Sugar or Jaggery – Ayurvedic help for Diabetic patients

Diabetes is the most common disorder found in majority of the Indian population some even at a younger age. The biggest and the major culprit of Diabetes is the excessive use of Sugar in daily diet. The side effects of using sugar in so large quantities among the Indian populace are one of the most alarming reasons for heart issues and sugar problems. On the contrary, with the same elementary sweetness in the daily food, Jaggery causes lesser health issues and also is a natural sweetener. Usage of Jaggery creates lesser health issues and also gives you the good health and lesser infections and sickness.

Solution for Diabetes:

  • Try and avoid using excessive insulin. Usage of insulin has terrific side effects
  • Ensure you have high fiber and low fat diet
  • Quit consumption of Sugar; sucrose in sugar is never digested.
  • Useful sweetness is fructose; as in fruits like bananas, sugarcanes, grapes
  • Million times better is Jaggery – full of minerals as compared to Sugar
  • Sugar has sulphur which is bad for health and causes cholesterol
  • Quitting consumption of sugar will increase in blood purification

Difference in Health Benefits of Sugar & Jaggery:

Sugar: No real benefit – Being one of the simplest available forms of sucrose, sugar is instantly absorbed in the blood and releases a burst of energy. This may prove harmful for some internal organs such as the kidneys, eyes, and brain, particularly for patients with diabetes. Again, for some unknown reason, sugar solution in water is considered cooling in nature. So, in some places, it is not recommended to consume sugar when someone has a cold.

Jaggery: Natural & good for health – Jaggery is far more complex than sugar, as it is made up of longer chains of sucrose. Hence, it is digested slower than sugar and releases energy slowly and not instantaneously. This provides energy for a longer time and is not harmful for the body. Jaggery also gathers a considerable amount of ferrous salts (iron) during its preparation, as it is prepared in iron vessels. This iron is also good for health, particularly for those who are anemic or lack iron. Again, jaggery also contains of traces of mineral salts which are very beneficial for the body. You might have experienced this when consuming jaggery, it leaves a hint of salt on the tongue.  These salts come from the sugar cane juice where it is absorbed from the soil. Furthermore, jaggery is very good as a cleansing agent. It cleanses the lungs, stomach, intestines, esophagus and respiratory tracts. Those who face dust in their day to day life are highly recommended to take a daily dose of jaggery. This can keep them safe from asthma, cough, cold, and congestion in chest. Read more about the benefits of jaggery.

In summary, the artificial process in which sugar is prepared ensures that all necessary elements are removed from the crystals. What you get in turn is poison that slowly damages all the essential body functionalities. The best way to achieve good and reasonable health would be to switch over to Jaggery instead of consuming factory-made sugar.

Author:

Dr Nirav Joshi, Ayurvedacharya