Jaggery, locally known as gur, is a traditional natural sweetener used in several Indian delicacies. From time immemorial jaggery has been used not just in the kitchens but also in Ayurvedic medicines.
Jaggery is considered to be a healthier alternative to refined sugar and even several nutritionists and dietitians recommend diabetics, those having high blood sugar level, to replace sugar with jaggery.
But the real question is: is jaggery really the right alternative to sugar? What makes us think so apart from the fact that it is more 'natural' than refined sugar?
Let's fact check this claim and decode the nutritional value of jaggery and compare it with sugar.
"Jaggery is a form of a dietary item made from sugarcane in India, traditionally it is called 'Gur'. It contains around 65-70% sucrose. White sugar contains 99.5 % sucrose," says Dr Shashikant Nigam, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad.
Dr Nigam highlights an interesting angle to the whole jaggery-sugar conundrum. He says that jaggery contains less sucrose compared to white sugar, hence glucose levels increase slowly after its consumption. Hence the impact of jaggery on blood sugar may not be in the same way as it is with refined sugar; however that does not make it an ideal alternative for diabetics because of an important factor called glycemic index.
The glycemic index is a rating of carbohydrate dense foods which shows how quickly the food affects the blood glucose level. Foods high in glycemic index, which is more than 70, are not considered ideal for diabetics. The glycemic index of jaggery is more than 80 which lowers its position as a healthy sugar substitute.
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A recent study compared the effect of coconut jaggery and table sugar on blood glucose. It found that both of the sugar variations elicited similar patterns though the protein contents of jaggery were significantly higher than those of cane sugar. It did not recommend coconut jaggery as a better replacement for sugar for diabetic patients.
"For diabetes patients, consuming jaggery instead of sugar may not be a good choice. Jaggery has a high glycemic index and it should be avoided. Jaggery is intensely sweet and ultimately it gets converted to glucose, hence people with diabetes should avoid consuming jaggery," says Dr V Mohan.
Then what makes jaggery so popular? Jaggery is a part of several Indian traditional delicacies. Due to the surplus production of sugarcane and also due to the high nutritional content jaggery has always been preferred in our households.
"In addition, jaggery is a good source of multiple vitamins and minerals, particularly iron and vitamin C. Jaggery fortified with vitamin B12 is also available in the market. It is a good substitute for non-diabetics in moderation but not for people with diabetes," says Dr Nigam.
