Jaggery versus refined sugar

[Anonymous]

If I need sweetness in a dish I use unrefined jaggery (palm sugar) in place of refined sugar. Although sugar is sugar is sugar ... it appears from a brief scan of the internet that jaggery is slower-release. Any thoughts?

 

[Sapper71]

I will give it a go, where do you get it, I've never heard of it?

Regards


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Anonymous]

I will give it a go, where do you get it, I've never heard of it?

Regards


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Hi, you should find it in Indian or Middle-Eastern etc. food shops, and probably the 'blue rinse' supermarkets (Sainsbury, Waitrose etc.) & possibly Tesco.... LIDLs no way! It comes in a pot and is just a big 'lump'. It is nice to taste. You just shave off what you want and melt in your cooking. 'She' had a jaggery sandwich last night! But 'she' is not diabetic. :crazy:

 

[iHs]

Never heard of this until poster mentioned it in other msgs......

I think it can be bought in the large Asian food supermarkets...... Goor or Gur

 

[pickledpepper2]

Anyone test afterwards?

What happened?

I've encountered the stuff, seems VERY sweet?

Stayed away because I couldn't imagine it not sending my BS sky high.

 

[dawnmc]

Its 95 % carbs for gods sake, its pure sugar, what are you putting that in your body for!

 

[Anonymous]

Its 95 % carbs for gods sake, its pure sugar, what are you putting that in your body for!

I'm not a sugar fiend and so only use rarely but I like to put natural food in my body rather than processed (e.g. refined sugar or artificial sweeteners). Jaggery, according to MyFitnessPal, has 46g sugar per 100g, as opposed to refined sugar at 100g per 100g, and also jaggery contains some sodium and potassium, both important minerals in the right quantities, whereas refined sugar has 'b.gg.r all'.

5g of jaggery is about the size of a sugar cube, or flat teaspoon, so the carb value would be 4.8g and sugar 2.3g, whereas the carb value of 5g of refined sugar is 5g, of which 5g is sugar. So, jaggery contains just under 50% less sugar.

I don't advocate any sugar myself, but if a person must, and doesn't like the idea of artificial sweeteners, then jaggery appears to be a better bet than refined sugar, in terms of carbs, actual sugar and other nutrients. If anyone is using refined sugar, then it might be worth seeing what difference the same quantity of jaggery makes.