We all deserve to know more about what we put in our bodies so today let's chat about the very underestimated grass... SUGARCANE! Grass? Yup, sugarcane belongs to the grass family poaceaean. This grass family also includes economically important seed plants like maize, wheat, rice, and sorgum and many forage crops.
Sugarcane plants takes 9 to 24 months to grow to maturity, depending on the climate, and they are the raw material that produces 80% of the world’s sugar (sucrose) production, while the plants are also used for making ethanol, molasses, bagasse, rum and other products.
It is one of the most efficient photosynthesizers in the plant kingdom. It is a C4 plant, able to convert up to 1% of incident solar energy into biomass.It can be grown on many different types of soils making it a very easy crop to cultivate. As long as it has plenty of sunshine and irrigated well it’s happy. It even grows in desert countries such as Egypt, because they have good irrigation systems to feed this beautiful plant.
The fibres of the sugarcane plant can be woven into mats; used for papermaking purposes; and added to other fibres to make fabric. It is also used for cutlery. In many Asian cultures, after the sugar water has been extracted the stalks are used to burn for electricity and energy. In lots of Asian cuisine, the stalks are used as skewers for adding extra flavour to chicken or meat dishes.
Sugarcane Health Benefits
Now let’s talk about it’s health benefits. Many of you may think that just because sugar comes from sugarcane that it is bad for you. Not true at all. Sugarcane juice is full of antioxidents, so it helps fights infections and boost the immunity. It's rich in iron, magnesium, calcium and other electrolytes so it's great for dehydration. It helps cure the common cold and other infections and also fight fever as it boosts the body's protein levels.
One of the most important health benefits of sugarcane juiceis that it is a diureticwhich means that it helps treat urinary tract infections, kidney stones and ensure proper functioning of the kidneys.According to Ayurveda, sugarcane juice helps strengthen your liver and is thus suggested as a remedy for jaundice.
WOW! What a plant! Now have yourselves a great weekend with all that new knowledge - and don't forget to munch some sungarcane! :)
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