According to doctors, brown sugar is generally considered suitable for women with irregular menstruation or those who have just given birth. In fact, brown sugar is more suitable for the elderly, especially those who are old, weak, or recovering from a serious illness. This is because brown sugar is an unrefined coarse sugar that retains more vitamins and minerals.
Differentiated by crystal size, brown sugar is classified into types such as brown granulated sugar, brown sugar powder, and bowl sugar. As it has not been highly refined, they retain almost all the components of sugarcane juice. In addition to its function as a sugar, it also contains vitamins and trace elements such as iron, zinc, manganese, and chromium. Its nutritional value is much higher than that of white sugar.
Every 100 grams of brown sugar contains 90 mg of calcium and 4 mg of iron, and also small amounts of riboflavin and carotene. Japanese researchers have also extracted a polysaccharide called "molasses" from brown sugar. Experiments have proven that it has strong antioxidant effects and a significant role in anti-aging.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that brown sugar is warm in nature, sweet in taste, and enters the spleen meridian. It has the effects of replenishing qi and blood, strengthening the spleen and warming the stomach, alleviating central pain, and invigorating blood to resolve stasis. As people age, their intake of various trace elements and vitamins gradually decreases. Therefore, attention should be paid to supplementing them in the diet to maintain normal metabolic functions and delay aging. Experts, therefore, recommend that the elderly should choose brown sugar when consuming sugar.
Actually, there are many ways to eat brown sugar. For example, it can be cooked with tremella, goji berries, red dates, or with red beans to promote urination and diuresis. When cooked with longan and ginger juice, it has the effect of tonifying the middle and nourishing the blood. When cooked with sweet potatoes and ginger juice, it not only has health benefits but is also a unique-flavored dessert.
However, brown sugar is not suitable for everyone. TCM believes that brown sugar is warm in nature and is suitable for people who are sensitive to cold and have a deficient and cold constitution. In addition, people with high stomach acid, including stomach pain caused by erosive gastritis and gastric ulcers, and diabetic patients should not consume brown sugar. Little Tip: Two Simple Brown Sugar Remedies
1. Millet and Red Date Porridge
When cooking millet porridge, add a dozen red dates. After the porridge is cooked, add brown sugar when eating. The ancients believed that the floating oil on top of millet porridge can nourish yin and benefit the kidneys. Red dates and brown sugar nourish and generate blood, making it suitable for the elderly, weak, and those with sallow complexion, forgetfulness, and dream-disturbed sleep.
2. Brown Sugar and Red Date Tea
Boil red dates in water until they are soft, then add brown sugar. Add a little black tea (or green tea) and drink it frequently. Drinking this tea regularly has the effect of replenishing qi and blood, strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach, and is especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people.