Jaggery is also known as 'gur' in Hindi, and is a sweet delicious brown sugary substance coming from raw sugar cane, date palm or coconut sap. The deeper coloured jaggery is from date palm whereas the sugarcane form is the most common of all. I like to use jaggery as an alternative to sugar as it is non refined and tastes delicious. a little goes a long way indefinitely. It is loaded with antioxidants and contains minerals such as zinc and selenium. It is known to lower vata and pitta dosha, but people with kapha dosha should be careful from consuming too much.
Jaggery is one of the best cleansing agents for the body, as it works on the deeper tissues to remove unwanted toxins. It is also good for the lungs, liver and stomach to prevent acidity and heartburn. Take this from someone who suffered from acidity all her life!!! Another relevant point is that is actually is good is weight loss due to its high potassium content. As its a digestive aid, a little goes a long way, and this is true with the usage. many Indians eat jaggery after a meal to aid in digestive processes.
Lastly, for that time of the month, PMS! Jaggery is known to help combat moodiness, menstrual cramps and abdominal pain.
So next time your thinking of a sweetener, look no further than jaggery.