Sweet and Healthy, Here are 8 Benefits of Palm Sugar for Health that Can Warm the Body

Kapanlagi.com - One popular type of sugar used by the community is palm sugar. The benefits of palm sugar for health have a lot of good nutrition for the body. Sweet and high nutritional content are factors why palm sugar is used as a substitute for granulated sugar.

In food and beverage processing, palm sugar is often used as a sweetener. Palm sugar has a distinctive brown color made from the palm tree with the Latin name Arenga Pinnata Merr. Although it is similar to brown sugar, palm sugar has its own characteristics.

One characteristic of palm sugar can be seen from its color, taste, and texture. Palm sugar has a reddish brown color with a sweeter taste and a softer texture that is easily crushed.

Therefore, palm sugar is often used as a sauce enhancer for rice porridge, dawet drinks, herbal medicine, and so on. Behind its delicious sweetness, palm sugar is actually very beneficial for health.

So what are the benefits of palm sugar for health?

One of the benefits of palm sugar for the body's health is obtained from its low calorie content. Some health problems are believed to be helped by consuming palm sugar. The following are the benefits of palm sugar for health sourced from liputan6.com, honestdoc.id, healthnews24seven.com.

1. Warming the Body

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One of the benefits of palm sugar for health is that it can help maintain a stable body temperature. In other words, palm sugar mixed in a warm drink can help regulate body temperature back to normal.

This palm sugar is suitable to consume when the body feels cold or in cold weather. That is why palm sugar is often used as an additive in traditional medicine and other warm beverages.

2. Maintaining Blood Sugar Level

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Another benefit of palm sugar for health is that it can help maintain blood sugar levels. In other words, palm sugar is relatively suitable for consumption by diabetes patients. Compared to refined sugar and other sugars, the glucose content in palm sugar is relatively low.

According to livestrong.com, the glycemic index value of palm sugar is lower than that of refined sugar. However, even though the glucose content is low, consumption of palm sugar for diabetes patients should still be done in moderation.

The glucose level can still increase if palm sugar is consumed without considering the recommended limits. It is also advisable to consult with healthcare professionals to maintain stable blood sugar levels.

3. Improving Digestion

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The benefits of palm sugar for health can also help improve digestion. The nutritional content in palm sugar is known to help facilitate digestion. Therefore, consuming palm sugar can help process food in the intestines. Quoting from healthnews24seven.com, palm sugar used to improve digestion can be consumed after heavy meals or dinner.

However, to get more benefits and maintain the health of digestion, several other supports are needed, such as consuming fruits and vegetables.

4. Preventing Anemia

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Palm sugar contains several vitamin sources that are very beneficial for health. These vitamins include vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12. Meanwhile, quoting from healthnews24seven.com, palm sugar also contains a high amount of iron that can help prevent anemia.

5. Helps Increase Energy

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Palm sugar is known to be able to help increase energy. The vitamin and mineral content in palm sugar is a factor that makes it suitable for boosting body energy. In addition, palm sugar is also suitable for consumption by children and adults.

6. Source of Antioxidants

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The benefits of palm sugar for health apparently have a high content of antioxidants. These antioxidants can help counteract exposure to free radicals. As it is known, free radicals can be caused by air pollution that easily attacks the body, especially the skin.

Quoting from the research titled The Effect of Heating on Antioxidant Activity in the Making of Palm Sugar by Klaudi Pelealu, Julius Pontoh, and Edi Suryanto in 2011, it is shown that the antioxidant content of palm sugar tends to be stable after undergoing heating process at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes. However, it experienced a decrease a few minutes after.

Nevertheless, in general, these antioxidant contents can help maintain healthy skin and fight against free radicals.

7. Preventing Premature Aging

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The high antioxidant content in palm sugar can be beneficial for maintaining skin health, including preventing premature aging. Premature aging is characterized by the appearance of wrinkles or lines on the skin.

In order to obtain the benefits of palm sugar for the skin, it can be mixed with several other natural ingredients to effectively prevent wrinkles, which are a factor in premature aging.

8. Relieve Menstrual Pain

One little-known benefit of palm sugar for health is its ability to relieve menstrual pain. As we know, some women experience pain in the abdomen during menstruation. However, it turns out that palm sugar can be beneficial in helping to relieve that pain. The potassium and iron content in palm sugar are factors that enable it to alleviate the pain during menstruation.

So those are the 8  benefits of palm sugar for health, from warming the body to relieving menstrual pain. However, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional if you want to consume palm sugar to help address health issues as mentioned above.

(kpl/nlw)