Danger of adulteration in jaggery: Baking soda and detergent cause major harm to health, identify it at home like this

Jaggery is generally seen as a healthy alternative to sugar and is used extensively in everything from festivals to everyday food. But these days the cases of adulteration in jaggery available in the market are increasing. According to reports, at some places, harmful ingredients like baking soda, washing soda and even detergent are being mixed in jaggery. This adulteration is not only illegal but can also prove to be extremely dangerous for health.

According to Dr. Tushar Tayal, Associate Director, Internal Medicine Department, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, regular consumption of adulterated jaggery can cause serious health problems for the body. He says that due to adulteration of things like washing soda, baking soda and detergent, many types of chemicals enter the jaggery, which are harmful for the human body.

Dr. Tushar Tayal explains that these chemicals first affect the digestive system. Repeated consumption of such jaggery can cause problems like nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and severe imbalance of electrolytes. Apart from this, the risk of toxicity in the body also increases.

Affects kidneys and liver

According to experts, excess amount of baking soda increases the sodium level in the body. This can worsen the acid-base balance of the body and increase the risk of hypertension i.e. high blood pressure. This condition puts extra pressure on the kidneys, which can cause kidney damage. This condition is considered extremely dangerous especially for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease.

At the same time, the surfactant present in the detergent particles can reach the body and cause problems like sore throat, cough and allergic reactions. Apart from this, chalk powder or other non-food substances can increase stomach related problems and disturb the mineral balance in the body. Consuming such chemical-rich foods for a long time poses a risk of damage to the kidneys as well as the liver.

How to identify adulterated jaggery at home

Customers can adopt an easy method at home to identify adulterated jaggery. For this, fill a glass with water and dissolve a small piece of jaggery in it. If abnormal foam starts forming in the water or white colored particles start accumulating at the bottom of the glass, then it may be a sign of adulteration of chalk powder or washing soda.

Apart from this, the quality of jaggery can also be judged from its colour. According to experts, the color of natural and pure jaggery is dark golden-brown. If the color of jaggery appears very bright yellow or light, then it may be a sign of chemical processing or adulteration.

Experts advise to always buy jaggery from trusted stores and if in doubt, get it checked, so that serious health risks caused by adulterated jaggery can be avoided.

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