To stay fit and eat healthy, many people have started ditching sugar for substitute sweeteners like jaggery and honey.
So does that mean jaggery is a guaranteed way to avoid calories and decrease insulin spikes? Not really. Taking to Instagram, food therapist Dr. Ria Banerjee Ankola shared that both — jaggery and sugar — have a similar caloric profile.
Sugar and jaggery are sweeteners produced from sugarcane juice, but they go through different processing steps. Sugar is made by condensing and crystallising sugarcane juice syrup, whereas jaggery is made by boiling the molasses for several hours and then forming it into a firm shape. “Both have similar calorie content and effects on the body. The only difference is that jaggery is unprocessed and has health benefits.”
So, what makes jaggery superior?
In contrast to sugar, which only provides calories and no nutrients, jaggery contains traces of iron, fibre, and minerals as well as calories.
Is it safe to consume jaggery?
Though jaggery is highly nutritious than sugar, it should be consumed in moderation as it has a high-calorie content and should be avoided by diabetics.
According to Healthline.com, replacing jaggery with white sugar offers a few extra nutrients, making it healthier.
- Jaggery aids with digestion, particularly for those who experience constipation. Jaggery is the perfect addition to your morning tea since it helps your body digest food more quickly after a lengthy period of fasting.
- Drinking ginger tea with jaggery might boost immunity and protect you from allergies and the common cold.
- Iron, an essential component of haemoglobin, is abundant in jaggery. Consuming more iron through foods like jaggery will assist your body’s red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs and distribute it throughout your body. It is quite beneficial for those with anaemia
- Consuming jaggery in moderation can aid in weight loss, especially for individuals who struggle to lose additional pounds from their abdomen. It develops a healthy metabolism, which aids in better and quicker digestion of food.
- It is rich in antioxidants that help in preventing free radicals damage in the body. It also acts as a cleansing agent which helps to flush out toxins from various organs and gives you healthy-looking skin.
