New Delhi: Jaggery, also known as “Gur’ in hindi comes with loads of health benefits along with a very delicious sweet flavor. In India, Jaggery is used as an ingredient in sweet and savoury dishes. Besides, there are many food items made using jaggery instead of sugar to promote health. The health benefits of jaggery are immense and eating a small piece of 'gur' after a meal everyday post meals can do wonders for your health.

Jaggery also becomes an essential food item during winters especially after lunch. Let’s understand the benefits of including jaggery in your diet.

What Is Jaggery?

Jaggery is an unrefined sugar product made in Asia and Africa.

It's sometimes referred to as a "non-centrifugal sugar," because it's not spun during processing to remove the nutritious molasses.
Similar non-centrifugal sugar products exist all over Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, although they all have different names. 

These products include:

Gur: India.
Panela: Colombia.
Piloncillo: Mexico.
Tapa dulce: Costa Rica.
Namtantanode: Thailand.
Gula Melaka: Malaysia.
Kokuto: Japan.

About 70% of the world's jaggery production takes place in India, where it is commonly called "gur."

Its most often made with sugar cane. However, jaggery made from date palm is also common in several countries 

How is it Made?

Jaggery is made using traditional methods of pressing and distilling palm or cane juice. This is a 3-step process:

1. Extraction: The canes or palms are pressed to extract the sweet juice or sap.

2. Clarification: The juice is allowed to stand in large containers so that any sediment settles to the bottom. It is then strained to produce a clear liquid.

3. Concentration: The juice is placed in a very large, flat-bottomed pan and boiled.

 
During this process, the jaggery is stirred and the impurities are skimmed off the top until only a yellow, dough-like paste remains.

This "dough" is then transferred to molds or containers where it cools into jaggery, which looks something like this.

Endless Health Benefits from Jaggery:

1.Treats flu-like symptoms: Fight symptoms of a cold and cough with the help of gur. All you need to do is mix it with warm water and drink up, or even add it in your tea instead of sugar to reap the benefits.

2. Blood purifier: One of the most well-known benefits of jaggery is its ability to purify the blood. When consumed on a regular basis and in limited quantities, it cleanses the blood, leaving your body healthy.

3. Boosts immunity: Jaggery is loaded with antioxidants and minerals such as zinc and selenium, which in turn help prevent free-radical damage and also boost resistance against infections. Jaggery also helps increase the total count of haemoglobin in the blood.

4. Prevents constipation: Jaggery activates the digestive enzymes in the body, stimulates bowel movements and thus helps prevent and relieve constipation.

5. Detoxes the liver: Jaggery helps cleanse the liver by flushing out harmful toxins from the body. So if you want to effectively detox your body, bite into a piece of jaggery.

6. Cleanses the body: Jaggery is one of the best natural cleansing agents for the body, hence it is advised to eat jaggery to remove unwanted particles from the body. It efficiently cleans the respiratory tract, lungs, intestines, stomach and food pipe. Eating jaggery is highly recommended for people working in heavily polluted areas such as factories or coal mines.

7. Eases menstrual pain: Jaggery, due to its richness in many essential nutrients, is an effective natural treatment for menstrual problems, especially providing relief from cramps. In case you experience sudden mood swings just before your period, you should eat a small piece of jaggery daily to combat symptoms of PMS since it leads the release of endorphins. These endorphins relax your body, thereby preventing premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

8. Prevents anaemia: Jaggery is rich in iron which helps prevent anaemia by ensuring that a normal level of red blood cells is maintained. This is especially beneficial for pregnant women.

9. Boosts intestinal health: Jaggery also boosts intestinal strength due to its high magnesium content. With every 10 gram of Jaggery, you get 16 mg of magnesium, which is 4 percent of the daily requirement of this mineral.

10. Cools the stomach: Jaggery helps in maintaining normal body temperature which helps in keeping your stomach cool. Experts recommend drinking GurSharbat (Jaggery soaked in ice cold water) during the summer months to cool off.

11. Controls blood pressure: Jaggery contains potassium and sodium, which play an important role in the maintenance of acid levels in the body. It makes sure that a normal level of blood pressure is properly maintained.

12. Prevents respiratory problems: By consuming Jaggery regularly, you can prevent many respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, etc. Experts recommend eating this natural sweetener with sesame seeds for wonderful benefits for the respiratory system.

13. Relieves joint pain: If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, eating Jaggery can provide you with much-needed relief. You can eat it with a piece of ginger to alleviate joint pain, or even drink a glass of milk with jaggery every day to help strengthen the bones, thus preventing joint and bone problems such as arthritis.

14. Weight loss: "Jaggery is surprisingly effective as an aid for weight loss. This is because jaggery is a rich source of potassium, which is a mineral that helps in the balance of electrolytes as well as building muscles and boosting metabolism. Potassium also helps in the reduction of water retention, which helps in managing your weight", says Gurgaon-based Nutritionist AkhilChandan. These factors play an important role in effective weight loss, so if you're looking to lose some unwanted pounds, include this food in your diet.

15. Good source of energy: While sugar is a simple carbohydrate that gets absorbed in the bloodstream instantly and gives instant energy, jaggery is a carbohydrate that gives energy to the body gradually and for a longer time. This means that the levels of blood sugar do not get raised immediately. It also helps prevent fatigue and weakness of the body.

At the End:

As jaggery helps in generating heat in the body, eating a small piece of it every day after a meal can keep you warm.

Jaggery is a wonderful ingredient that not just pleases your taste buds but also gives you overall protection and prevents the occurrence of various health issues. It is good for your heart, your digestive system, for healthy metabolism, blood, lungs, menstrual cramps, sexual potency, stronger immune system etc.

You can consume jaggery at any time but the ideal season to eat it is winter. The winter climate favors the individual to draw the maximum benefits of eating jaggery as it is during this time you need to keep your body warm and that is exactly what jaggery does. It cures most common and never-ending winter problems of cold and cough, infections, sore throats, various respiratory problems etc.

However, although it is healthy to eat and has surprising health and beauty benefits, you must never forget the precautions. It is, after all a kind of sugar, which if you eat in excess amount may lead to diabetes and obesity. So, consume in moderation and enjoy the various surprising benefits of eating jaggery.

References:
http://www.bodyandbeans.com
http://www.timesnownews.com/
https://www.healthline.com
https://doctor.ndtv.com/