Read on to know more about the benefits of refreshing sugarcane juice.
Sugarcane – A Brief
Scientific Name – Saccharum officinarumFamily – PoaceaeOrigin – Papua New GuineaOther Names – Ganna (Hindi), Karumbu (Tamil), Karibpu (Malayalam), Cheruku (Telugu) Belonging to a grass family, sugarcane is easy to grow anywhere and is available at very cheap prices. Even though it is native to Papua New Guinea, it has become a part of the crop production of more than half of the world, including Asia and America. You can either eat pieces of sugarcane or drink a glass of sugarcane juice topped with mint, ginger, and black rock salt.
Interesting Sugarcane Facts
Sugarcane has no fats. It is, in fact, a 100% natural drink. It has about 30 grams of natural sugar. Hence, you do not have to add extra sugar for sweetness.
It is a grass plant of the genus saccharum and has 36 varieties.
In 1493, Christopher Columbus took sugarcane to the Caribbean to plant it there and thus, the cultivation of sugarcane spread across the world.
A mature sugarcane plant can grow up to 30 feet tall. A single sugarcane plant can take 9-24 months to become mature, depending on the climate.
Sugar extracted from sugarcane juice contains only 15 calories.
Sugarcane juice is a mix of sucrose, fructose, and many other glucose varieties. Hence, it is sweet to taste.
An 8-ounce serving of sugarcane juice without any additives carries a total of 180 calories, which is quite low.
Raw sugarcane juice contains a total of 13 grams of dietary fiber per serving, which is essential in carrying out a lot of body functions.
Why Sugarcane Juice Is Absolutely Amazing
Skin Benefits
Health Benefits
Skin Benefits Of Sugarcane Juice
Sugarcane juice can help in rejuvenating your skin within no time. Listed below are the benefits of sugarcane juice for your skin.
1. Cures Acne
Using sugarcane juice on a regular basis has been found to be effective in curing skin problems like acne. So, if you are prone to acne, try sugarcane juice face mask for effective results.
Sugarcane juice Multani mitti
- Mix some multani mitti in the sugarcane juice to form a liquid of medium consistency. 2. Apply the mask on your face and neck generously. 3. Leave it on for about 20 minutes. 4. Use a wet towel to clean your face and neck. Use this remedy at least once a week. Sugarcane juice is a good source of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid, which helps to increase cell turnover (1). Also, acne results from blocked skin pores that sugarcane juice helps to remove by exfoliating your skin and thinning down the accumulation of dead cells (2).
2. Protect Your Skin From Aging
Are you worried about the untimely wrinkles that are making you look much older than your age? No worries! You can delay the signs of aging with the help of sugarcane juice. The presence of antioxidants, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds makes sugarcane juice a good option to achieve glowing, soft, and moisturized skin (3).
Health Benefits Of Sugarcane Juice
Let’s look at the amazing sugarcane juice benefits for your health.
3. Instant Energy Booster
If you are experiencing dehydration, sugarcane juice is one the best sources of instant energy. It is capable of lifting up your spirits and mood within no time leaving you all refreshed and charged. Sugarcane contains simple sugars (sucrose) that are easily absorbed by your body (4). These sugars are utilized to replenish the lost sugar levels in the body (5).
4. Ensures Safe Pregnancy
Sugarcane juice has been found to be a great addition to a pregnant woman’s diet. It facilitates quicker conceptions and safer pregnancy. This amazing juice contains trace amounts of folic acid or vitamin B9 that is known to protect from neural birth defects like Spina bifida (6). Also, research has discovered that sugarcane juice minimizes ovulating problems in women, thereby increasing chances of conception (7).
5. Prevents Bad Breath And Tooth Decay
Bad breath is a major cause for social embarrassment. If you have a history of tooth decay leading to bad breath, you should consider sugarcane juice as a home remedy. Sugarcane contains a host of minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, which help build your teeth enamel (8). The consistent flow of nutrients prevents decay and strengthens your teeth (9). Also, bad breath is another symptom of nutrient deficiency that sugarcane juice helps counter (10).
6. Facilitates Development Of Bones And Teeth
Hand a sugarcane stick or a glass of tasty sugarcane juice to every growing child, and you can gladly forget teeth-related and bone-related problems. Sugarcane is an extremely rich source of calcium that helps build your skeletal strength, including bones and teeth (11), (12). This makes it one of the best ingredients that contribute to a child’s growth.
7. Cures Febrile Disorders
Sugarcane juice is known to be extremely beneficial for curing instances of febrile disorders that are extremely common in growing kids. Febrile disorders are notorious for causing fevers with high temperatures. They cause protein loss, thus making it a risk for the body. Sugarcane juice is known to replenish this loss of protein (13).
8. Aids Liver Functioning
The yummy sugarcane juice is regarded as one of the best treatments for liver-related illnesses like jaundice.
1 glass of fresh sugarcane juice A dash of lime
Drink a glass of sugarcane juice mixed with lime, twice every day. Jaundice occurs due to poor functioning of the liver as well as clogged bile ducts. Sugarcane maintains the glucose levels in your body and ensures speedy recovery (14). Also, being alkaline in nature, sugarcane juice helps maintain electrolyte balance in your body, and thus stops your liver from going into overdrive (15).
9. Acts As A Digestive Tonic
If you have been suffering from digestive distress, you should consider including sugarcane juice in your diet for a healthier and stress-free life. Potassium present in sugarcane juice helps balance the pH levels of your stomach and facilitates the secretion of digestive juices (16).
10. Combats Cancer
This might come as a surprise to you, but sugarcane juice can also be a comprehensive deterrent to fatal diseases like cancer, especially prostate and breast cancer. Recent research has discovered that the presence of flavonoids in sugarcane inhibits the multiplication of cancerous cells in the mammary glands, thus reducing the risks of breast cancer (17).
11. Aids People Suffering From Diabetes
Is sugarcane juice good for diabetics? If you think sugarcane juice is a bad choice just because you are suffering from diabetes, then you are wrong. Sugarcane can, in fact, be consumed by people with diabetes, but in moderation. Sugarcane contains sucrose that has a low glycemic index. This helps to keep your blood sugar levels in control (18) (19).
12. Treats Sore Throat
If you feel a sudden itching or irritation in your throat, drink a glass of sugarcane juice with a dash of lime and black salt to soothe it. Vitamin C is found abundantly in sugarcane juice and is the main reason that makes it a good remedy for a sore throat. Sugarcane juice is also a rich source of antioxidants that ward off any viral or bacterial infections (18) (19) (20).
13. Heals Wounds
Other than boosting your immunity, sugarcane juice also helps in speeding up the recovery of wounds. Sugarcane juice contains sucrose that is naturally capable of healing any kind of wound in a small span of time (21). You can also dab some sugarcane juice over the wound for better results.
14. Strengthens Body Organs
The regular consumption of sugarcane juice assists in making our important organs stronger so that they can work well and in sync with other organs. Since sugarcane juice is full of essential sugars, it helps in strengthening our organs like the sensory organs, reproductive organs, and the brain (22).
15. Prevents DNA Damage
Sugarcane juice can protect you from radiation-induced DNA damage that can affect your brain. It is full of antioxidants that prevent the oxidative degradation of cellular fats and lipids and control DNA damage (23) (24).
16. Aids Weight Loss
Even though it is sweet, sugarcane juice can help you shed a few extra kilos. Sugarcane juice is known to reduce the bad cholesterol in our body, which is one the main reason for weight gain. It is also high in soluble fibers that help us manage our weight (24).
17. Eliminates Toxins From Our Body
Having sugarcane juice on a regular basis helps in cleansing the body of harmful toxins and other foreign elements. It also boosts our metabolism. This detoxification process gradually leads to weight loss (25).
18. Beneficial In Treating UTI
The wonderful sugarcane juice helps maintain kidney health and prevents the problems associated with Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). To use it to treat UTI, take a glass of sugarcane juice mixed with lemon and coconut water twice a day. Sugarcane juice is known to increase the protein levels in the body. This prevents many kidney-related diseases like stones, UTI, STDs, and prostatitis. It also relieves the burning sensation that accompanies these disorders (26).
19. Good For Nail Health
Do you have discolored and brittle nails that need to be camouflaged with a variety of nail arts and paints? Try having sugarcane juice to combat this problem. The lack of nutrients makes our nails lifeless and brittle. Since sugarcane juice is full of nutrients, it nourishes your nails and makes them healthy.
20. Increases Muscle Power
Having sugarcane juice twice a day is known to increase your muscle power by providing much-needed glucose to the body (27).
21. Reduces Fever
You may not know this, but sugarcane juice is actually helpful in treating fever. Drinking sugarcane juice drinker can prevent protein loss, which may lead to weakness and pain (28).
22. Treats Acidity
Since sugarcane juice is alkaline in nature, it can soothe acidity and burning in our stomach and intestines. It also helps maintain the acid-base balance in our body (29).
23. Boosts Our Immunity
Sugarcane juice is full of essential antioxidants that help in strengthening our immune system by multiple folds (30). They fight against a number of diseases, including those of the liver and digestive system. These antioxidants also neutralize the bilirubin levels in the body.
A Word Of Caution
Even though sugarcane juice doesn’t have any major risk factors, it generally depends on the conditions it is prepared in. Here are a few things you need to be aware of:
Drinking a glass of sugarcane juice at a roadside stall might seem to be the easiest option. However, if it is prepared in unhygienic conditions, it might lead to Chagas disease or diarrhea. This is because sugarcane juice is considered to be the best breeding ground for microorganisms.
Never drink sugarcane juice that has been outside the fridge for more than 15 minutes as it may have adverse effects on your stomach and intestines.
Make sure that the stall you are planning to buy the drink from is not using too much oil on its crushing machines as that oil can cause harm to your body.
Do not take more than two glasses of sugarcane juice daily (two only when you have jaundice) as anything in excess can harm your body.
Recipes Using Sugarcane Juice
There are a number of tasty and ingenious recipes that use sugarcane juice. Let’s take a look at a few:
1. Homemade Sugarcane Juice
1 sugarcane 1 tbsp ginger chopped Lemon juice to taste Black salt to taste
- Peel the skin of the sugarcane and chop it into small pieces. 2. Transfer all the ingredients to a blender and blend till the mixture is smooth. 3. Use your hands to juice out the puree, strain it into a glass and refrigerate it for a few hours. Serve chilled.
2. Sugarcane And Ginger Slush
1 cup sugarcane juice 2 tbsp ginger juice 1 tbsp brown sugarcane 1/2 tsp black salt
- Mix the ingredients and transfer them to a refrigerator tray. Freeze for 12 hours. 2. Blend them until they form a slush. Enjoy your cup of slush on a hot day!
3. Other Juices
One of the best parts of sugarcane juice is that it can be blended with any other juice to form a yummy mocktail. You can mix sugarcane juice with
Pomegranate juice Watermelon juice Coconut water Musk melon juice Mosumbi juice
How To Select And Store Sugarcane
Selection
The harvesting of sugarcane usually depends on the age of the plant. This practice is, however, not the correct method since it does not take into account that the cane might have become overripe and aged. Instead, pick sugarcanes that have yellowed and whose leaves are dry. Tap on the mature cane. If you hear a metallic sound, it means that the cane is perfectly ripe and ready to be cut and consumed. Also, while cutting, make slanting swerves closer to the root.
Storage
When you are purchasing large stalks, it is best to cut them into smaller pieces so that you can refrigerate them. Make sure you rinse the stalks thoroughly and wait till they are completely dry before keeping them in the refrigerator. Also, wrap each cut end of the stalks with a plastic wrap and securely fix it with an elastic band. This will prevent moisture loss from the stalks and keep them juicy fresh. If proper care is taken, they will be good to go for two weeks.
Nutritional Profile Of Sugarcane Juice
Quantity- 28.35 g How long can sugarcane juice last? Consume freshly made sugarcane juice with half an hour as it gets spoiled too fast. Also, avoid having unrefrigerated juice if it isn’t freshly made. Storing for more than a few hours in the fridge is also not advised. Is sugarcane juice good for acidity? Yes, having sugarcane juice is a good way to neutralize acidity in the stomach as it is alkaline in nature. Have this juice with a dash of ginger and avoid squeezing lemon in it while drinking. A little amount of black salt in sugarcane juice also helps cure acidity. Is sugarcane juice good for cold? Our body loses a lot of fluid when we suffer from a running nose or common cold. This loss can be easily regained with the help of sugarcane juice. This juice keeps our body hydrated and provides the much-needed energy boost. Can I drink sugarcane juice on an empty stomach? Yes, you can drink sugarcane juice on an empty stomach before noon. Does sugarcane heat the body? No, it is a fantastic energy booster that has a cooling effect. Thus, it lowers your body temperature. Is sugarcane juice good for sperm count? A study examining the effects of sugarcane juice on reproduction in male rats found that it boosted testosterone levels, sperm count, and the percentage of sperm viability significantly (31).
