Jaggery

Jaggery also known as Gud, is prepared from sugarcane juice as a traditional unrefined sugar. It has the natural goodness of minerals and vitamins which is originally present in sugarcane juice itself. The sugars present in jaggery are sucrose and glucose and is often referred as medicinal sugar because it helps in treating dry cough, indigestion and constipation too.

Benefits and uses of Jaggery are

• Jaggery is prepared without the use of chemicals in its processing. It is rich in important minerals like salts, magnesium which strengthens our nervous system and helps to relax our muscles.
• Jaggery with selenium acts as an antioxidant. The potassium and sodium present in it maintain the acid balance in the body cells and control the blood pressure in the body.
• rich in iron, helps to prevent anemia. It also helps to relieve tension; take care of asthma because it has anti allergy properties.
• for migraine and is good for girls to ease the cramps during their period.
• remove all the blood clots from the body of a woman within 40 days after the birth of a baby.
• consists of moderate amount of calcium, phosphorous and zinc and therefore helps to purify the blood, prevent rheumatic afflictions and treat bile disorder. It is also helpful to cure jaundice.
• mixed with water is known to provide relaxation to the muscles, nerve and help in getting rid of fatigue.
• Jaggery is also used as an ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes across India and Sri Lanka. For example, a pinch of Jaggery is sometimes added to sambar, rasam, and other staple foods in India. Jaggery added to lentil soups (dal) adds sweetness to balance the spicy, salty and sour components, particularly in Gujarati cuisine.
• Jaggery is used in preparing toffees and cakes made with pumpkin preserve, cashew nuts, pea nuts and spices.
• helps to reduce the water retention in the body and eventually helps in controlling the body weight. Jaggery is a more complex form of carbohydrate than plain sugar. So, it is digested and absorbed gradually and releases energy gradually. This provides warmth and energy for a longer period, without harming the internal organs.