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Jaggery's Sweet Deception: Diabetes Diet Danger
10 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Natural jaggery is 85-90% sugar and acts like white sugar in the body.
- A woman's HbA1c rose from 7.2% to 8.5% due to daily jaggery consumption.
- Eliminating jaggery stabilized glucose levels, dropping HbA1c to 7%.
Many people mistakenly believe jaggery is a healthy alternative to sugar for diabetes management. This natural sweetener, composed of 85-90% sugar, significantly impacts blood glucose levels similarly to refined sugar, leading to rapid spikes due to its high glycaemic index.
A recent case illustrated this danger when a woman's HbA1c increased from 7.2% to 8.5% despite a healthy lifestyle, solely due to her frequent consumption of jaggery. Upon eliminating jaggery, her blood glucose levels stabilized, and her HbA1c returned to 7% within three months.
This situation underscores the critical need for diabetics to avoid all forms of added sugars, including jaggery, honey, and white sugar. Maintaining stable blood glucose levels is paramount for preventing long-term complications such as heart disease, kidney damage, and nerve issues.
