Amazing health benefits of adding jaggery to your diet: A cure-all for many common ailments

Health benefits of jaggery: The potassium found in jaggery helps maintain blood pressure levels, promoting cardiovascular health

Remember your best friend's wedding party when you ate so much that you felt like a stuffed teddy bear all night? Or that office party when you just couldn't say no to those yummy biriyani's and jalebis? You love food, but don't know when to stop. The result? Tossing and turning in your bed after overeating, feeling bloated, unable to sleep!

Next time, however, try this sweet trick from grandma's book. Eat a piece of jaggery after a heavy meal: it will help you digest better, faster, and, perhaps, make you hungry again. But how does it work? This age-old remedy is backed by science: it suggests that the conversion of jaggery into ascetic acid in the stomach enhances enzymatic activity, promoting better digestion and increased appetite. That's not all. Jaggery can also do wonders for your health in other ways.

Popularly called ‘gur’, it holds a significant place in Indian cuisine. It not only serves as a versatile ingredient for several desserts, but also stands for a rich cultural heritage, deeply rooted with traditional recipes.

Incorporating Jaggery into you winter diet can bring a host of benefits:

Traditional remedy: A natural sweetener derived from concentrated sugarcane juice, jaggery is not just a sweet treat, but also a cure-all for many common ailments. Whether you have a sore throat, a stomach ache, indigestion, gastric acidity, or constipation, jaggery can help you out. It's like a magic bullet even for your lungs, keeping it healthy.

Packed with antioxidants: It's packed with antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancers, slow down ageing and even lower the chances of conditions like dementia and macular degeneration. It also has selenium, which detoxifies free radicals, giving you a protective barrier against oxidative stress.

Boosts haemoglobin count: If you're always feeling tired or have anaemia, include some jaggery in your diet. It's a sweet treat that's loaded with iron, which can boost haemoglobin levels, crucial for blood and muscle cell formation. Without enough iron, you might feel weak, distracted, and sleepy all the time. Jaggery can help you pump up your blood circulation and haemoglobin levels.

Calms the nervous system: Loaded with magnesium, this natural sweetener soothes your nervous system, and helps your nerves and muscles relax. It is also good to rid you of stress and protects your blood vessels from damage. There's more! Jaggery also cleanses your body by getting rid of toxins, purifying your blood, and keeping your liver happy. Including jaggery into your regular diet can promote a healthy glow in your skin and help maintain overall well-being, keeping your body free from diseases.

Remedy for jaundice: Jaggery can be an effective remedy for jaundice. It is said to purify the blood and offer protection against rheumatic diseases. It contains bilirubin, a substance that supports liver function and assists in the treatment of jaundice.

Makes bones strong: This coarse brown sugar is a natural source of calcium, a crucial element for strengthening bones. Furthermore, jaggery calms joint pain, addresses bone conditions like arthritis, and gives relief to the body.

Keeps heart healthy: The potassium found in jaggery helps maintain blood pressure levels, promoting cardiovascular health. It also improves blood circulation, reducing the risk of clot formation, and supporting  heart function.