Jaggery In Diabetes Type 2 : Is it a safe sugar alternative to control blood sugar levels?
Living with diabetes brings a whole lot of restrictions, especially when it come to diet and the most common one being is cutting out sugar from diet. But does this mean you should eliminate all kinds of sugar if you're a diabetic? We'll find that out soon.
Whenever a healthy alternative is talked about in comparison to consuming regular white sugar, JAGGERY by far stands as one of the most popular alternative food item that seems to be accepted worldwide by people.
So, in this article let's find out different aspects related with eating jaggery in diabetes and let's see that whether it's really a healthier and safe alternative to regular sugar or they are just equal for someone suffering with type 2 diabetes.
Sugar vs. Jaggery : Are they equal for diabetics
In order to understand this point properly, first we need to know what nutritional value does sugar and jaggery has and how do they do behave in our body when we consume it.
Jaggery is made either from a sugarcane or date palm. In order to make jaggery, raw sugarcane juice or date palm sap is boiled in large and shallow vessels. The residue left after the process is complete is what we consume as jaggery, and it's much less refined than the crystallized sugar that you eat.
Jaggery also contains a small amount of B vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. Not just that, Jaggery has also been associated with a number of health benefits, which includes regulation of blood pressure, beating oxidative stress and better digestion.
Whereas in regular white sugar, no such health benefits are seen and in fact excess consumption of via sweetened foods and beverages has been connected to weight gain, blood sugar problems and an increased risk of heart disease.
So, just by the nutritional comparison, Jaggery definitely seems to work better that regular sugar in general. But, are they good for diabetics as well? Let's find out.
Can a diabetic eat jaggery
After reading the above mentioned health benefits that jaggery serves in comparison to regular white sugar, does it mean that jaggery is perfectly safe in all ways for people with diabetes. NO!! Definitely not.
It's important to note that both sugar and jaggery are derived from a same source – sugarcane which has a high glycemic index. And it goes without saying that for a diabetic, anything that spikes blood sugar is bad, including jaggery.
Gylcemic index of jaggery
GI score: 84.1
Jaggery is a form of sugar that gets absorbed rapidly and is potent of spiking blood sugar levels. A whole bunch of diabetic patients falls with the misconception that jaggery is a safe replacement for sugar, however that’s not true. It is a good replacement for sugar among non-diabetics.
Hence as a conclusion, if you're perfectly healthy individual who has no blood sugar problems, then you may use jaggery as an alternative to white sugar. But if you're someone with diabetes, then is essential that you must stay away from jaggery altogether.
If you want to know about consuming other fruit items in diabetes, checkout the article on eating banana in diabetes or 5 best fruits that you can eat as a diabetic.
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