Is Jaggery Better Than Sugar? Here’s What We Know

Whether it is in our morning tea or coffee, sweeteners are usually a very important part of our drinks and even meals. Sugar and jaggery are among the most commonly-used sweeteners with huge differences in their properties. Did you know by replacing white sugar with jaggery, one consumes a few extra nutrients, making it healthier? But a person should not add more jaggery to food just to boost its nutritional value. Instead of relying on a sweetener to get nutrients, one should aim to get them from the food they eat.

What are the benefits of jaggery over sugar?

Jaggery is a complex sugar that has long chains of sucrose. It gets digested slowly, unlike sugar. It helps to fulfil the iron requirement of the body and is considered to be the best source of plant-based iron. It is vital for improving muscular function and boosting your energy levels. Since it boosts the metabolism, it burns fat around the belly faster.

Sugar, on the other hand, induces a spike in blood sugar levels, leading to weight gain. It can lead to acne and tiredness too. Overconsumption of sugar can cause type 2 diabetes and heart problems as well.

There are many types of chemicals that are used to make sugar. But such is not the case with jaggery. It is very beneficial to deal with the problem of anaemia because it is rich in magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and selenium. Jaggery might have some important vitamins and minerals, but they are present in lower quantities.

Some people believe that jaggery has medicinal properties. But more research is required to conclusively prove these claims.

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