Eating jaggery has numerous health benefits for us because this sweet ingredient is not only yummy to taste, but it is also loaded with many essential nutrients. Jaggery, known as gur in India is basically unrefined sugar from the sugarcane plant. In this article we will seek the answer to: “Is jaggery good for health?”
There are other sources to obtain
jaggery such as from the sap of the coconut tree or date palm, although jaggery
made from sugarcane is the most widely used form. People want to know “Is it
good to eat jaggery every day?” Jaggery has been a staple of the Indian
household for ages. Jaggery should definitely be a part of your diet if it
isn’t already, and here we’ll discuss why.
- Jaggery, brown sugar and honey
Jaggery is prepared by natural means
without the use of any chemicals, preservatives or synthetic additives. For
this reason it contains a number of proteins, minerals, and vitamins. People
consider this brown sweetener and brown sugar to be one and the same. However,
brown sugar is produced either directly from cane juice or by refining raw
sugar. Both cases require the addition of a variety of molassesand syrups.
Hence, brown sugar contains unnatural additives as well. The hierarchy being- jaggery is better than brown sugar which is
better than white sugar. Honey is also a good alternative for desserts and
sweets. It is rich in Vitamin B, C, and potassium while jaggery is rich in
copper, iron, and magnesium. Which one you add comes down to your preference.
2. Is
jaggery good for diabetes?
People often ask, “Is jaggery good for
diabetes?”Jaggery is not to be misconstrued for other forms of sweeteners.It
should preferably be likened to a somewhat healthier form of sugar. There is
almost 65%-85% of sucrose in 10 grams of jaggery. People with diabetes are
advised not to consume it regularly.
3.
Jaggery and weight loss
Jaggery facilitates quicker digestion
since it is rich in nutrients. People often ask if they could have some weight loss with jaggery. There
are some jaggery benefits for weight loss. The nutrients
help to maintain electrolyte balance, improving metabolism. The presence of
potassium enables water retention, through which one can effectively manage
their weight. It cleanses the blood and flushes out toxins from the body.
Consuming jaggery can hence help with weight loss. These are the benefits of
jaggery for weight loss.
4. Helps
in Cleansing the Body
If you are staying in an area that is
heavily polluted, including jaggeryin your diet may help you a great deal.
Jaggery is a natural body cleanser and helps to cleanse harmful toxins in the
body. Jaggery is beneficial in cleaning the lung, respiratory tract, and others
to prevent infections.
5. Helps in Preventing Anemia
Low iron levels in the body lead to a
disease called anemia. Adding this iron and folate-rich food in your daily diet
may help in the prevention of anemia. Anybody battling low iron and folate
levels should definitely include jaggery in their diet so that they can prevent
anemia.
6. Helps
in Maintaining Body Temperature
Jaggery
is very versatile. If you want to keep your body warm during the winter
months you should consume jaggery since it helps you keep your body warm. Consuming jaggery with cold water keeps your stomach
cool and helps in the summers. Hence jaggery is fit for consumption throughout
the year.
7. Helps
in Maintaining Good Intestinal Health
Magnesium helps keep your intestinal
health on track, and jaggery contains a good amount of magnesium, hence it
would be a good idea to consume jaggery if you want to keep your intestinal
health on track. You will get approximately 15 mg of magnesium if you consume
10 grams of jaggery on a regular basis.
8.
Helpful in Controlling Blood Pressure
Regular blood pressure should be
maintained to maintain good health. Low blood pressure is just as detrimental
as high blood pressure is. Sodium and potassium are essential for maintaining
blood pressure and jaggery is loaded with both sodium as well as potassium.
Both these minerals are beneficial in regulating the blood pressure in the
body. Therefore, by eating jaggery on a daily basis, your blood pressure levels
are likely to be under control.
9.Fightfatigue
Fatigue
and exhaustion are real problems. Simple things like taking your dog for a walk
become monstrosities to overcome. Jaggery can instantly help you feel energized.
Jaggery slowly gets released into your blood stream instead of all at once like
sugar does. Hence, it not only helps with your blood sugar levels but also
helps you fight fatigue and gives you a constant stream of energy for your
daily grind.
10. Menstrual pain no more
Those painful days of the month can give nightmares to most women because menstrual pain is something all women can relate. Over the counter medication help with this problem but they may have unwanted side effects, and are not a natural solution to the problem. Jaggery is loaded with all the essential nutrients that may prove helpful in reducing period pain and other associated side-effects. Jaggery helps release your endorphins (the feel good hormones), which help you deal with PMS.
11.
Bronchitis and asthma
Bronchitis and asthma make breathing
very difficult. It is believed that when jaggery is eaten, it soothes and
nourishes the inflamed airways and thus helps in providing relief and also
prevents the condition from further deteriorating.
12. Joint pains and aches will be less of a problem
Joint or bone pain can be a very
painful situation and hamper your day-to-day functioning. However, it is
believed that consuming jaggery on day to day basis has proven to be effective
in dealing with joint pains and aches.
13. Constipation
Constipation has the possibility to
take a toll on your health. Cleaning
bowels is a problem as well as hardened stools. Consuming jaggery on a regularly
helps in activating the digestive enzymes and also helps in stimulating bowel
movements. Addingjaggery to your diet can help to smoothen bowel movements.
Having smoother bowel movements will also help with your weight
loss diet plan so you can correctly manage your appetite.
14. Cold and cough
Fighting flu like symptoms like cold
and cough is another thing jaggery could do for you. Jaggery fights cold by the
production of heat within the body, and cough by lubricating the throat.
15. Low calorie count compared to
sugar:
Here we’ll seek to answer how to eat jaggery for
weight loss. There are different amounts of calories in sugar
and jaggery. Just 20 grams of jaggery contains 38 calories and has 9.8 gram of
carbohydrates, 9.7 gram of sugar, 0.01 gram of protein, choline, betaine, vitamin
B12, B6, folate, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, and manganese.
Meanwhile the same amount of refined sugar would contain nothing else but sugar.
It would not give you the additional nutritional value that jaggery gives you.
Sugar has much more calories than jaggery does. So, if you were wondering how
to lose weight jaggery can definitely help you in that regard.
