Every one of us must have noticed our elders ending their meals with jaggery, and after looking at it, it is normal to assume that they do it because of its sweet, heavenly taste. However, it isn’t only the taste that makes this natural sweetening food popular among our elders. It has enormous health benefits which make jaggery, also known as Gur in India, an ideal sweetener.
Gur is essentially a type of unrefined sugar, primarily made from raw, concentrated sugarcane juice which is boiled until it solidifies. Surprisingly, just 20 grams of jaggery contains 38 calories and has 9.8 grams of carbohydrates, 9.7 grams of sugar, 0.01 gram of protein, choline, betaine, Vitamin B12, B6, folate, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, and manganese. Wondering how these elements are helpful?
Jaggery activates the digestive enzymes in the body which stimulates bowel movements and thus helps in preventing and relieving constipation.
Experts have advised using jaggery to maintain the normal body temperature which eventually helps in keeping your stomach cool. Experts have also recommended drinking Gur Sharbat (jaggery soaked in ice-cold water) during the summer months to cool off the body and stomach.
It is high in many vital vitamins and minerals which provide nourishment to every part of the body including your skin and if the skin stays completely nourished and healthy then you can acquire that much-awaited glow.
Jaggery not only gives you glowing skin but also prevents many skin issues like acne and pimples. It also delays the skin aging signs like wrinkles and dark spots and keeps the skin blemish-free.
Loaded with antioxidants and minerals, like zinc and selenium, jaggery boosts resistance against many infections, and the antioxidants and minerals help in preventing free-radical damage. Not just this, but, jaggery helps in increasing the total count of hemoglobin in the blood.
