July 9
Blackstrap Molasses Health Benefits
Blackstrap molasses is a sweetener that is actually good for you. Unlike refined white sugar and corn syrup (stripped of virtually all nutrients except simple carbohydrates) or artificial sweeteners like saccharine or aspartame (provide no useful nutrients and have been shown to cause health problems in sensitive individuals), blackstrap molasses is a healthful sweetener that contains significant amounts of a variety of minerals that promote your health (unlike agave: Is Agave Nectar a Health Scam?).
Where Does Molasses Come From?
Many people wonder what molasses is made of. Well, no secret ingredients here, molasses is a by-product from the process that turns sugar beet or cane into sugar.
Iron For Energy
In addition to providing quickly assimilated carbohydrates, blackstrap molasses can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. Blackstrap molasses is a very good source of iron.
Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores with blackstrap molasses is a good idea–especially because, in comparison to red meat, a well known source of iron, blackstrap molasses provides more iron for less calories and is totally fat-free.
Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. And, if you’re pregnant or lactating, your needs for iron increase. Growing children and adolescents also have increased needs for iron.
Just 2 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses will sweetly provide you with 13.3% of the daily recommended value for iron.
A Spoonful of Molasses Helps Your Calcium Needs Go Down
Blackstrap molasses is a very good source of calcium. Calcium, one of the most important minerals in the body, is involved in a variety of physiological activities essential to life, including:
- The ability of the heart and other muscles to contract.
- Blood clotting.
- The conduction of nerve impulses to and from the brain.
- Regulation of enzyme activity.
- Cell membrane function.
- Calcium is needed to form and maintain strong bones and teeth during youth and adolescence.
- Help prevent the loss of bone that can occur during menopause and as a result of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Calcium binds to and removes toxins from the colon, thus reducing the risk of colon cancer.
- Because it is involved in nerve conduction, may help prevent migraine attacks.
Two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses will meet 11.8% of your daily needs for calcium.
An Energizing Mineral-Dense Sweetener
Molasses is also an excellent source of:
- Copper
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Magnesium
Copper, an essential component of many enzymes, plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes including:
- Iron utilization
- Elimination of free radicals
- Development of bone and connective tissue
- The production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin.
Numerous health problems can develop when copper intake is inadequate:
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Ruptured blood vessels
- Osteoporosis
- Joint problems such as rheumatoid arthritis
- Brain disturbances
- Elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good) cholesterol levels
- Irregular heartbeat
- Increased susceptibility to infections.
Using two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses to sweeten your morning cereal and the coffee or tea you drink during the day will supply you with 14.0% of the daily recommended value for copper.
That same amount of blackstrap molasses will also provide you with 18.0% of the day’s needs for manganese. This trace mineral helps:
- Produce energy from protein and carbohydrates
- The synthesis of fatty acids that are important for a healthy nervous system and in the production of cholesterol that is used by the body to produce sex hormones.
- Manganese is also a critical component of an important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is found exclusively inside the body’s mitochondria (the oxygen-based energy factories inside most of our cells) where it provides protection against damage from the free radicals produced during energy production.
Like calcium, potassium plays an important role in muscle contraction and nerve transmission. When potassium is deficient in the diet, activity of both muscles and nerves can become compromised. Potassium is an especially important mineral for athletes since it is involved in carbohydrate storage for use by muscles as fuel and is also important in maintaining the body’s proper electrolyte and acid-base (pH) balance.
When potassium levels drop too low, muscles get weak, and athletes tire more easily during exercise, as potassium deficiency causes a decrease in glycogen (the fuel used by exercising muscles) storage.
Simply by adding two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses to your morning smoothie, you can supply 9.7% of your potassium needs for the day along with a healthy dose of carbohydrates to burn.
Calcium’s balancing major mineral, magnesium is also necessary for healthy bones and energy production. About two-thirds of the magnesium in the human body is found in our bones. Some helps give bones their physical structure, while the rest is found on the surface of the bone where it is stored for the body to draw upon as needed.
Magnesium, by balancing calcium, helps regulate nerve and muscle tone. In many nerve cells, magnesium serves as Nature’s own calcium channel blocker, preventing calcium from rushing into the nerve cell and activating the nerve. By blocking calcium’s entry, magnesium keeps our nerves (and the blood vessels and muscles they enervate) relaxed.
If our diet provides us with too little magnesium, however, calcium can gain free entry, and the nerve cell can become over-activated, sending too many messages and causing excessive contraction. Insufficient magnesium can thus contribute to:
- High blood pressure
- Muscle spasms (including spasms of the heart muscle or the spasms of the airways symptomatic of asthma)
- Migraine headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Tension
- Soreness
- Fatigue
In two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses, you will receive 7.3% of the daily value for magnesium.
Switching from nutrient-poor sweeteners like white sugar or corn syrup, or from potentially harmful fake sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin to nutrient-dense blackstrap molasses is one simple way that eating healthy can sweeten your life.
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Well, Your post really opened my eyes and am wondering that why didn’t I know about it before. Will you suggest a good brand name or product?
Very well written wiht lots of useful info. Any suggestions where we can get this commercially?
What of the inference that M contains many harmful impurities and waste products?
Thank you.
Roni-Sydney
What is the optimum quantity of M one can consume daily?
Is the GL high?
Thanks,
Roni-Sydney
I think it still needs a lot of explanations to define everything about it. There are many ambiguities. Although it is good for iron purposes but I shall be searching it more for more information.
I heard that the benefits of eating honey or molasses over sugar is so small that it is practically non existant.
Thanks for that information. It’s very usefull for us….
Blackstrap molasses does have excellent health benefits, when it come to iron. I have iron defiant anemia, and I have been this product for years and never had a attack ! No more medication was needed after I started using this stuff.
Nicely categorised , very clean and straight, and an easy read , well done.
Louise
Very informative article. It’s things like this that make me wish that self interest didn’t guide us so that companies would use things like this in their products that they market to kids, and not cheaper things like high fructose corn syrup.
wow, i’ve never heard of blackstrap molasses before. i’ve been trying to find an alternative to sugar. i drink a lot of tea, a lot of it, and just recently i found a natural sweetener called truvia, which is from stevia. it has no calories or anything that is harmful, which is good.
what makes blackstrap molasses sound even better though is all of the healthy BENEFITS that it actually has. to have a sweetener that provides iron, calcium, and other necessary vitamins in order to live a healthy life is incredible.
thanks a lot.
Wow, a sweetener that is actually GOOD for you? Sign me up, I’m allergic to artificial sweeteners and sugar makes me gain too much weight so a healthier alternative would be outstanding.
Nice article on blackstrap molasses. Like many others here, I was also unaware of the unusually high iron content in this natural food.
As has been mentioned before iron is necessary for many of the bodies critical functions so there is no doubt that this alternative to direct sugar particularly white sugar is seriously beneficial. Most of this has been hashed out elsewhere, so its pretty well established.
However, what is not so well known about iron is that humans are not the only species that loves and needs iron.
Bacteria seek and are drawn to iron like bees to honey.
So much so, that during an bacterial attack, one of the first things that the body does is it tries to lock away its iron stores, so as not to FEED the bacteria.
The need for iron is strong on the part of bacteria that if you drop antibiotics in 20 petri dishes having bacterial growth most of the bacteria will die, however put some iron in there along with the antibiotics and guess what — The bacteria flourish and multiply despite the antibiotics.
So, what’s my point?
If you are already sick, on antibiotics or other natural remedies that have an antibiotic type action (GoldenSeal) – do not take iron in any form. Not iron pills, not in multi-vitamins not anywhere – including this wonderful black molasses.
If you are unsure of what you are reading here, talk to your doctor, this is not medical advice.
There are so many natural sweeteners out there that it is difficult to choose. It means that it is difficult to make a decision without doctor’s supervision. Anyhow thanks for all the information in article. I have been looking for such articles and information since 6 months. Your article is one of good article on the topic.
Good article, i’m going to try it in my morning cup of green tea instead of honey.
Ive tried a few natural sweeteners without much success but I haven’t tried backstrap molasses yet. Good tip.
This is great information in regards to all the trace minerals that are in Blackstrap Molasses. I wasn’t aware of all of that, but I know that its important to realize that there are much better options for sweeteners on the market.
Studies have shown stevia to treat diabetes.
My grandmother had a spoonful of blackstrap mollases everyday. I remember I would get one when I went over to her house. She will turn 98 this February! I am going out to get some!
[...] your coffee or tea, but also brings many health benefits to you. This post tells you more about blackstrap molasses health benefits. You may also visit Body By Design and read more posts about advices and hits on proven methods to [...]
Dear sir/madam
i read your intresting article about Blackstrap molasses on your bloges. and have soem question about the molassess that left over sufger processing.:
1) i am wondering whether these minral in molasses are organic (come from sugercane )or inorganic and come from chemical in suger cane processing.
2) what is molasses toxicty for human being,and disease that can be derived from molasses.
3) what chemicla are used for processing and sugercane to molasses.
4) how dangerous is consuming molasses as the bacteria growth ,yeast,fungy growth on molasses is high.
i would appreciate it if you respond me on your deep and reserached knowldege.
sincerely yours
Hamid
i know sulphore and carbone dioxe is used in some steps of teh process.
Blackstrap molasses is rumored to prevent and possibly reverse gray hair. this is probably because of the high copper content.
You can buy blackstrap molasses in Bulk Barn or in any supermarket at bakery needs department. Some info regarding blackstrap molasses can be found here http://www.regenerativenutrition.com//healingprocess.asp
I’m trying to find and purchase an unsulphured blackstrap molasses that has plenty of copper. So far, none of the brands that I have come across list copper in the nutrition facts label. The Plantation brand label actually says: Copper 0%. Why is that?
If anyone can point me in the right direction, please suggest a brand for me to try out. Thanks
Most definitely a beneficial tonic from our natural world and not by coincidence either.
I saw the same problem. I got organic black strap molasses from plantation and they don’t have any copper. Any reason?
Great article. I just started taking Organic Unsulphured blackstrap molasses instead of sugar a week ago. I heard that too much iron is potentially dangerous for you. If that is the case, how much molasses should I take and for how long?
I use “Plantation” Blackstrap Molasses – MFG by Allied Old English, Inc. Port Reading, NJ 07064. Best thing about this one is that it is Unsulphured! I brought it at a Health/herbal store in New York (The Health Nuts Store). It’s the best! Just make sure which ever one you buy it states its unsulphured.
I hear controversy on molasses.I happen to feel benefitted by it.My iron levels are great.I feel happy while it is in me.Can you verify how you know it too be safe as well?sharon
how does it help people with cancer???
i have been seeking for an alternative to refined white sugar, and i by chance read of molasses the newspaper article. So i decided to get the true picture of it online. And the revelation is overwhelming great. Thanks alot.
would like to inquire if its the processed molasses? or the black strap molasses that is being stored and produced by sugar mills? need clarifications thanks…
[...] molasses is purely organic and energetic as it provides sufficient carbohydrates and calories. The iron provided by the blackstrap molasses is a very important part of hemoglobin that routes the oxygen from lungs [...]
I love Organic Blackstrap mollasses and I mix fresh grinded ginger with mint leaves and blackstrap mollasses then pour hot water, thats my cup of tea. It can apparanly reverse grey hairs, lets see.
I’ve used unsulphured black strap molasses for a month & can vouch for the fact it has reversed my grey hair to a darker shade with a reddish pigment. With hair loss, I cannot use hair dyes.