Palm sugar was traditionally made from the sap of the sugar palmyra palm.

My uncle used to own sugarcane fields and he always told us that the light colored jaggery gets the color by a chemical process where in tons of a particular chemical (Hydrose - If I remember right) are added to the natural dark colored jaggery to bleach it. He always advised us not to buy the light colored ones while laughing at our generation’s ridiculous fascination with it.

Comment-

Blackstrap molasses is waste product of refined cane sugar production. it comes with slightly sweet to bitter variety depending on remnant sugar. Karupatti however is from neera, the sweet sap of palmyra flower and produced at cottage level where palm trees are abundant. Neera when fermented becomes “Toddy” and when allowed to stand over extended time becomes vinegar retaining all original nutrients (in fact there is increase of nutrients)with all alcohol converting to vengar. I presume Ayurveda’s range of Arishtams are venegars containing extracts of various herbs. You can have jaggery from date palm sap (popular in W. Bengal), Palmyra palm sap,coconut palm sap apart from sugarcane juice. The constituents greatly vary from white sugar which is no where natural and is poison compared to palmyra jaggery which has half the glycemic index of white sugar apart from a lot of minerals -see comparison -http://www.sweet-tree.biz/ (extracts below);

Macro-nutrients (mg / l - ppm, dry) Coconut Palm Sugar Brown Sugar Refined, White Sugar
Nitrogen (N) 2,020 100 0
Phosphorus (P) 790 30 0.7
Potassium (K) 10,300 650 25
Calcium (Ca) 60 240 60
Magnesium (Mg) 290 70 10
Sodium (Na) 450 20 10
Chlorine (Cl) 4,700 180 100
Sulfur (S) 260 130 20
Boron (B) 6 0 0
Zinc (Zn) 21 2 1.2
Manganese (Mn) 1 2 0
Iron (Fe) 22 0.6 0.6
Copper (Cu) 2 12.6 1.2
Source: COMPARISON OF THE ELEMENTAL CONTENT OF 3 SOURCES OF EDIBLE SUGAR - Analyzed by PCA-TAL, Sept. 11, 2000. (MI Secretaria et al, 2003) in parts per million (ppm or mg/li)
Health Attributes of Palm Sugar Nutrients:
Macro-nutrients Health benefits provided by these nutrients
Nitrogen (N) help treat cardiovascular diseases
Phosphorus (P) important for bone growth, kidney functions and and cell growth
Potassium (K) reduces hypertension, helps regulate blood sugar, helps control cholesterol levels and weight
Calcium (Ca) vital for strong bone and teeth, and for muscle growth
Magnesium (Mg) essential for metabolism, nerves and stimulates the brain (memory)
Sodium (Na) plays a key role in the functioning of nerves and muscles
Chlorine (Cl) corrects the pressure of body fluids and balance the nervous system
Sulfur (S) important for healthy hair, skin and nails, also helps maintain oxygen balance for proper brain function.
Boron (B) essential for healthy bone and joint function, enhances body’s ability to absorb calcium and magnesium
Zinc (Zn) called the “nutrient of intelligence” is necessary for mental development
Manganese (Mn) has antioxidant, free-radical-fighting properties, is important for proper food digestion and for normal bone structure
Iron (Fe) vital for the quality of blood, mental development and the immune system
Copper (Cu) helps to release energy, helps in melanin production in the skin, helps in the production of red blood cells and aid in the absorption and transport of iron.
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All the above benefits are available only when you source jaggery which has been least processed even if it contains sand or vegetable waste. If you allow any one to process it as a commecial product the benefts will be lost both due to so called industrial processes and greed of profit. of late i have come across articles praising benefits of consuming vegetables and fruites with minimal cleaning to take advantage the benefits of nutrients in root systems and in the skin. of course the vegetables and fruites are organically grown and donot contain high toxic loads of inorganic fertilizers, insecticides etc. In fact jaggery is regularly given to workers in under ground mines or where airborn particle pollution is high and one has opinion on a few grains of sand. it is this attitude the indudtry and trade has exploited with active support of pharma companies and medical production to implant a false sense of cleanliness and purity. It is time people should boycot all processed and packed food items including milk, sugar, flour, milled & polished cereals pulses and consume fresh locally produced vegetables and fruits.