About Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap molasses is a staple in the kitchens of many homes. It has been used for centuries as it is full of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that make it an incredibly healthy option to add flavor without adding sugar or fat. Blackstrap molasses can be found at local grocery stores or ordered online from Amazon.

Blackstrap molasses is a thick, dark liquid that is made from sugar cane. It is used in cooking and baking as a thickener or flavoring agent. Blackstrap molasses also contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and manganese.

Blackstrap-Molasses-Benefits-Nutrition-Recipes-and-More

The dark, viscous molasses that remains after the greatest amount of sugar has been extracted from raw sugar cane is known as blackstrap molasses. Because blackstrap molasses is made by boiling sugar syrup three times, it has the viscosity of a thick syrup. After the sucrose in sugar has crystallized, this concentrated residue is left behind. It has a bittersweet taste that is characterized as strong. Blackstrap molasses, unlike refined sugar, includes important vitamins and minerals, as well as a slew of other health advantages.

More and more molasses products are being marketed in supermarkets as the nutritional advantages of blackstrap molasses become more understood. Molasses, rather than refined sugar, has the ability to naturally ease PMS symptoms, regulate blood sugar levels, promote bone health, cure ADHD symptoms, and improve skin health.

Nutritional Information

The vitamins and minerals that the sugar cane plant absorbs are included in blackstrap molasses. Molasses has a mild glycemic load of 55, making it a healthier alternative to refined sugar, particularly for diabetics. Vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, and selenium are all abundant in it.

In 100 grams of blackstrap molasses, you’ll find:

  • Calorie Count: 290
  • Fat: 0 grams
  • Sodium: 37 milligrams
  • Dietary Fiber: 75 grams
  • Sugar: 55 grams
  • Protein: 0 grams
  • B6 vitamin: 0.7 milligrams (34 percent DV)
  • Pantothenic acid: 0.8 milligrams (8 percent DV)
  • Niacin: 0.9 milligrams (5 percent DV)
  • Thiamine: 0.1 milligrams (3 percent DV)
  • Manganese: 1.5 milligrams (77 percent DV)
  • Magnesium: 242 milligrams (61 percent DV)
  • Potassium: 1,464 milligrams (42 percent DV)
  • Iron content: 4.7 milligrams (26 percent DV)
  • Selenium: 17 micrograms (25 percent DV)
  • Copper: 0.5 milligrams (24 percent DV)
  • Calcium: 205 milligrams (20 percent DV)
  • Phosphorus: 31 milligrams (3 percent DV)
  • Sodium: 37 milligrams (2 percent DV)

Health Advantages

1. Helps to alleviate PMS symptoms

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women need more iron than males since they lose a specific amount of iron each month throughout their typical menstrual cycle. When a woman enters adolescence and starts her menstrual cycle, her daily iron requirements rise, but subsequently fall as she approaches menopause.

Iron may also help with your mood, which is dependent on a balance of chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and other important hormones that can’t be created effectively in the brain when oxygen levels are low. This is why iron deficiency may cause irritability, poor sleep, low energy, and a lack of ambition. An iron deficiency might be a factor if you observe changes in your mood and experience minor despair or anxiety, particularly around menstruation.

In addition, vital minerals included in blackstrap molasses, such as magnesium, manganese, and calcium, help to prevent blood clotting, which soothes menstruation cramps and keeps uterine muscles healthy.

2. Relieves Stress

B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium are all important minerals for reducing stress and anxiety, and blackstrap molasses has all of them. Vitamin B6 enhances serotonin levels in the brain, for example. This is an essential hormone that regulates mood and prevents pain, sadness, and exhaustion, and the vitamin B6 level in blackstrap molasses makes it an excellent stress reliever.

Low levels of vitamin B6, which contributes to the tryptophan-serotonin pathway, were shown to produce depression in a 2004 research published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Thirteen percent of the 140 individuals were found to be depressive and vitamin B6 deficient. Despite the fact that this is not a large number, the study reveals that vitamin insufficiency is linked to depression levels and should be addressed in individuals who exhibit moodiness or depression symptoms.

3. Helps to keep blood sugar levels in check

Blackstrap molasses aids in the stabilization of blood sugar levels, which is especially advantageous for diabetics. It has a low glycemic index, which means it naturally slows glucose and carbohydrate metabolism, resulting in reduced insulin generation. Blackstrap molasses also has a high chromium content, which helps with glucose tolerance. Chromium is involved in the insulin-signaling pathways, which help our systems regulate the amount of sugar we eat by balancing blood glucose levels and providing us with consistent energy.

According to a research published in 1997 by the United States Department of Agriculture, chromium is an important component involved in appropriate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Over the course of four months, 180 people with type 2 diabetes were given either a placebo or chromium supplements, while continuing to take their regular medicines and without modifying their dietary patterns. In comparison to the placebo group, insulin and lipid levels reduced dramatically after chromium therapy.

Because individuals in this research continued to take their regular diabetic medicines, it’s crucial to emphasize that chromium intake seems to be only partially responsible for the beneficial findings.

4. Aids in Cancer Prevention

According to a 2009 research published in the Journal of the American Diabetic Association, blackstrap molasses is a healthy alternative to refined sugar since it has antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are compounds that aid in the prevention of cell damage, particularly that produced by oxidation. Today, oxidative damage is a prominent factor in disease and has been related to a variety of illnesses, including cancer.

High-antioxidant foods, such as blackstrap molasses, aid in the reduction of free radicals, which are thought to be the major cause of cancer. Free radicals are formed naturally in the body and play an important role in many normal cellular processes, according to the National Cancer Institute; however, at high concentrations, free radicals can be harmful to the body and damage all major components of cells, including DNA, proteins, and cell membranes.

5. Helps to maintain skin health

Lactic acid, which is generated by bacteria that play a vital role in carbohydrate metabolism, is found in blackstrap molasses. Lactic acid is a natural acne treatment that also helps to mend other skin issues.

Lactic acid was reported to be an effective acne preventive in a 2002 research published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology. There were 22 individuals in the research who had lesions, inflammation, and cysts. Lactate lotion was applied twice a day to the whole face and then utilized as a cosmetic for a year. Inflammatory lesions were decreased by 90% to 100% in 41% of patients after a year, while non-inflammatory lesions were reduced in 23% of patients. In the non-inflammatory lesions, the remaining patients exhibited 50% to 90% decrease, while two patients showed less than 50% reduction.

According to this study, lactic acid therapy reduces acne symptoms, including the formation of lesions, significantly.

Blackstrap molasses is also a natural wound healer since it encourages the formation of healthy tissues. Consuming blackstrap molasses reduces the time it takes for cuts, wounds, burns, and acne symptoms to heal, allowing you to keep smooth, healthy skin.

6. Beneficial to Bone Health

Because blackstrap molasses is rich in calcium, it helps to maintain strong and healthy bones. We lose calcium via our skin, nails, hair, perspiration, urine, and feces every day, and we can’t create it ourselves, so we need to consume calcium-rich foods on a regular basis.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, and it is mostly stored in the bones and teeth. About 99 percent of our calcium is deposited in our bones and teeth, largely as calcium deposits, with the remaining 1% distributed throughout our bodies. Calcium is necessary for bone formation and preservation. Without enough calcium in the body, which is known as a calcium shortage, bones become weak and malleable, leaving them more vulnerable to fractures and breaks.

Blackstrap molasses’ calcium, together with its iron and copper content, enhances bone health, aids in the healing of damaged bones, and minimizes the risk of weak and brittle bones.

7. Can be used as a natural treatment for ADD and ADHD

The same symptoms that are exhibited in children with ADD/ADHD are also present in persons who are nutritionally deficient in zinc, magnesium, calcium, and iron, according to research. ADHD and ADD are neurological and behavioral disorders that cause trouble focusing, impulsivity, and an excessive amount of energy. Individuals with ADHD have a hard time not just focusing, but also sitting still.

Sugar is a significant issue since it causes blood sugar to increase, resulting in hyperactivity. Then, when blood sugar levels drop, a person loses concentration. Blackstrap molasses is a healthier option to refined sugar since it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels as much. Additionally, molasses contains iron and B vitamins, both of which may help to naturally treat ADHD. These vitamins and minerals improve attention by supporting the nerve system and brain function.

8. Helps with Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition of the joints that causes swelling and discomfort. Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis are the two types of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by an autoimmune malfunction in which white blood cells damage cartilage, resulting in inflammation and discomfort. Blackstrap molasses lowers swelling and joint discomfort because to its anti-inflammatory characteristics, making it a natural arthritis therapy.

9. Potassium that lowers cholesterol

This delicious, all-natural syrup delivers 10% of the daily required potassium intake in only two tablespoons. Potassium-rich meals aid in the reduction of systolic blood pressure, the reduction of cholesterol, and the maintenance of a healthy cardiovascular system, as well as the cleansing of the liver. Potassium also helps to keep the body hydrated by collaborating with sodium to promote cellular function through the sodium-potassium pump.

History

Since the time of the first inhabitants, blackstrap molasses has been transported from the Caribbean islands. Molasses was popular until the late nineteenth century because it was substantially less expensive than refined sugar. Indeed, molasses was so popular that the British crown created the Molasses Act of 1733 to dissuade colonists from dealing with the West Indies, which was not under British jurisdiction at the time. For every gallon of molasses, which was extensively used in rum and spirits at the period, colonists had to pay six pence.

The Stamp and Townshend Acts further added to the rising corruption of local authorities and the hatred and contempt of British law that this act had produced; by 1776, colonists were fighting for their freedom from British authority during the American Revolution.

Blackstrap molasses has made a resurgence since then. This is due to the “health food movement,” which promotes meals that are high in nutrients and vitamins. India, Brazil, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States are now the top molasses producers.

How to Make Use of

Blackstrap molasses is simple to get by at your neighborhood market or health food shop. When buying blackstrap molasses, opt for organic and unsulfered varieties.

Blackstrap molasses is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute that is widely used. Molasses has a distinct and flavorful taste. Some people use it on toast, oatmeal, and porridges as a spread or topping. It also works well as a sweetener in marinades, barbecue sauce, and baking. You may also add blackstrap molasses to coffee to enhance the richness while decreasing the acidic flavor and increasing the nutritional content of the beverage.

Blackstrap molasses may also be used to make brown sugar by substituting two tablespoons of molasses for each 12 cup of coconut sugar called for in a recipe. In a food processor, combine the coconut sugar and molasses and pulse until the consistency of commercial brown sugar is achieved. As a consequence, you get a healthier “brown sugar” that nevertheless tastes fantastic.

Although blackstrap molasses is only approximately two-thirds as sweet as refined sugar, it may be substituted for brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup in recipes. Today, try exploring with this healthy product – you’ll enjoy it!

Recipes

Because blackstrap molasses may be used in place of maple syrup in my Maple-Glazed Rosemary Carrots recipe, give it a try. Molasses’ bittersweet taste complements the rosemary in this recipe well.

Marinades, sauces, and glazes are all made using blackstrap molasses. Molasses may be substituted for honey; it has a similar texture and a somewhat bitter taste. Blackstrap molasses would be ideal for my Grilled Honey-Glazed Salmon Recipe since it generates a thick viscosity that is ideal for salmon glazes.

Recipe for Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

This recipe for gluten-free gingerbread cookies is fantastic! It fulfills sweet desires while avoiding the use of refined sugar.

1 cup cashew butter, 1 cup cashe maple syrup, 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses,  1 tbsp ginger (freshly grated),  1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger powder, a half teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup flour made from coconut.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and setting it aside.
  3.  Combine cashew butter, maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, fresh ginger, egg, vanilla essence, cinnamon, ground ginger, and sea salt in a large mixing dish.
  4. Stir until everything is fully blended.
  5. Stir in the coconut flour until well combined.
  6. For each cookie, use a tablespoon to measure out the batter.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of taking blackstrap molasses?

A: Blackstrap molasses is a plant-based sugar cane byproduct that has been heated to remove the water and become an unrefined syrup. It contains complex carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins in addition to antioxidants which are known for their health benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties.

How much blackstrap molasses should I take daily?

A: That depends on the potency of your blackstrap molasses. Some people have reported taking up to 10 teaspoons per day, while others have said that 1-2 teaspoons is enough for them.

Can I drink molasses everyday?

A: No, that would be too much for your body to handle.

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