My patient gave up sugar, thought jaggery was safer: Why her HbA1c jumped from 7.2% to 8.5%

A major mistake people make is assuming that because jaggery is unrefined and “natural,” it is safe for diabetes. Unfortunately, this belief can worsen blood glucose levels and increase the risk of complications in the long run.

Why jaggery is not safe for diabetes

Jaggery is made by boiling sugarcane juice until it thickens and solidifies. While it does not go through the chemical refining process used for white sugar, its basic composition remains almost the same. Jaggery is almost 85–90 per cent sugar, mainly sucrose. This means that once it enters the bloodstream, it behaves just like regular sugar.

Its glycaemic index (GI) is high, which means it leads to a quick spike in blood glucose. For a person with diabetes, these sudden spikes are particularly harmful because they make glucose levels harder to control, increase the body’s insulin demand, and raise the risk of long-term damage to the heart, kidneys, nerves, and eyes.

Many people also forget that the typical portion size is not small. Even a single teaspoon of jaggery contains around 4–5 grams of sugar, and most recipes or home-made snacks use far more than that. So, despite being natural, its effect on the body is essentially the same as eating sugar, honey, or sweets.

The illusion of healthy sweetness

People often replace sugar with jaggery thinking they are choosing a healthier alternative. This leads to over-consumption, which is another major mistake. Someone who would avoid adding sugar to their tea may add a big lump of jaggery, believing it is harmless. Similarly, many so-called “healthy desserts” or “traditional winter foods” like chikki, til-gur laddoo, peanut bars, or gur halwa are still sugar-dense and calorie-heavy.

In diabetes, the body’s ability to process glucose is already compromised. Adding jaggery, even in small amounts, can cause repeated sugar highs throughout the day. Over time, this makes diabetes harder to manage and increases the need for medications.

How gur worsens long-term diabetes control

When blood glucose keeps rising frequently, even for short periods, it affects the body in many ways:

Higher HbA1c levels, meaning long-term blood glucose control is affected. There is increased insulin resistance, hastening progression of diabetes and increasing the risk of fatty liver disease. There is weight gain, especially around the abdomen. There is a greater risk of heart disease, because high glucose affects cholesterol and blood vessels. There is higher inflammation, which increases risk of several complications, including heart, kidney and nerve damage. So, even though jaggery appears “natural,” it triggers the same harmful cycle that regular sugar does.

Managing diabetes requires stable blood glucose levels, and jaggery makes this difficult. The safest approach is to avoid all forms of added sugar —whether white sugar, brown sugar, honey, or jaggery — and rely on whole foods, fruits in controlled portions, and healthy cooking habits.

(Dr Saptarshi Bhattacharya is senior consultant, Endocrinology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi)