Can you imagine having unsweetened chai? But to make it sweet, you have to add heaps of sugar to it, and you know that the sweet taste does not come alone. The sweet taste of sugar comes with several health risks like obesity, an upset hormonal system, and a greater risk of heart disease. Only if you could get the sweetness of sugar and the benefits of something really healthy. Well, there are foods like jaggery that claim to do that. But are the claimed jaggery benefits scientifically proven?
Read more about the ill effects of white sugar.
You may know jaggery as your very own Gur. It is an unrefined form of sugar. Gur is a household staple in Pakistan and is often deemed as quite healthy and nutritious. You must have seen your nani and dadi use gur in everything they eat, in hopes of treating every disease they might have. There might be some jaggery benefits, but the exaggeration regarding them is undeniable.
You need not worry. We have collected all the evidence that accept or reject the claimed jaggery benefits.
Jaggery Benefits And Side Effects
Here is an analysis of all the claimed jaggery benefits to help you filter fact from fad.
Jaggery Benefits Digestion
In Pakistan, jaggery is not only used as a sweetener but a dessert itself. It is often eaten as is after meals. Many claim that gur after a heavy meal ensures better digestion. No available research supports this claim. You need to understand that jaggery is simple sucrose with no fibres. The lack of fibre in jaggery shows that it doesn’t do much benefit to your bowel.
Moreover, jaggery lacks water, another compound essential for optimal digestive health. The natural compounds present in jaggery do not affect your digestive health either. So if you are eating jaggery after a meal in hopes of digesting all you just ate, don’t. You are just taking in extra calories and nutrients, making your body digest more than it had to.
Jaggery can be used to improve digestion by adding it as a sweetener in digestion-improving teas. It is better to use jaggery as a sweetener in your kehwa than white sugar.
Jaggery Benefits Weight Loss
Jaggery is often considered an effective weight-loss tool. This assumption makes it an essential ingredient of many weight loss teas. There is no truth to the claims of jaggery causing weight loss. In some cases, it might prevent excessive weight gain if consumed instead of sugar. White sugar can cause a glucose spike. In comparison, jaggery does not raise your blood sugar level drastically. Unlike sugar, jaggery does not wreak havoc on your hormonal balance and does not disturb your insulin levels, which result in weight gain. To conclude, jaggery may not help you lose weight but can prevent excessive weight gain, unlike sugar.
Jaggery Causes Anemia Prevention
The most common form of anaemia is often caused by iron deficiency anaemia. Any food rich in iron can help combat the condition, but iron’s absorbability matters more than the quantity of it.
Jaggery is rich in iron. Study shows that the iron in jaggery is more readily available to the body cells than iron from other plant sources. 100 grams of gur contains 11 mg of iron which accounts for 61% of the recommended daily intake (RDI). Realistically, you can never eat that much jaggery in a day, and if you do, you will face more harm than good.
Still, even in little quantities, jaggery provides a significant amount of readily absorbable iron. For people with anaemia, jaggery could contribute to filling the depleted iron stores. But there are several other foods that can provide you with a greater amount of absorbable iron.
Read more about the importance of iron.
Jaggery Causes Liver Detoxification
Detox; a term that sells the most when it comes to weight loss and nutrition in general. Little do people know that every organ of your body and your body as a whole too, has self-cleaning and self-maintaining mechanisms. You don’t need any extra product to do this job unless you have an underlying disease.
Much like many other foods, jaggery claims to detoxify your liver and body. There is no scientific evidence that supports this claim. So if you have been satisfying your sweet tooth in the name of cleansing your liver, don’t.
Lear the truth behind detox.
Improved Immune Function
Jaggery is a “superfood sweetener” that provides more than just good taste and nutrition. In India and Pakistan, jaggery is often used to treat a variety of health complications. It is believed that jaggery can support and improve the function of your immune system. This supposed jaggery benefit is due to the presence of minerals and antioxidants present in jaggery.
Factually, jaggery contains no nutrient that helps relieve the symptoms of any disease in significant amounts. So science rejects even this acclaimed jaggery benefit.
Jaggery Benefits Sperm Production
As jaggery is thought to improve overall immunity, it is thought to improve the sperm count somehow too. There is no truth to this. So the next time if someone recommends milk with jaggery as a solution to all your life problems, don’t take it.
Side Effects
Jaggery is an unrefined sugar, and sugar is the main culprit of a number of ailments. Innumerable pieces of evidence relate excessive sugar consumption to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Although jaggery is different from white sugar, it still is a form of simple sugar, and excessive consumption can cause the same side effects as white sugar.
Jaggery Vs Sugar; A Faceoff
Jaggery is often deemed a miraculous ingredient thought to make your tea tastier and life healthier. The truth is jaggery is not much better than sugar. It does contain some extra nutrients, as it is a much less refined version of sugar. The amount of these extra nutrients is so less that it barely makes a difference, and the ill effects of jaggery still outweigh the benefits.
To conclude it all, if you are addicted to sugar and cant cut it out, shift to jaggery. At least it is less refined and has some nutrients that white sugar lacks, making it a relatively healthier option. Still, it is best to limit the amount of jaggery and sugar, both. If you crave sweets and want the healthiest option and plans to curb your sweet cravings, you will need to consult a nutritionist.
FAQs
1. Is jaggery healthy?
Jaggery is relatively healthier than sugar but generally not a very healthy option.
2. Is jaggery good for weight loss?
No, if you are on a strict weight loss diet, it is better to use sweeteners like stevia or Truvia.
3. Is jaggery better than sugar?
Jaggery contains a little more nutrients than sugar, but there is no significant difference between the two.
4. Is it advised to eat jaggery after a meal?
No, eating a lump of gur after every meal will only give you extra calories and sugars.
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