money

Book a Free WhatsApp Call