Jaggery Nutrition – The Miracle Weight Loss Element Which Can Help You Lose Weight
Did you know 10 grams of jaggery nutrition is packed with 3% iron? Craving something sweet? Have a piece of jaggery (or gur, as it is commonly known). Want to boost your immunity? Have some jaggery. Want to lose weight? Have some jaggery. Yes, that’s right; jaggery nutrition is the answer to a series of problems.
What Is Jaggery?
Jaggery is such a super food that very few people know about its benefits. Generally, people use it only in the winter season, while it can be eaten throughout the year. Jaggery, also known as gur, is a sweetener famous throughout Southeast Asia and Africa.
Jaggery (Gur) is a treasure not only of taste but also of health. This is said because doctors often recommend staying away from sweets, especially sugar, for better health, but there is no such association with jaggery. Jaggery is not only tasty in food but it is also rich in many medicinal properties. This is such a superfood, very few people know about its benefits.
These products include many names across the world Source:
- Gur: India.
- Panela: Colombia.
- Piloncillo: Mexico.
- Tapa dulce: Costa Rica.
- Namtan tanode: Thailand.
- Gula Melaka: Malaysia.
- Kokuto: Japan.
About 70% of the world’s jaggery production takes place in India, where it is commonly called “gur”.
Jaggery: Is It Good For You?
Everyone knows that jaggery is beneficial. But the benefits of eating it in the cold increase even more. There is no lack of blood in our body due to its intake. It is a good antibiotic. Everyone explains the benefits of eating empty jaggery in the cold, but we are telling you which things can be more beneficial than eating it.
Ingredients Found in Jaggery Nutrition
- Jaggery contains water (30–40%)
- sucrose (40–60%)
- sugar (15–25%)
- calcium (0.30%)
- iron (8.5–10mg)
- phosphorus (05–10mg)
- protein (0.10–100mg)
- Contains carbohydrates (98%)
- Vitamin B (04–100mg)
Jaggery Nutrition Information
A quarter-cup serving of jaggery contains:
- Calories: 100
- Protein: Less than 1 gram
- Fat: Less than 1 gram
- Carbohydrates: 26 grams
- Fiber: Less than 1 gram
- Sugar: 24 grams
Nutritional facts of eating jaggery
Despite aiding in almost all body functions, it is an excellent substance for weight loss.
Here are some ways in which jaggery, or gur, can aid in weight loss.
Jaggery Improves Metabolism
Metabolism rate is directly linked to your weight loss. By consuming limited quantities of gur, you can lose weight. It stimulates digestive enzymes, which further aid the absorption of required, essential nutrients from your daily food intake. As the nutrients are absorbed in a proper manner, your metabolism rate will automatically increase, leading you on the path to weight loss.
Removes water retention in the body
Jaggery is rich in potassium, which is an essential mineral to control your body’s water retention and further promote the electrolyte balance in the body. Add a little bit of jaggery into your diet on a daily basis and you would benefit immensely.
Eating Palm-Jaggery Improves Digestion
While metabolism is one key player, your digestion is another key factor in losing weight. Jaggery is fiber-rich, which cleanses your body’s digestive tract and causes the food to get absorbed in a simple, effective manner. Another added benefit of jaggery, in the journey towards weight loss.
Anemia Prevention
Some studies suggest the iron in non-centrifugal sugars is more easily used by the body than iron from other plant sources (7Trusted Source).
Jaggery contains around 11 mg of iron per 100 grams or about 61% of the RDI.
This sounds impressive, but it’s unlikely that you would eat 100 grams of jaggery in one sitting. A tablespoon or teaspoon represents a more realistic portion.
A tablespoon (20 grams) contains 2.2 mg of iron, or about 12% of the RDI. A teaspoon (7 grams) contains 0.77 mg of iron, or about 4% of the RDI.
For people with low iron intake, jaggery could contribute a small amount of iron — especially when replacing white sugar.
Which is better between Jaggery or Sugar?
Just because it is rich in fiber, it does not mean that you can endlessly supplement sugar with jaggery. If one compares sugar vs. jaggery, jaggery might outweigh the former; however, sugar in controlled forms is equally important.
The difference between Jaggery and sugar is their composition. Sugar is the simple form of sucrose that gets digested faster and energy is released immediately whereas Jaggery is made up of long chains of mineral salts, sucrose, and fiber.
A word of caution, you should not consume more than 2 tsps of jaggery in any given day. Having excessive amounts may end up causing irreversible weight gain, which can become another problem at a later stage.
Some excellent ways to use jaggery for weight loss
- Jaggery Tea: Supplement sugar with 3-4 tablespoons of grated jaggery, which can be mixed with 2 tbsps. tea leaves, green cardamoms, and milk (optional ingredient). Give them a good boil, and drink it as you would normally.
- Jaggery with lemon water: All you need one glass of water, 1 tbsp lemon juice and one small piece of jaggery. Heat the water, mix lemon juice and jaggery and you are all set to drink a sweet concoction, laced with benefits.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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can we add palm jaggery to milk
Yes, Jaggery can be added into the milk. You can grate Jaggery or use Palm Jaggery powder to add to milk in place of sugar.
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Is it good to eat Jaggery every day?
Yes, Jaggery is recommended to be eaten after meals daily as it prevents constipation and helps in digestion by activating the digestive enzymes in our body.
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What happens if you eat too much Jaggery?
Eating too much Jaggery is not considered to be a good option. Despite having various medicinal benefits, Jaggery is still sugar.
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Does Jaggery Nutrition help in weight loss?
Yes, Jaggery Nutrition might help in weight reduction due to the presence of potassium. High Potassium content in Jaggery prevents retention of water in the body and results in weight loss
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Which is better for diabetic patients – Jaggery or sugar?
Both Jaggery as well as sugar are made up of sucrose. So to choose one over the other might not be a good option for diabetic patients.
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Is Jaggery good for asthma?
Yes, Jaggery might help in asthma due to its cleansing action. It cleans the lungs and respiratory tract which helps ease breathing.
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How to make Jaggery chapati?
Jaggery chapati can be made by the following method:
1. Take ½ cup of Jaggery powder and add 2 tablespoons of water to it.
2. Keep it aside for 10 minutes until the Jaggery completely dissolves in water.
3. In another bowl, take about 1-1.5 cup of wheat flour and add a few fennel seeds and ghee to it.
4. Use the Jaggery water paste to knead the flour. You can also add some more water if required.
5. Apply some ghee on the rolling board and make a small ball of dough.
6. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough ball into a circular chapati.
7. Heat a pan and put this chapati on it.
8. Flip it and wait for the other side to get brown.
9. Apply ghee on it and flip again to cook properly.
10. Jaggery chapati is ready to serve.
Benefit: Eating Jaggery chapati might help in detoxification of the body.
Conclusion
Enjoy the sweet benefits of jaggery, by making it an important part of your daily diet. Make fancy recipes with it, or simply just consume it as a whole, the choice is yours at the end of the day. Rest assured, if consumed in the right quantities, it will bring great benefit to your body.
