Jaggery is known to be one of the most conventional sweeteners that are used in almost every household in India. Regardless of which part of the country you are in, you will find people add this ingredient to a savoury or a sweet dish. Jaggery can be either made from sugarcane which has been used extensively for many years, or from toddy palm, which has begun to appear in the population’s lives. No matter its origin, experts across the country, including the familiar people who consume it daily, have considered jaggery is healthier than sugar. Unlike sugar, jaggery is known to have therapeutic properties, and because of this, it is used in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
The world of Ayurveda has seen jaggery more often than any other ingredient. Both forms of jaggery (palm jaggery and sugarcane jaggery) are used equally and blend invert sugars, sucrose, and other components like proteins, wood ash, bagasse fibre, and moisture. It’s known by many names by the people living in the same country, such as Gur in Hindi, Gud in Bengali, Bella in Kannada and Tamil, Bellam in Telugu, Gul in Marathi, and Sharkara in Malayalam.
Gur or jaggery is essentially unrefined sugar that is produced in the form of semi-solid rocks or powder. It is a significant potassium source, magnesium, manganese, and small amounts of fat, which can be considered close to nil. It is also a rich source of iron, and doctors and experts recommend having a 61% intake in the daily diet schedule. Jaggery can be consumed in place of sugar in beverages such as coffee, tea, and different kinds of juices. Whether or not they are suffering from any comorbidity in their normal life, individuals must consider including a certain amount of Gur every day because of its therapeutic properties. It is easier to use and highly dissolvable into any hot liquid of your choice.
Jaggery and sugar are two of the most quintessential sweet components found in India and few other South-East Asian countries. However, jaggery indeed has a more significant weightage when compared to sugar because every tablespoon of jaggery only consists of 54 calories and also has zinc, iron, copper, and phosphorous in a considerable amount. The benefits of eating jaggery are as follows:
Maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle is one of the goals each of us has in our lives. There is no doubt that the world. Every day we try to incorporate things in our daily life that will help us enhance the quality of living. This not only helps us in leading a life filled with joy and good health but also has great positive effects on our body.
This article is reviewed by Dr. Sunanda Ranade