Does Jaggery Prevent Iron Deficiency?

Have you ever wondered what would happen to you if you became iron deficient? One main problem caused by a deficiency of iron is anemia. There are other complications involved too. So what can you do to make sure you don’t become iron deficient?

The answer is jaggery! It is so rich in iron that once you start consuming it, you will never again become iron deficient! Want to know more about jaggery and how you can prevent iron deficiency with it? Then continue reading!

Iron deficiency affects the production of the red blood cells. Jaggery is loaded with iron, and its regular intake can increase the quantity of iron in blood.

Jaggery – A Brief:

Thousands of years ago, when white sugar was not commonly used as a sweetener, jaggery was the only sweetening agent. Jaggery is unrefined sugar. It is sweet, delicious, good for health and inexpensive. This is the purest form of sugar, prepared in iron vessels with fruit juices without adding synthetic chemicals. It is rich in enormous contents of minerals, vitamins, and proteins. It helps purify the blood and regulate liver functioning.

Jaggery is commonly called as ‘gur’ in India and ‘panela’ in the rest of the world. It is the best remedy for Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA). A person is said to be anemic when the hemoglobin level falls below 11.5 g/dl in women and below 13.5 g/dl in men. The common symptoms of severe iron deficiency include breathing difficulty, fatigue and oedema, deficiency of IQ (Intelligent Quotient), etc.

Recipes To Include Jaggery In Food To Curb Iron Deficiency:

Jaggery is important for its iron benefits, and if you don’t like eating it raw, you can try the following methods. These are simple recipes you can make:

1. Jaggery Chapati:

Required Ingredients:

Grated jaggery
Milk
Wheat flour / atta
Salt to taste
Ghee

How To Prepare:

Take half a cup of milk and add three cups of grated jaggery and mix by boiling on low heat.
Then cool it down and mix with atta, 1/8th spoon baking soda, salt as per taste and a little ghee.
Prepare a smooth dough by adding a little more milk.
Now, roll out into chapatis by smearing little ghee over them.

This is one of the simplest ways to yield the benefits of jaggery.

2. Jaggery Rice:

Required Ingredients:

Jaggery
Water
Soaked rice
Cloves
Green cardamoms

How To Prepare:

Boil 4 cups of water, add 1 cup of soaked rice, 2 cloves and 4 green cardamoms.
When it starts boiling, simmer the heat till the rice is cooked.
In a colander, drain the rice.
Add little ghee in a heavy based pan, add rice and mix well.
On a slow heat, mix jaggery and cover it.
Cook it for 10 to 15 minutes and keep stirring for a couple of minutes.

It is done. Now you can savor and enjoy the food!

Prevent Iron Deficiency With Jaggery:

Jaggery is a substitute for refined white sugar and is used in many Indian households. It is an excellent source of iron, and hence it helps prevent iron deficiency and improves the hemoglobin levels in the blood:

If you do not eat green vegetables daily, then you can eat jaggery on a daily basis to fulfill the iron requirements of your body.

You can add jaggery to substitute for sugar in your tea or coffee.
You can add it to your breakfast cereal, sambhar, rasam, and dal.
You can replace refined white sugar with jaggery while preparing some Indian sweets such as kheer or payasam.

Jaggery should be consumed with caution if you are diabetic as it contains only five percent less carbohydrates when compared to white sugar. It can increase your sugar levels drastically. So, if you are a diabetic or on a weight loss program, you should not consume it in large quantities.

Hope this article will help you in understanding the role of iron in jaggery. If you know any more recipes including jaggery, do not forget to share them with us in the comments section below. We would be glad to see your responses!