Jaggery's Weight-loss Benefits

Jaggery is a brown colour, sweet-tasting substance, which is made from sugarcane. It contains sucrose, a natural sweetening compound, which makes it an excellent substitute for sugar. It helps in easy digestion of food due to the presence of high nutrient content. So, eating jaggery benefits you overall, especially when it comes to weight loss!

Why Is Sugar Bad?

Let us first understand why sugar, in its artificial form, is unhealthy. While sugar is derived from sugarcane, it undergoes a whole lot of processing, during which most of its nutritional value is lost. Also, sugar is a carbohydrate, which means it will eventually convert into fat once inside our body.

Read More: Sugar Causes Diabetes

Here is a list of health problems that consumption of refined and processed sugars can lead to –

• Spike in blood sugar levels
• Frequent hunger
• Sugar cravings
• Alters insulin resistance
• Increases accumulation of body fats
• Weight gain

Refined sugar does not contain any nutritional value and only leads to excess obesity. So, if you are following a weight loss diet, substituting sugar for natural sweeteners is definitely a good idea!

Read More: 5 signs of obesity that pose a threat to your health

Jaggery Benefits for Weight Loss

While jaggery is free from any artificial chemicals, it is loaded with fibre and essential minerals. Its high nutrient value, and lack of added chemicals, not only make it a popular substitute for sugar, but also a powerful weight loss food. If you’re looking at some jaggery benefits that will make you switch, here are some of them –

Boosts Metabolism

The vitamins found in jaggery help maintain a healthy electrolyte balance in the body and boosts metabolism. Better metabolism means the faster burning of calories and quicker weight loss. Now, isn’t that jaggery benefit good enough to switch?

Reduces Water Retention

Jaggery is a storehouse of all essential minerals and vitamins, which help water retention. So, it helps reduce water retention and aids natural weight loss.

Prevents Constipation

It stimulates bowel movement and helps activate the digestive enzymes in the body. This facilitates quicker digestion of food, thus preventing constipation. For this jaggery benefit, you must include it in your weight loss diet.

Detoxification

Jaggery is a powerful detoxifying superfood as it cleanses the liver by flushing out the harmful and unwanted toxins from the body. It also detoxifies the blood and boosts the total count of haemoglobin.

How much can I eat daily?

While jaggery is certainly a healthy and safe substitute for sugar, it is best to limit its intake to 2-3 tablespoons per day. There are several ways to consume it –

• Consume a small piece of jaggery after meals to satisfy your sugar craving
• Boil a small piece in water to prepare a healthy and detoxifying jaggery tea
• Replace your morning or evening cup of tea with jaggery tea
• Use jaggery as a substitute for preparing sweet dishes or savoury dishes

If you are a diabetic, consult your doctor or dietician before adding jaggery to your diet. Also, while jaggery does have powerful weight loss benefits, an overindulgence can cause more harm than good to your health, as well as your weight.

For a personalised weight loss diet plan, book an appointment with Health Total experts. Call toll-free number 9650684061 to talk to our experts.