Does Black Molasses Help with Hirsutism Symptoms?
Hirsutism refers to the growth of excessive facial hair on women, usually on the upper lip, chin, and neck. Hirsutism is a common side effect of a condition known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, when a woman produces a more testosterone than normal, but can have a number of different causes.
Testosterone levels in the body affect your overall muscle mass, the deepness of your voice, and even your height, so a woman with excessive testosterone may have many of these typical male characteristics, as well as excessive facial hair. Most women with hirsutism are especially bothered by the male-pattern hair growth and are looking for ways to remove facial hair as permanently and effectively as possible. This article discusses, whether black molasses can help to effectively reduce hirsutism symptoms.
What is Black Molasses?
Before discussing whether or not molasses can help with hirsutism symptoms it’s good to understand what molasses is, and the difference between molasses and black or blackstrap molasses. Molasses is produced when the juice from mature or green sugar cane plants is boiled; after an initial boil, crystallized sugar is siphoned and collected. This initial process and sugar collection is “first molasses.”
The remaining juice is boiled again until it caramelizes; sugar crystals are removed from this caramelized juice, and packaged as standard molasses. One last boiling of the sugar cane juice produces a dark, viscous liquid referred to as black or blackstrap molasses.
How is Molasses Different Than Sugar?
Molasses and sugar both have a very sweet taste, while molasses and especially blackstrap molasses have a more distinct, deep, caramelized taste. This distinct taste can add flavor to certain dishes and enhance the taste of breads and other baked goods. The only drawback to cooking with molasses is that it might not mix very well, as it’s known to be thick and difficult to stir or even pour!
The most distinct difference between molasses and sugar, however, is that sugar has no nutritional value. Sugar contains no vitamins, trace minerals, protein, or other nutrients. Blackstrap molasses, on the other hand, contains iron, calcium, magnesium, B6, and selenium, all of which are needed for good health. You can then satisfy your sweet tooth while still doing something for your health when you use blackstrap molasses as a sweetener or as a nutritional supplement.
The Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses
Women with Hirsutism and other hormone-related conditions should be concerned about their overall health, not just their appearance, which is why it’s good to note some benefits of adding blackstrap molasses to your diet, or using it in place of raw sugar:
- While both molasses and sugar can elevate your blood sugar levels, molasses takes longer for the body to metabolize and digest. The longer the body needs to digest any form of sugar, the less likely it is to cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate, making molasses an excellent sweetener choice for those concerned about blood sugar levels.
- The calcium and magnesium in black molasses are building blocks of healthy bones. Calcium and Magnesium are needed to prevent osteoporosis, a condition that affects women especially, and can also help the body to build strong, dense bones less likely to break.
- Blackstrap molasses is a good source of iron, which is useful for those with anemia and other heart-related or blood-related condition. Added iron can offset feelings of fatigue that are common with anemia and low blood pressure.
- Bananas are packed with potassium, but so is black molasses! Potassium helps to regulate fluid levels in the body and control muscle contractions as well as nerve signals, so you have better balance and coordination.
Does Black Molasses Make Hirsutism Symptoms Worse?
Since black molasses can boost healthy hair growth, this might suggest that using molasses every day will only make hirsutism symptoms worse, not better. However, remember that excessive facial hair on women is caused by a hormonal imbalance, not by high levels of vitamins and minerals in the body!
Taking vitamin supplements meant for healthy hair growth won’t make hirsutism any worse, and neither will using blackstrap molasses. You can then use molasses every day for healthy hair on your head, for more radiant skin, and for all its other health benefits without worrying that it will make your hirsutism symptoms worse.
Does Black Molasses Help with Hirsutism Symptoms?
While much research still needs to be done, it may be the case that the many minerals in black molasses may help with hormone levels in the body. Proper levels of potassium ensure better communication along neural pathways, which can then help the body communicate. The magnesium in blackstrap molasses may also help with the hormone balance.
Healthy skin can also ensure that other treatment options for hirsutism symptoms are more effective, as it’s difficult to wax dry, flaky skin, or to pluck fine and thin hairs. Using blackstrap molasses can help so that your skin is healthier and more radiant, even after waxing, using hair removal creams, or going through laser hair removal (or other permanent hair removal), and that hairs are thick enough to be removed with an epilator or tweezers. The additional health benefits of blackstrap molasses also make it a perfect nutritional supplement for anyone, even those without hirsutism symptoms.
