Ladies, do you often find yourself so tired that you almost feel like you have to drag your body around? Or do you have frequent headaches or experience dizziness? If these are long persisting problems, don’t just ignore them as tiredness from a long day. There is a high chance that you are anemic. Anemia is caused due to a deficiency of iron in the body and my mom says that blackstrap molasses is the best way to deal with iron deficiency.
My mom has always tried to feed me an iron-rich diet, saying that women need to take extra care of their bodies and that they are more prone to problems like anemia. That is true as statistics show that more than 51 percent of women end up suffering from anemia. I guess mothers indeed, know the best.
What is blackstrap molasses?
Blackstrap molasses is a byproduct that is left behind when making sugar from sugarcane. The sugarcane juice is boiled and strained and further refined to make sugar but what is left behind is molasses. This byproduct is then boiled two more times until it turns black and we get blackstrap molasses. It has recently gained popularity as a healthy sugar substitute too and is often used as a spread or topping for pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt, etc.
“Blackstrap molasses contains vital nutrients such as vitamins B-12, B6, manganese, iron, carbohydrate, selenium, potassium, calcium, and copper. It is known to be helpful in anemia and has multiple other benefits too,” says Avni Kaul, a nutritionist.
How is blackstrap molasses helpful for anemia?
Anemia is a blood-related disease that happens when there’s a deficiency of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood. It happens from low iron levels in the body, which might cause fatigue, weakness, and tiredness. “However, having one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses can provide you with 20% of the required daily iron intake,” says Kaul.
She further explains that blackstrap molasses has a good amount of iron, which helps combat iron deficiency. According to researchers, blackstrap molasses have a lot of iron content and “absorption enhancers” like sulfur, copper, and fructose, which helps cure anemia.
But surprisingly blackstrap molasses is not only a remedy for anemia, it has many other benefits too. Kaul brought our attention to 3 other benefits of blackstrap molasses. Let’s take a look at them.
Here are some other benefits of blackstrap molasses:
1. Helps with PMS
Women are not unfamiliar with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). It causes mood swings, menstrual cramps, depression, anxiety, low energy, etc. But blackstrap molasses can be your saviour! Kaul explains that blackstrap molasses is high in iron which helps in relieving pain and managing hormones affecting mood. She further adds, “Also, molasses contain beneficial minerals like manganese and magnesium which help ease menstrual cramps.”
2. Enhances skin health
It helps in nourishing your skin and also helps in treating certain skin issues. The nutrition expert says that it contains lactic acid, which helps in treating acne-related skin issues quite well. It also helps the healthy growth of tissues, which makes it useful in healing wounds and helps to promote healthy and clear skin.
3. Improves hair health
It contains a good amount of iron, copper, and magnesium. These minerals help manage the healthy growth of hair and help strengthen hair. “It has copper and peptides that assists reconditioning of the skin structure that supports healthy hair,” says Kaul. Therefore, consuming blackstrap molasses every day in a limited amount could be very fruitful in restoring hair health, color and reducing hair loss and breakage.
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