Jaggery Health Benefits: 11 Reasons To Stock Up On Jaggery This Winter

Jaggery is a great immunity-booster, especially during the winter season

Jaggery is a superfood which you must consume during the winter season. It is basically unrefined sugar, and also a healthier alternative for it. Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho, in one of his posts on social media, mentions that including jaggery in your winter diet can give a boost to your immunity, health, and skin and hair quality. In his video, Luke says that jaggery is beneficial during winter as it induces warmth in the body. It has the capability to dilate blood vessels, allowing more blood circulation.

Why you must eat jaggery this winter

It is because of such wholesome properties of jaggery that it is recommended by our parents and grandparents. Following are some of the reasons to include jaggery in your diet this winter:

1. Jaggery can dilate blood vessels and this can be beneficial for people with high blood pressure. Hypertension is characterised by difficulties in pushing blood through the arteries. Dilation in arteries allows easier blood flow and brings down your overall blood pressure.

Eating jaggery regularly can help in keeping your blood pressure under control
Photo Credit: iStock

2. You should eat jaggery after meals as it can stimulate digestive enzymes. Including jaggery in your daily diet can improve digestion, and reduce acidity, bloating and gas.

Also read: Start Your Day With This Golden Drink To Prevent Bloating, Lose Weight And Reduce Joint Pain

3. Eating a small piece of jaggery after your meals satisfies your post-meal sugar cravings as well.

4. Jaggery is also good for treating and preventing constipation. It is rich in fibre and is known to work as a mild laxative, informs Luke in the video.

5. Jaggery plays a huge role in detoxifying the liver. It is rich in zinc and selenium, and is used in Ayurveda as a detoxifying agent for liver and also as a blood purifier.

6. Including jaggery in your diet can help you fight cough, cold, flu and other ailments that commonly occur in winter. You can mix 1 tsp of jaggery in warm water and have it as a natural treatment for cough and cold.

Jaggery can help in curbing cough, cold and flu
Photo Credit: iStock

7. People living in areas with high air pollution can benefit from jaggery as it helps in detoxifying lungs. Those suffering from asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia can also benefit by including jaggery in diet.

Also read: Delhi Pollution: Rujuta Diwekar Gives 6 Tips To Beat Cough, Cold And Low Immunity Because Of Smog And Air Pollution

8. Jaggery is a great immunity-booster, especially during the winter season. Iron, selenium, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus are micronutrients in jaggery that can help in improving your immunity.

9. Iron content in jaggery makes it a great food for pregnant women, people with anaemia and low haemoglobin.

10. Joint pain tends to worsen in winter. You can prepare laddoos with dry ginger powder (1/2 tsp), black sesame seeds (1 tbsp), some ghee and jaggery (as per the level of sweetness you want). Consume these laddoos regularly in winter to reduce joint pain.

11. Women going through painful PMS can have 1 tsp of jaggery and 1 tsp of sesame seeds for some relief.

Word of caution

• People with diabetes can consume jaggery, but in controlled portions only. Luke informs that jaggery can have the same impact as white sugar on your blood sugar levels.
• Jaggery is rich in calories so do not go overboard with its consumption and do not add it in abundance in baked food items (as a replacement for white sugar).

Also read: Signs And Symptoms You Are Having Too Much Sugar

(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.