Which is better for health — sugar or jaggery?

2) The use of jaggery and sugar depends on the seasons and food combinations.

3) It is recommended to use jaggery in winter, and sugar in summer.

4) Use jaggery with preparations like gud poli, til chikki, gond laddoo, and bajra roti.

5) Use sugar with sherbets, tea/coffee, shrikhand, karanji, etc.

6) Use both sugar and jaggery in time-tested ways at home.

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Rujuta Diwekar shares health benefits of both jaggery and sugar. (Source: Rujuta Diwekar/Instagram)

According to dietician Garima Goyal, the source for both sugar and jaggery is sugarcane juice, only the processing is different. “But the benefits of jaggery outweigh that of sugar,” she said, adding that jaggery is a completely natural food while sugar has chemicals because of the bleaching process it undergoes. “For the preparation of refined sugar, chemicals are used. But jaggery is not prepared like that and is very good for anaemic people as it is high in iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium and selenium.” she told indianexpress.com.

She added that the slow absorption of jaggery causes a balance of sugar levels while sugar gets absorbed rapidly and causes the blood glucose levels to spike. This is because jaggery is a complex sugar with long sucrose chains.

“Sugar is just empty calories while jaggery has minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, making it a better source for body’s health and immunity. According to Ayurveda, jaggery has anti-allergic properties and helps in the treatment of various breathing disorders such as asthma, cough, cold and chest congestion. A piece of jaggery after a meal aids in digestion of the food by removing excess toxins from the body,” she explained.

But, it must be noted that both sugar and jaggery may add calories to the body. “But if you have to pick, opt for jaggery because despite it being calorie-dense, it has some additional health benefits while refined sugar has much fewer benefits,” Goyal concluded.

Adding, Functional Medicine Coach and Yoga Therapist Shivani Bajwa, CEO and Founder, YogaSutra Holistic Living said that sugar spikes your blood sugar in a very aggressive way, inflames your liver and has a way to create holes in your gut lining, creating a condition widely amongst Indians called leaky gut. “Though jaggery also has sugar, it is not the same as refined one and it provides additional nutrients like magnesium, calcium, iron etc. But, it needs to be consumed mindfully, too,” she said.

The expert said, “Let’s not forget that all these affect insulin and excess of either can create a condition called insulin resistance, which is one of the biggest reasons for stubborn weight gain, hormonal imbalances and autoimmune conditions like Hashimotos Thyroid.”

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