The Benefits Of Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap molasses is a natural sweetener. The ultra-thick, dark, viscous syrup provides a bittersweet but robust flavor to recipes such as baked beans and gingerbread cookies. Blackstrap is one of several types of molasses, and is the concentrated byproduct of the process of refining sugar cane into table sugar, according to the World's Healthiest Foods. Unlike most other sweeteners, blackstrap molasses is nutrient-rich -- a good source of several important minerals.

Major Minerals

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutritive Value of Foods, one tbsp. of blackstrap molasses provides 172 mg of calcium, meeting 17.2 percent of the recommended daily value, or DV. Few natural, non-fortified, dairy-free food items provide a concentrated source of calcium in such a small serving size. Calcium is essential for building and maintaining strong, healthy bones and teeth.

One tbsp. blackstrap molasses provides 498 mg of potassium, or 14.2 percent of the DV, and meets approximately 10 percent of the DV for magnesium. Potassium, in conjunction with calcium and magnesium, helps to regulate blood pressure, and diets rich in these minerals may lower high blood pressure. Magnesium is also important for energy metabolism.

Trace Mineral: Iron

Blackstrap molasses is a good food source of the trace mineral iron. One tbsp. provides 3.5 mg of iron, meeting nearly 20 percent of the DV. Like calcium, iron can be a commonly deficient nutrient, particularly for vegans.

Iron deficiency is the number-one nutrition-related disorder in the world, according to the World Health Organization. As much as 80 percent of the world's population may be iron-deficient, while roughly 30 percent may suffer from iron-deficiency anemia. Serious consequences of iron-deficiency anemia include slow social and cognitive development, difficulty maintaining a normal body temperature, suppressed immunity and glossitis, or tongue inflammation.

Copper and Manganese

Blackstrap molasses is rich in two other trace minerals, copper and manganese. According to ELook, One tbsp. provides 0.41 mg of copper, or 20 percent of the DV, and 0.52 mg of manganese, or 26 percent of the DV. According to the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, copper helps the body use iron effectively; plays an important role in bone and cartilage development; and is one of several nutrients involved in energy metabolism, enabling your cells to use the energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Manganese, like copper, aids in the formation of bone and cartilage.