Piloncillo; (panela raspadura, chancaca or piloncillo, muscovado sugar, gur, jaggery, khandsari) is raw, unrefined, non-centrifugal cane sugar with a high molasses content. it contains what sugar producers call impurities. It turns out that these so-called impurities are essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, and iron, as well as small amounts of fluorine and selenium. Piloncillo is pure natural cane sugar concentrated by boiling. There are no additives. In addition to being a food source as rich as honey. Piloncillo has been discovered to have some unique medicinal properties. It has the reputation of being a medicinal sugar and is prescribed for use in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Ancient Medical scriptures dating back to 2500 years state how piloncillo [also known as Jaggery in the Ayurvedic] purifies the blood, prevents rheumatic afflictions and disorders of bile and possesses nutritive properties.

Piloncilo per 100 grams
Vitamins	Mg	Carbohydrates	Mg
Pro Vitamin A	2	Sucrose	72 - 78
A	3.8	Fructose	1.5 - 7
B1	0.01	Glucose	1.5 - 7
B2	0.06	Minerals Mg
B5	0.01	Calcium	40 - 100
B6	0.01	Magnesium	70 - 90
C	7	Phosphorus	20 - 90
D2	6.5	Sodium	19 - 30
E	111.3	Iron	10 - 13
PP	7	Manganese	0.2 - 0.5
Protein	280	Fluorine	5.3 - 6
Water*	1.5-12g	Zinc	0.2 - 0.4
Calories	312	Copper	0.1 - 0.9

A paper presented at the Workshop on Biopersistence of Respirable Synthetic Fibers and Minerals held 7-9 September 1992 in Lyon, France showed that industrial workers in dusty or smoky environments seemed to experience no discomfort if they consumed the sugar cane product Panela after experimental studies were undertaken to observe the effects of it on dust-exposed rats. The enhanced translocation of coal particles from lungs to tracheobronchial lymph nodes was observed in jaggery-treated rats. Moreover, the jaggery reduced the coal-induced histological lesions and hydroxyproline contents of lungs. The lesions induced in omental tissue and regional lymph nodes by a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg each of coal and silica dust were modified by jaggery (0.5 g/rat, 5 days/week for 30 days). These findings along with the preventive action of Panela on smoke-induced lung lesions suggest the potential of jaggery as protective agent for workers in dusty and smoky environments. Source Anand P. Sahu and Ashok K. Saxena, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow, India. Published in the Environ Health Perspect. 1994 Oct;102 Suppl 5:211-4.

It also prevents tooth decay being a natural energy replacement for refined sugar. Constipation (in babies), which is very frequent with white sugar, disappears. It prevents nutritious anaemia and rickets. Thrush or aphthae rarely returns. Children are more alive and full of vitality. Source Dr. N.H. Beguin, Pronatec S.A. - Switzerland.