Molasses – Possibly The Richest, Sweetest, Most Affordable Sweetener – Health Benefits Galore

Grandma’s Molasses

I love molasses!  I absolutely love them.  They are so good for you and they are unbelievably inexpensive.  Have you ever tasted them?  Oh my goodness!  They are so rich and sweet.  They are not as thick and gooey as the expression, “slow as molasses.”  They’re more like honey.  Very manageable and such a great natural sweetener to give any recipe a richer, sweet, comforting flavor.  They also come in glass jars (at least that’s the only way I’ve seen them), which is great for reusing.  I’ve got quite the stash of Grandma’s Molasses jars.

Molasses come from the sugar cane plant.  Yes, that’s right, the same sugar plant as table sugar.  Molasses is actually the nutritious byproduct that is stripped away in the process of making white table sugar.  You’ve heard that sugar does nothing for you?  Or that it’s empty calories?  That’s because everything that was good about it got stripped away and is sold as molasses.  Meanwhile table sugar is everywhere and in everything, yet it’s not even the good stuff.  I  couldn’t tell you why they do it.  It makes no sense to me.  I’m a huge fan of molasses, and I can’t understand why anyone would want to strip the best part of sugar away.

I have a few staple, natural sweeteners. Molasses, honey, maple syrup, and dates.  They’re all pretty easy to find, taste amazing, and all have strong nutritional value.  Of all of these sweeteners, I actually prefer to use my molasses.  Do you have any idea how inexpensive molasses are?

Molasses are about $0.24/oz

Honey is about $0.30/oz

Maple syrup is about $0.58/oz

Chopped dates are about $0.41/oz

If you’ve ever examined the nutritional facts on your sugar, you’ve seen that it is just simple carbs and calories.  That’s because, as mentioned above, the molasses contain all of the nutrients.  Including:

Calcium

Magnesium

Manganese

Potassium

Copper

Iron

Phosphorous

Chromium

Cobalt

Sodium

Carbohydrates (energy)

Niacin

Vitamin B-6

Thiamine

Riboflavin

Molasses can provide relief from:

Menstrual-related issues

Obesity

Diabetes (has a moderate glycemic load of 55)

Stress

Cancer

Enlarged prostate

Skin ailments – including acne

Constipation

Headaches

Anemia

Molasses have been shown to provide improvements in:

Bone health

Electrolyte balance

Hair Care

Sexual Health

Nervous system function

Wound healing

Immune system function

Proper hemoglobin levels

Proper cellular formation

Healthy Pregnancy

Ok, so you see now that molasses are a very affordable natural sweetener.  You see that they are very good for you.  Perhaps, you aren’t sure how to use them.  Well, a mix of molasses, a little butter, ginger, cinnamon and salt can turn a bland cup of coffee into a gingerbread latte, or a warm cup of cocoa into a gingerbread cocoa that even Santa would approve of.  Molasses can easily be caramelized with butter and coconut milk for a yummy treat.  When using molasses to sweeten a nice chocolaty treat, such as brownies, they add so much depth and richness to the chocolate flavor.  Molasses make a great base for marinades and BBQ sauce, as well.  If you are still struggling, I’ve got a few recipes with molasses on the blog so far, and I can assure you there will be more to come.  Here are the ones I have so far, and please feel free to share some of your own in the comments:

Dark Chocolate Bark

Sweet Ginger Garlic Plantain Chips

Cashew-Date Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Caramel Bars

Quick Apple Crisp For 2

Read More:

14 Impressive Benefits of Molasses

http://www.naturalnews.com/043009_blackstrap_molasses_nutritional_supplement_health_benefits.html