Jaggery and sugar are the two most common sweeteners of our daily consumption. Though both these are obtained from sugarcanes, they differ from each other greatly in the context of nutritional properties and benefits. Sugar is the crystallized form of sugarcane juice syrup, refined with chemicals. Jaggery is unprocessed, just boiled and moulded form of sugar syrup and nutritionally better than sugar. In this whole article we will concentrate on how jaggery benefits us over sugar.
What is jaggery?
Jaggery, commonly known as gud, is gaining attention as a substitute against refined sweeteners. In the western world it is often known as brown sugar, obtained from sugarcane or date palm syrup. It is prepared by following few simple steps-the juice is extracted, boiled and kept to be cool when it becomes solid it is packed and stored. No chemical is used during the process.
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Health benefits of Jaggery?
Jaggery is an unrefined natural sweetener containing more minerals and vitamins. It has antioxidants, thus cleans our body and prevents diseases. It is a healthy addition to our diet as it prevents respiratory problems, controls blood pressure and fights against anemia. Other jaggery benefits include it is a natural energy booster.
Helps in Digestion
Jaggery is famous for its digestive benefits. People generally consume jaggery after meal for better digestion of food.
Rich in antioxidants
Jaggery has a lot of antioxidants and helps in purifying the digestive system.
Helps in Weight loss
Jaggery has potassium which helps in water retention and helps in weight loss.
Increases Immunity
Jaggery is full of nutrients and helps in increasing immunity inside the body.
Pain Relief
Jaggery is believed to help in pain relief process.
Jaggery vs sugar: which is more healthy?
The difference between jaggery and sugar is huge. From their color, texture to nutritional properties they belong to the different poles. Here we need a vivid analysis to understand which one is better for us. Jaggery is brown in color and semi solid while sugar is white and in crystallized form. Jaggery helps in detoxification, maintains good health with blood pressure, purifies the blood, cleanses stomach, relieves joint pain, prevents anemia and boosts digestion. And sugar holds none of these qualities plus high in sugar and chemicals.
Below we have created a table to compare jaggery and sugar based on different properties. You can go through the table thoroughly and decide by yourself what to choose between sugar and jaggery.
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Jaggery Vs. Sugar : Comparison Table
| Properties | Jaggery | Sugar |
| Colour | Dark brown | white |
| Glycemic Index | Jaggery has GI index of 84 | sugar has GI index of 64 |
| Processing | Jaggery is not processed and it is directly obtained from sugarcane | Sugar is processed with charcoal to form a clear syrup |
| Taste | Has a traditional and rustic taste | Sugar is just sweet in taste |
| Texture | soft and semi solid texture | has a solid and hard texture |
Jaggery Vs sugar : The nutritional values
| Nutrients | Jaggery (per 100 gram) | Sugar (per 100 gram) |
| Vitamin A | 3.9 mg | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 80 mg | 1 mg |
| Magnesium | 160 mg | 0mg |
| Potassium | 140 mg | 2 mg |
| Sodium | 30 mg | 0 mg |
| Manganese | .5 mg | 0 mg |
| Vitamin C | 7 mg | 0 mg |
| Vitamin E | 111.3 mg | 0 mg |
| Iron | 5.5 mg | 0.01 mg |
| Protein | 280 mg | 0 mg |
| Fiber | O mg | O mg |
| Calories | 383 kcal | 387 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 97 g | 100 g |
Conclusion
Keeping all that in mind there is no relevance to consume sugar. While jaggery benefits us in a more diverse way. So, switch to jaggery as soon as possible leaving every kind of processed sugar.
