Is jaggery really better than sugar? You will be surprised to hear what a nutritionist says

News Topical, Digital Desk : For generations, we have been hearing that jaggery is 'more healthy', 'natural' and 'better than sugar'. Have you ever thought that by eating jaggery, you are doing justice to your health? If yes, then get ready, because today this old belief of yours is going to break (Jaggery vs Sugar). Actually, through Instagram reel, nutritionist Rita Jain has revealed this secret. Let's know.

Jaggery vs Sugar: Understand the complete science

Usually, we think that jaggery is natural, less processed and contains minerals, while sugar is a refined product that provides "plain calories". Let us tell you, this is true to some extent. Jaggery contains some micro nutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium which are not present in sugar, but this is where the twist in the story comes and that is the glycemic index (GI).

What is glycemic index?

The glycemic index is a scale that tells you how quickly a food raises your blood sugar levels. On this scale of 0 to 100, the higher the number, the faster the blood sugar will rise.

Now the surprising thing

It is often believed that the glycemic index of jaggery is lower than sugar, but many nutritionists like Rita Jain say that this belief is not completely correct. The glycemic index of white sugar is around 70-75, while the glycemic index of jaggery can be 80 to 85. This means that jaggery can increase your blood sugar faster than white sugar.

Is jaggery useless?

No, it is not so. Jaggery definitely contains some minerals which are not found in white sugar. These minerals are beneficial for our body. Even in Ayurveda, jaggery is said to be full of many properties, such as it helps in digestion and detoxifies the body.

However, the problem arises when we assume that jaggery is 'healthy' and hence we can eat it in any quantity. The truth is that jaggery has almost the same calories and carbohydrates as sugar. If you are eating two spoons of jaggery instead of one spoon of sugar, then you are unknowingly consuming more calories and sugar.

Nutritionist's advice

Nutritionists clearly say that whether it is sugar or jaggery, both are sources of sugar and both should be consumed in limited quantities. Especially diabetic patients should be as careful about the consumption of jaggery as they are about sugar.

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