Is Jaggery A Safe Alternative To Sugar For Diabetic Patients? What You Should Know – News18

The number of diabetic patients in India is increasing manifold. As a result, our eating habits have completely changed. The pressing issue of diabetes has caused a significant change in our lifestyles and a large number of people in the country, especially the cosmopolitan populace, have introduced big restrictions on what they eat.

Diabetic people are often recommended to cut down drastically on sugar and if possible consume a sugar-free diet. This is why many have substituted sugar with jaggery. It is a common belief that jaggery is healthy compared to sugar when it comes to diabetes. So, let us analyse the same and check if it is true.

Jaggery is a natural sweetener made from sugarcane juice concentrate, consumed primarily in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Jaggery is often used as a healthy alternative to white and brown sugar. It is considered safe as jaggery contains all the minerals and vitamins found in sugarcane juice. It is incredibly medicinal, according to common belief. It reduces blood pressure because it includes iron. Additionally, it enhances digestion and works to defend against oxidative stress.

However, what about diabetes? Unfortunately, there is no medical evidence to suggest that type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients can safely consume jaggery without any ill effects on health. In fact, some doctors say that jaggery contains about 65 to 85 per cent sucrose, so diabetics should avoid it completely as much as they do sugar.

Foods having a low glycemic index should be a part of a diabetic patient’s diet and it should be noted here that the glycemic index of jaggery is very high. Therefore, when taken, it instantly raises blood sugar levels and has the potential to cause major health problems such as renal disease, heart disease, organ failure, etc. In particular, type 2 diabetics should be aware of this.

Jaggery has 383 calories per 100 grams, 65-85 grams of sucrose and 10-15 grams each of fructose and glucose. In other words, you can substitute white sugar for jaggery if you are in perfect health and don’t have any blood sugar issues. However, you should absolutely avoid jaggery if you have diabetes. Always consult your doctor as to what you should eat and not if you have diabetes.