Here’s how the sweetness of jaggery can treat your common cold

Not everything sweet is bad. Jaggery or ‘gur’ tops the chart when it comes to sweet foods being healthy. Jaggery has a wide array of benefits but there is a reason why it is mostly eaten in the winter season. Eating jaggery can help you cure common cold and here’s how it works.

We have often seen people eating jaggery with peanuts in the winter because by nature, jaggery has a hot palate and hence, provides warmth to our bodies. “It helps in improving immunity and is highly beneficial to health. Jaggery is unrefined sugar and is considered quite beneficial for conditions such as cold, sore throat, and flu,” says Avni Kaul, a nutritionist.

Here is why jaggery is good for treating common cold:

1. Rich in antioxidants

“Jaggery has a wealth of potent antioxidants, which contributes to its various health benefits and helps fight against diseases caused by viruses like common cold, flu, viral etc.” says Shivani Sikri, Nutritionist and wellness expert at Nutri4verve.

2. Contains selenium

Selenium is a natural supplement that protects against cell damage and infections. “The selenium in jaggery can aid in preventing the harmful effects of free radicals. In general, it aids in defending your body against various illnesses and diseases,” says Sikri.

3. Good source of zinc

In order to boost one’s immunity against recurring diseases like common cold, sneezing, allergic reactions etc. our ancient wisdom has traditionally always recommended that jaggery be taken frequently, especially during the winter. “The various elements in jaggery, especially zinc and selenium, guard you against recurrent infections and oxidative stress, which does a lot of harm to our bodies,” says Sikri.

4. Acts as a cleanser

The fact that jaggery detoxifies your body is quite astounding. No other table sugar has such positive health effects. Shivani Sikri adds, “Jaggery has the power to cleanse your stomach, lungs, intestines, and airways. It helps your body get rid of dust and other pollutants.”

For people who don’t like the taste of jaggery can have it in the following ways as suggested by Avni Kaul:

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1. Jaggery when mixed with warm water, helps clear the inner lining of the throat which as a result provides plenty of relief to the throat.

2. You can also have jaggery with ginger juice that assists in healing chronic colds and coughs.

3. Jaggery when mixed with mustard oil is regarded as good for relieving respiratory disorders.