Did you know jaggery have an immense number of health benefits? You may have noticed elderly people chewing a piece of jaggery after the meal. It is popular not only for its sweet flavour but also for its various medicinal qualities that benefit the human body.

What Exactly Is Jaggery?

Jaggery is a commonly used sweetener in India. According to some reports, it is said that the Portuguese brought jaggery to India, while others believe it originated in the subcontinent. The Indian term for jaggery is Gur or Guda, however, the word jaggery is derived from the Portuguese word jagara. Jaggery meaning in Hindi is Gur. Jaggery is a kind of unrefined sugar (molasses) derived from the juice of sugarcane, palm sap, or coconut sap.  

According to Folklores, the Portuguese discovered the component in Kerela in the late 1600s. Ayurvedic practitioners have been utilizing it for over 3,000 years. So the dispute on the origins of jaggery continues. Another fascinating historical truth is that in Europe, people considered jaggery to be inferior to sugar.

Jaggery is manufactured from sugarcane juice that has been cooked to form thick crystals. It includes sucrose sugar and is used as a sweetening additive in many culinary items. It is considered healthier than refined sugar since it retains some plant phytochemicals and minerals.

Jaggery has different names in different places. For Example Jaggery in Tamil is Vellam, Jaggery in Telugu is Bellaṁ, Jaggery in Marathi is Gūḷa and Jaggery in Kannada is Bella.

Everyone should be aware of the benefits of eating jaggery-

Helps in Constipation: Jaggery activates digestive enzymes in the body, promotes bowel movements, and therefore aids in the prevention and relief of constipation. It also works as a diuretic, which can aid in the stimulation of bowel movement. After lunch, a tiny piece of jaggery will be helpful to kick-start your metabolism.

Detoxifies the Liver: Jaggery is a natural body cleanser that reduces the liver’s burden. Jaggery aids in liver cleansing by clearing out harmful toxins from the body, which also aids in liver detoxification. So, if you want to cleanse your body properly, don’t forget to have some jaggery.

Blood Purifier: One of jaggery’s most well-known advantages is its ability to cleanse the blood. It cleanses the blood and leaves your body healthy when eaten on a regular basis. A healthy body will have clean blood and will be free of illness.

Boosts Immunity: Jaggery boosts immunity as it is high in antioxidants and minerals like zinc and selenium. These both minerals help reduce free radical damage and increase resistance to infections. Jaggery helps in increasing the overall amount of haemoglobin in your blood.

Eases Menstruation Pain: Jaggery, which is high in many important nutrients, is an excellent natural therapy for menstrual issues, particularly cramp alleviation. If you have abrupt mood swings shortly before your period, consume a little piece of jaggery every day to counteract PMS symptoms since it causes the production of endorphins. Endorphins calm your body, avoiding premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Benefits of Jaggery for Hair

Jaggery is high in iron, which helps to prevent hair loss. Iron aids in the synthesis of haemoglobin, which leads to improved blood circulation to the scalp’s roots, boosting hair growth and decreasing hair fall. When applied as a hair mask, the iron concentration of jaggery results in glossy and silky hair.

Jaggery can also be applied as a mask to your hair which adds natural shine and silkiness to your hair. Simply combine two teaspoons of Multani clay, two tablespoons of jaggery powder, and a little amount of yoghurt to produce the ideal paste. This can be used as a hair mask. Massage it into your scalp in soft, circular strokes and let it on for a few minutes before washing it off with warm water and shampoo. If you want to notice a change, do this once a week.

Benefits of Gur for Skin

Jaggery can be used as a beauty treatment. It contains natural qualities that keep the skin healthy at all times.

Jaggery nourishes the skin as it is high in vitamins and minerals, it nourishes every inch of your skin. When your skin is properly nourished, it will remain radiant and healthy.

Jaggery aids in the treatment and prevention of a variety of skin issues, including acne and pimples. As a result, it aids in the prevention of blemishes on the skin. It also slows the appearance of age symptoms such as wrinkles, dark spots, and so on.

Types of Jaggery:

Since ancient times, jaggery has been utilized as a natural substitute for sugar as well as a flavour enhancer in a variety of traditional dishes. However, as health consciousness has grown, jaggery has become a craze among health enthusiasts and the source from which jaggery is derived determines its health quotient. Continue reading to learn more about types of jaggery available in markets.

Coconut Jaggery: This is another type of jaggery that is commonly seen in Southern Indian cuisines. This jaggery has a sweet taste and a crystalized texture since it is made from unfiltered and unfermented extracts of coconut sap. It has a significantly sweeter flavour than the other types of jaggery.

Palm Jaggery: Palm jaggery is a considerably sweeter type of jaggery with a melt-in-your-mouth feel. This type of jaggery is created by extracting palm sap then manually boiling and churning it. This jaggery has the sweetness of dates as well as the nutritious advantages of dates.

Sugarcane Jaggery: Brown in colour, this is the most common type of jaggery. It is simply unprocessed sugarcane juice collected from sugarcane that is manually produced using traditional processes, giving this jaggery its distinct flavour and texture. This jaggery is generally consumed in its crystallized state after being prepared by boiling, churning, and sifting using age-old processes.

Black Jaggery: Black jaggery is basically unrefined sugar made from raw, concentrated sugarcane juice. It gives a very different but addictive taste to your tongue.

How much Jaggery to Eat Everyday?

Take a little piece of jaggery, about 10-15 grams and you can consume it with any meal of the day on a regular basis.

Disadvantages of Jaggery

Jaggery is a popular sweetener since it contains all of the required elements. It increases your metabolism and provides a lot of energy. Jaggery has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of health issues, including anxiety, migraines, digestion, and tiredness.

However, jaggery, like anything else, has its drawbacks. These are determined by the quality of the jaggery, your medical history, and a variety of other variables. Following are jaggery disadvantages –

  • Weight gain is possible.
  • Can cause an increase in blood sugar levels
  • Increases the likelihood of parasitic infections
  • This might result in nasal bleeding.

Jaggery Calories

According to one source, 100 grams of jaggery (half a cup) may include 383 calories, 65–85 grams of sucrose 10–15 grams of fructose and glucose. Overall, calories in Jaggery are high.

TIP: Fish and jaggery should never be taken together, according to Ayurveda, as this might result in significant adverse effects. Also, if you have ulcerative colitis, you should avoid ingesting jaggery with fish at all costs.