Numerous people with type 2 diabetes are now turning to natural sweetness in a bid to eat food items like jaggery and stay healthier. Type 2 diabetes is a health condition which causes a rise in blood sugar levels. Whenever the body is unable to produce enough insulin, which is a hormone responsible for the breakdown of sugar, and when the cells of the body are unable to use that insulin to breakdown glucose due to multiple reasons, it leads to rise in sugar levels. This condition is also known as Hyperglycemia, and it can cause serious health issues that can damage vital organs of the body. People who develop type 2 diabetes have to be careful about what they eat and when they eat. They are advised to avoid sweets, sugar, and other food products that contain a lot of added sugar. And thus, people with diabetes try to consume naturally made sweet food products.

Diabetic people are recommended to consume less sugar food items to keep their blood sugar level managed. And thus, a traditionally famous natural sweetener, Jaggery or Gud is consumed widely in India, particularly in the winters. Yes, jaggery is a more nutritious food item than sugar. It contains calcium, iron, and other vital vitamins. And it does not affect the body as much as sugar does. Numerous people believe that replacing sugar with jaggery during diabetes offers relief, but it can be a relatively minor relief and sometimes it can also be harmful.

The issue with jaggery arises with sucrose, which jaggery contains on large scale. Jaggery is absorbed very slowly in the body, but ultimately, it is getting absorbed and it does spike the sugar levels in the body. The body contains the same amount of sugar as it would have had come with white-sugar. The only difference is that jaggery takes a little longer to cause the spike in sugar levels. For a person without diabetes, jaggery would be an amazing sugar substitute. However, a diabetic person must avoid jaggery, sugar and other related products. Another significant reason to avoid jaggery is that jaggery has a very high Glycemic Index, and diabetes patient's diet must consist of only those food items with a low Glycemic Index.

Hence, it is a myth that patients with diabetes could replace sugar with jaggery. Jaggery and sugar come from the same source, sugarcane. Of course, jaggery helps cleanse the stomach and respiratory tract. But the ill-effects for diabetic people are more than its benefits. It is just like sugar, a simple carbohydrate, and it doesn't need to be metabolised, thereby elevating blood sugar levels. Till now, medical science has no permanent and exact cure for diabetes. But it can be very well managed with healthy eating habits, no smoking, scheduled tests and less stress. More importantly, diabetes can be brought well under control with the right and healthy lifestyles choices.

Reference:

• www.healthpick.in
• www.beatdiabetese.in
• www.practo.com