The memories of winters in India go back to a common meal on the dinner table consisting of roti and Jaggery popularly known as ”Gur” in India. It is considered the season of fresh Jaggery and is the reason why it’s consumed in abundance during this season.
Other than its delicious and tempting sweet taste, it offers some wonderful benefits for the body. It is a storehouse of vitamins that boosts immunity, treats common flu, and keeps the body warm. Being an alternative choice for sugar, it has gained immense popularity in the recent decade.
One hundred gms of jaggery nutrition contains-
Calories | 383 |
Sucrose | 65-85 gms |
Fructose and Glucose | 10-15 gms |
Protein | 0.4 gms |
Fat | 0.1 gms |
Iron | 11 mg |
Magnesium | 70-90 mg |
Potassium | 1050 mg |
Manganese | 0.2-0.5 mg |
Consuming this activates the enzymes in the body that aid digestion. It encourages bowel movements and relieves constipation. As it acts as a diuretic, it stimulates the passage of hardened feces.
Jaggery is rich in folate and iron. It is an effective remedy to treat anemia as it naturally boosts the iron levels in the body. Menstruating and pregnant women must consume this every day to maintain a normal level of blood cell production in the body. Eating palm jaggery gives an instant energy boost to the body.
Jaggery benefits(1) in detoxing the liver. It cleanses the body naturally. It helps in the removal of toxins from the body that cleanses the liver. So you can stay healthy by consuming one small piece of gur every day.
This is very rich in antioxidants and minerals that contribute towards growing immunity. It prevents radical damage and develops resistance against infection. It reduces the risk of many chronic diseases.
[ Read: Boost Your Immune System Effectively to Resist Diseases ]
Being rich in nutrients, it acts as a natural treatment to treat issues related to menstruation, especially menstrual cramps. If you suffer from PMS, PMDD(2), you can eat a small bite of this every day as it releases endorphins that relax your body.
It has high amounts of magnesium that improves intestinal strength of the body. 10 gms of Jaggery provides 16 gms of magnesium that is about 4 % of the daily requirement of this mineral.
A natural way to reduce pain in joints would be to add this to your daily diet. Eat it with ginger to reduce pain or you can add it to milk to build stronger bones that prevent arthritis and bone problems.
It can help in treating hiccups. Take three gms of Jaggery with 500 mg of dried ginger powder and mix with warm water. Drink this to treat hiccups immediately.
Jaggery helps treat asthma patients by helping maintain regular body temperature to prevent an asthma attack.
It balances the blood pressure in the body. It contains potassium and sodium that balances acid levels in the body and prevents hypertension.
”Gur” is good for your health, so you can binge on jaggery sweets and porridges. Adding it to your diet will help cure ailments. It’sIt’s also considered a better substitute for sugar. However, limit the intake to moderate portions.
It comes under high glycemic food and is better avoided by patients with high blood sugar. However, if you’re not diabetic, it is a good alternative to white sugar.
Jaggery calories include 380 Kcal for 100 gms, which is the same as honey. Thus, both are the same.