Blackstrap molasses is a mineral-rich syrup extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets. It contains essential minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, selenium, and chromium, as well as vitamin B6. Consuming blackstrap molasses can improve bone health, reduce the risk of anemia, and help diabetics process sugar more easily.
Molasses is a thick, dark syrup extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets after they have been processed to make table sugar. Long used in baking and as an alternative sweetener, molasses has been shown to provide numerous health benefits. The benefits of consuming molasses, particularly blackstrap molasses, are that it is rich in multiple essential minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, selenium, and chromium, as well as vitamin B6. These minerals are necessary for the formation of red blood cells, for bone health, and for optimal muscle function. Additionally, since one teaspoon of blackstrap molasses contains 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for chromium, it has been linked to a lower risk of type II diabetes and weight gain.
Blackstrap molasses is created when the sugar cane used to make crystallized sucrose, or table sugar, is boiled three times to reduce the residual sugar content. Although the sugar content is similar to table sugar, the mineral and vitamin content is much higher. One of the benefits of consuming molasses in this form is that it supplies up to 20 percent of the RDA for minerals such as iron, calcium, and potassium.
Iron, a component of hemoglobin in the blood, is known for its role in helping red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, oxygen necessary for tissue survival and cellular metabolism. It is also found in myoglobin muscle cells, which help the muscle store oxygen. A lack of iron can lead to anemia, a deficiency of red blood cells, and therefore one of the benefits of molasses as an iron supplement is that it can reduce the risk of this condition.
Getting more calcium, potassium, and magnesium in the diet is another benefit of consuming molasses. These minerals are involved in maintaining the balance between electrolytes and water in the body’s cells, as well as in initiating muscle contractions. Active individuals who require replenishment of these minerals in the body, which are depleted during intense training, can supplement with blackstrap molasses. Additionally, the high calcium content means that one of the benefits of molasses as a dietary supplement is that it can improve bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Another benefit of molasses as a supplement is that it is high in the mineral chromium. Recent studies have indicated that chromium helps people at risk of diabetes to improve their glucose tolerance and therefore metabolize sugar more easily. Therefore, adding a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses instead of table sugar or another sweetener to foods and beverages such as coffee can benefit diabetics in two ways. It can help them process sugar and at the same time take the place of sugar in the diet.
An additional benefit of consuming molasses is that it provides vitamin B6. This vitamin is involved in numerous bodily processes, from the metabolization of amino acids in proteins to the digestion of fats and the synthesis of hemoglobin. As B6 is a water soluble vitamin, meaning it is excreted in the urine rather than stored in the body, supplementation is often necessary to make up for potential dietary deficiencies. Adding blackstrap molasses to your diet can increase your intake of this essential vitamin, as well as the minerals it contains.
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