Jaggery as a Sugar Replacement – Myth or True!!!

Is anyone in your family suffering from diabetes? Then, you might understand that how much craving they have for sweetness. Though, sugar is a big no for them, but, even you have heard that jaggery or gurh can be used as a replacement of sugar. Come; let us clear the doubt whether really jaggery is good for diabetic patients.

Most of the time person suffering from diabetes thinks that replacing white sugar with some other sweetening agent is a smart choice, and this can help to regulate the normal level of blood sugar.
 

Jaggery, a traditional form of sweetener is obtained from boiling clarified juice of sugarcane. When compared to sugar, these residues are less refined and consist of essential nutrients like potassium, calcium and iron. However, due to high iron content, a person with high blood pressure can eat jaggery, but, that doesn’t mean that a person with high blood sugar level can eat it.

For all those who think that jaggery is a good replacement of sugar, then, let me clear them that jaggery should be a big No for diabetes. It contains lots of sugar i.e. nearly 65 to 80% of sucrose. It has the chance of elevating sugar level and can make the condition worst. The only difference between sugar and jaggery is that it takes time to get absorbed in the body. For those who don’t have diabetes, jaggery is a healthy choice.

Can jaggery be taken occasionally?

Well, it would be advisable to practice the same caution as with sugar. Having a small piece of jaggery occasionally might not harm you. But you have temptation for the same and can’t resist of taking it, then it is advisable to go for 15 mins walk in order to burn calories so that body could utilize glucose well.

According to Ayurveda, for a diabetic patient, jaggery must be excluded from the diet. Ayurveda uses jaggery to treat lung infections, sore throat, asthma, migranes etc. But, for diabetes, it is a big offender.