Organic Jaggery Powder | Is it healthier than sugar? ORCO

Organic Jaggery Powder is a product of jaggery which is made from sugarcane juice and contains far more nutrients than your white refined sugar. This is why its glycaemic index is lower and it is healthier.

Since ancestral times sugar formed an integral part of our daily diet. Many of our desserts, smoothies, shakes, or drinks taste sweet only due to the sugar. It balances the flavour of other ingredients, and at the same time provides you many health benefits. But today we have heard many people saying that limit the amount of sugar in your diet, sugar causes many health diseases, and what not, due to which many people are confused between sugar and other healthy alternatives of sugar like brown sugar and organic jaggery powder to name a few.

Many questions must be popping up in your head that what is the difference in the nutritional content of sugar, brown sugar, and jaggery? How they are being processed to obtain the final product used by consumers? Which alternative is safe for consuming regularly?

You will get all your questions answered in this post, just stick with us. As we all know there is a battle going on between sugar, brown sugar, and organic jaggery powder in the market. The people who don’t have much knowledge regarding the particular food item, somewhere indulge in spreading rumours about each item, according to their perspective and preferences. But this approach beyond any doubt makes you confused between the three that hinder you from making the right choices.

So let us understand about regular granulated white sugar, brown sugar, and jaggery one by one. Basically, we need to understand that all the types of sugar available in the market whether regular sugar, brown sugar, or Organic Jaggery Powder, originate from a single source that is sugar cane. The major difference between them is the different processing methods. During the processing of sugar cane, dark brown coloured juice is obtained which is called molasses. It is separated to get the fine crystals of white sugar. Further molasses is processed to obtain brown sugar whereas jaggery is unrefined coarse brown sugar that is obtained from traditional methods.

We have seen that how all of them are processed, now let us have a glance at the WHO recommendations for sugar intake, and which alternative is best for our health?

According to WHO guidelines, the recommended amount of sugar by an adult is on average less than 10 percent of total calories intake. Therefore, you can say that 3 to 4 teaspoons of sugar intake is safe ideally for a person not suffering from any disease.

Regular sugar contains 99.9 percent sucrose which is a combination of both glucose and fructose. During processing moisture, ash, minerals, and colours are completely removed from it to produce the fine coarse crystals of sugar. It contains very high calories, therefore considered as empty calories food as compared to others.

Brown sugar contains slightly fewer calories than normal white sugar. Since it is prepared from molasses, minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium are present in a rich amount in this type of sugar. 

Jaggery is better known as "Gur" in many Indian villages is a very rich source of vitamin B, minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. It has many inherent health benefits that can help you stay protected by various infections. Jaggery helps in the purification of blood, building metabolism, and protecting the nervous system. It can even help you get rid of signs and symptoms of the common cold. Also, it acts as a cleansing agent that helps to keep control of your digestive system, and respiratory tracts.

But now the next question arises that in how much quantity it should be consumed? Do diabetic patients can also consume it, if yes then regularly or occasionally?

Let me clarify this doubt. Friends, sugar always imparts a sweet taste to food products whether it is regular sugar, brown sugar, or jaggery powder. As we have seen that minimal processing is required to prepare jaggery, it is more beneficial to consume but always in a specified quantity otherwise it will increase the blood sugar levels and can harm an individual's body. Though, special care is taken by diabetic patients as they are already prone to have increased blood sugar levels.

The thing is, refined sugar has highest glycaemic index which means it is readily absorbed into the blood steam spiking the blood sugar level quickly. The brown sugar spikes the blood sugar level a bit lower than the refined sugar while the organic jaggery powder spikes the sugar level a lot lesser than both the refined sugar and brown sugar. However, if you are a diabetic patient, it is best to avoid all these forms of sweetener and opt for artificial chemical-free sweetener for better health.

Last but not least, we can conclude that no matter our taste buds love to have high caloric, and sweet dishes, you should always look for Jaggery powder that is a perfect alternative to regular and brown sugar. Beyond any doubt, it is rich in various nutrients and thus provides you innumerable health benefits. So, adopt healthy ways of choosing your preparations and stay healthy.

The brand ORCO not only conveys the need of a shift that we must make towards organic, but it also signifies purity and authenticity. Orco offers a wide range of spices and seeds including chai masala, organic methi, organic mutton masala, organic brown sesame seeds, organic kitchen king masala and seeds like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and a lot more. We have pledged to provide our customers with the best in the market, natural, chemical-free and tastiest organic spices.