How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Introduction

You'll feel warmed to the bone and relaxed after eating molasses. The gooey and thick nature of this sweetener gave rise to the famous phrase "as slow as molasses." One client observed these qualities, "The molasses was heavy and slow in movement - extremely viscous." Hot and heavy, molasses will ignite your digestive fire (agni) and ground the nervous system all at once.

Molasses is not your average sweetener. Its sour and bitter undertones are in stark contrast with molasses' strong sweet taste, making it an attractive option for desserts and cookies. This contrast in tastes also gives molasses a more balanced profile as a sweetener, Ayurvedcally. An added bonus of baking with molasses is the rich, sweet aroma of caramelized (slightly burnt) sugar that will waft through your home as you cook with it. Pouring this dark, sticky syrup resembles the spreading of thick, hot tar on a new road. While its dark color may be off putting to some, molasses hosts a number of unique benefits.

Molasses is made by boiling sugar cane juice and extracting the sugar crystals. There are several varieties of molasses, the difference being how many times it has been boiled. The sweetener has a dramatic history that you may not know about. In 1919, there was the Great Boston Molasses Flood. A distilling company was fermenting molasses into alcohol and their storage tank burst. This released a powerful and disastrous wave of thick molasses, traveling at 35 mph. The force of this wave was strong enough to demolish everything in its path, tearing down infrastructure, killing 21 people, and injuring many more. Locals in the affected neighborhood claim they can still smell the sweet, sticky molasses on a hot summer day, almost 100 years later.

Build Strong Blood

Molasses's dark, earthy color is a sign that molasses is a strong blood tonic. Hot, liquid, and mobile, molasses shares many qualities of the warm blood circulating through your veins. Its bitter sweet taste benefits the blood by cleansing toxins and building strength. The bitter taste clears congestion, stagnation, and excess heat in the blood. It also helps purify the bloodstream by drying out digestive toxins (ama). The sweet taste builds, strengthens, and nourishes blood and plasma tissue, when taken in small quantities.

In excess, however, molasses can actually clog circulation. Molasses is considered an abhisyandi in Ayurveda, meaning a substance that causes secretions which clog the minute channels of the body. The signs of abhisyandi include increased Kapha dosha, heaviness in the body, along with watery, sticky corners of the eyes where sleep gathers in the mornings. For this reason, it is best taken moderation and when digestion is strong.

Mineral rich molasses is well known as a potent blood tonic. It has a particularly affinity for the blood (rakta dhatu) and can help restore strength in certain cases of deficiencies. Molasses is a rich source of iron, an integral component for the creation of new red blood cells. This iron content also helps maintain healthy levels of hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. Like maple syrup, molasses offers a richer nutritional profile than refined sugars. One client explained, "The taste was strong and I could actually taste the minerals in the molasses... it had a dense and concentrated flavor."

The sour taste of molasses increases secretions in the body, rehydrating the blood. It is also a source of electrolytes including magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus.

Regulate Menstrual Cycle

Molasses also affects the blood by regulating menstrual flow. Its high iron levels can help reduce and prevent menorrhagia, or abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding. Its iron content makes it a useful tonic for anemic women as a result of heavy menstruation. Molasses may also help encourage menses in scant conditions due to nutritional deficiencies in the blood. It is warming and mobile which stimulates a cold or dry body and increases circulation of blood. One client observed how molasses affected her cycle, "I had just started my menstrual cycle and noticed less cramping and bleeding than usual. I was also calmer during my menstrual cycle, which never happens." Its sourness and warmth ease circulation and tension in the uterus, and have a relaxing effect during menstruation, reducing cramps. A glass of hot milk with a spoon of molasses can also be used as a rejuvenative tonic for rebuilding the blood after a woman has given birth.