Is Jaggery Good for Diabetes? Evaluating the Effects on Blood Sugar Levels
By Dr Rajeev Singh +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr Rajeev Singh
Last updated: Apr 22, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr Rajeev Singh +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr Rajeev Singh
Last updated: Apr 22, 2024Table of Contents
If you live with diabetes, you need to cut down on sugar and thus you often opt for natural sugar substitutes such as jaggery, to keep your levels in check. Jaggery, popular in Asia and Africa, is touted for its potential health benefits over refined sugar. But is jaggery safe for people with diabetes, we’ll discuss in this blog post.
We will explore jaggery’s effect on blood sugar control and its potential role in diabetic diets. We’ll talk about its nutrition facts, Glycemic Index (GI), better substitutes, and the top jaggery types for moderate consumption.
Gur, that is another name for jaggery in India, is a traditional sweetener made from sugarcane or date palm juice. It’s produced by boiling this juice until it forms shapes like blocks or cones of various brown shades. Unlike refined sugar, jaggery preserves essential minerals like iron, magnesium, and potassium. So, it’s seen as a healthier sweetener choice. In this part, we’ll dive deeper into jaggery—what it is, how it’s produced, and its nutritional value.
Jaggery is an unprocessed sugar widespread in Asian, African, and Latin American dishes. Known as the oldest sweetener in the world, it is lauded for its medicinal properties and health benefits. These stem from its stockpile of crucial minerals, antioxidants, and its low glycemic index. You can find jaggery in various forms like solid blocks, semi-solid blobs, or as a syrup.
Jaggery production sees the extraction and boiling of sugarcane juice or date palm sap. This juice is heated in big, shallow pans until it thickens, ready to be molded into solid blocks, cones, or blobs when cooled.
Jaggery brings more to the table than
Did you know?
sugar owing to its minimum processing. This processing lets it keep vital nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Jaggery houses key minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium which boost overall health.
This information in the following table will give you a clearer view:
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 grams |
| Calories | 383 kcal |
| Fat | 0.1 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 0.0 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 98.96 grams |
| Sugars | 95.24 grams |
| Protein | 0.39 grams |
| Sodium | 37.5 milligrams |
| Potassium | 1025 milligrams |
| Calcium | 165 milligrams |
| Iron | 1.93 milligrams |
These values are rough estimates and may differ a bit based on the source and processing methods.
Due to its nutrient makeup, jaggery is often pitched as a healthier white sugar substitute. However, it is still high in various forms of sugar, which may impact blood sugar levels in diabetics. In this part, we’ll look at the glycemic index of jaggery, compare it to white sugar in terms of its effect on blood sugar levels, and talk about its potential role in managing diabetes.
The Glycemic Index (GI) ranks food by their effect on blood sugar levels. Lower GI scores are better for diabetics. Jaggery’s GI is estimated at 84.4, which shows a relatively high sugar content. Foods with a high GI push up blood sugar levels sharply—a bad outcome for those managing diabetes.
Though jaggery serves as a healthier white sugar alternative due to more nutrients, it may not be wholly safe for diabetics. This is mainly due to the high sugar content and glycemic index, causing significant blood glucose level surges. So, the golden rule here is to consume jaggery in moderation to ward off sharp blood sugar level rises.
While jaggery provides nutritional benefits over white sugar, eating too much can harm blood sugar control. Diabetics should tread lightly when considering jaggery as a sugar alternative. It’s always best to consult a healthcare professional before adding it to a diabetic diet.
To better manage diabetic diets, remember moderation is key. Limit jaggery intake to 1-2 teaspoons daily, and mix in natural herbs like ginger, basil, or cardamom for an added flavor kick.
Before deciding to consume jaggery, diabetic patients must ponder over several key factors. Choosing natural sweeteners over artificial ones is usually healthier. Therefore, organic jaggery with fewer chemicals is a better pick over processed sugar.
Despite its benefits, jaggery intake must be capped. It may seem like a better pick than refined sugar, but eating more can hike up blood sugar levels.
For diabetics, 1-2 teaspoons of jaggery per day can satisfy sugar cravings. At the same time, it’s important to keep a close eye on how it affects your blood glucose levels. As mentioned, if you have diabetes, its always ideal to consult your health care provider before making any changes to your diet.
Pros:
Cons:
Despite concerns around it being consumed by diabetics, jaggery comes with potential health benefits. These perks include antioxidant properties, immune system support, better digestion, and helping with weight loss.
Jaggery is loaded with strong antioxidants. This may help in battling oxidative stress and shield cells from damage. Plus, antioxidants may cut inflammation and lower chronic disease risk factors.
Regular jaggery intake may juice up the immune system by providing crucial minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. These elements help keep overall health top-notch and build resistance to infections.
Jaggery’s natural unprocessed state may boost digestion, easing symptoms of indigestion, constipation, and other bowel issues. Its laxative effects foster regular bowel movements and support gut health.
Jaggery may also aid in weight loss as a natural detoxifier, flushing out toxins and ramping up metabolic function. Its high potassium content might balance electrolytes and cut water retention, contributing further to your weight loss goals.
However, studies have shown beneficial health effects of jaggery, more large-scale human studies are needed to confirm these.
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When picking a jaggery type for diabetes, choose unrefined, organic forms with fewer chemicals and additives. Also, consider factors like its production source (sugarcane vs. date palm) and refinement level.
Unrefined jaggery keeps more minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants than refined forms, which are stripped of these key nutrients. For diabetics, unrefined and organic jaggery is a healthier choice.
Palm jaggery is purely extracted from date palm sap, while sugarcane jaggery goes through several processing stages. Both types are nutritional, yet palm jaggery might have a slightly lower glycemic index, causing less blood sugar spikes.
Organic jaggery cuts exposure to added chemicals and preservatives, offering a purer sweetener source. For diabetics, organic jaggery could be a safer, healthier option.
If you’re hunting for jaggery alternatives in a diabetic diet, several are available. These include natural sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol. Unrefined honey, agave nectar, and coconut sugar are also options.
Stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol are natural sugar replacements, usually lower in calories and GI than jaggery. These picks add sweetness without harshly affecting blood sugar levels.
Unrefined honey is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, just like jaggery. Though its GI might be a bit lower than jaggery, diabetics should still limit honey intake to prevent blood sugar level spikes.
Agave nectar and coconut sugar are natural alternatives to sugar. Yet, like jaggery, they have high sugar content and GI. Diabetics should sparingly use these substitutes and get advice from healthcare professionals before making big diet changes.
In closing, jaggery may bring many health perks as a natural sweetener. But, diabetics must tread lightly when thinking about adding jaggery to their meals. Despite its lower glycemic index and nutrient-packed profile over refined sugar, eating too much could lift blood sugar levels.
By using it moderately and conferring with healthcare professionals, diabetics can enjoy the positive effects of jaggery without disturbing their blood sugar control.
Even though jaggery has a lower GI than white sugar, diabetics should consume jaggery judiciously due to its high sugar content.
Diabetics are advised to limit jaggery intake to 1-2 teaspoons daily. At the same time, they must regularly monitor their blood sugar levels to avoid health issues.
Eating too much jaggery can hike up blood sugar levels in diabetics. To dodge side effects, stick to a balanced diet and seek advice from healthcare professionals before adding jaggery to your diet.
Stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, unrefined honey, agave nectar, and coconut sugar are possible jaggery substitutes for diabetics. Discuss with healthcare professionals to find the best option for your unique needs.
While jaggery may bring health benefits and a lower GI than refined sugar, eating too much could push up blood sugar levels, heightening diabetes risk. To dodge diabetes, keep to a balanced diet and work out often.
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