The phrase "molasses builds blood" is among the most widespread nutritional claims in Turkish cooking. There is a real content behind that claim, but the picture is more complex than it appears.
How much iron does molasses contain?
A hundred grams of grape molasses contains around 3 to 5 milligrams of iron.
That figure varies with the grape variety and the production method.
It can run higher in molasses produced traditionally and boiled in open vats.
An adult man needs 8 milligrams of iron a day and a woman 18.
A hundred grams of molasses therefore covers half a man's daily requirement.
But a hundred grams is not a practical portion.
A tablespoon is around 20 grams, which is 0.6 to 1 milligram of iron.
That is 8 to 12 percent of the daily requirement.
Not insignificant, but not sufficient alone either.
What separates haem from non-haem iron?
There are two kinds of iron in nutrition.
Haem iron occurs in animal sources: meat, liver, fish.
Its absorption runs 15 to 35 percent.
Non-haem iron occurs in plant sources: pulses, leafy greens, dried fruit, molasses.
Its absorption runs 2 to 20 percent.
That difference is decisive.
The iron in molasses is non-haem.
Only 0.05 to 0.15 milligrams of the 0.8 milligrams in a tablespoon gets absorbed.
That is 1 to 2 percent of the daily requirement.
Molasses therefore does not correct an iron deficiency on its own; but it contributes to the total intake.
| Source (100 g) | Iron | Type | Absorption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grape molasses | 3-5 mg | Non-haem | 2-10% |
| Red meat | 2.7 mg | Haem | 15-35% |
| Liver | 6.5 mg | Haem | 15-35% |
| Lentils (cooked) | 3.3 mg | Non-haem | 2-10% |
| Spinach (cooked) | 3.6 mg | Non-haem | 2-10% |
| Dried apricots | 2.7 mg | Non-haem | 2-10% |
| Tahini | 4.3 mg | Non-haem | 2-10% |
What increases absorption?
The absorption of non-haem iron is highly sensitive to what gets eaten alongside it.
The strongest enhancer is vitamin C.
Vitamin C in the same meal can increase non-haem iron absorption two- to fourfold.
Molasses should therefore be eaten with a source of vitamin C.
Oranges, mandarins, kiwi, strawberries and fresh peppers do that job.
Putting a slice of orange beside the molasses at breakfast is a simple, effective practice.
Haem iron also increases the absorption of non-haem iron.
Plant iron taken in a meal containing meat gets absorbed better.
Fermented products help too; their acidity keeps iron in a soluble state.
What blocks absorption?
Three groups of substances lower it.
The first is tannins. Tea and coffee are rich in them.
Tea drunk with a meal reduces iron absorption by 50 to 60 percent.
That is an important detail in Turkey; molasses and tea get consumed together at breakfast.
Tea should be drunk at least an hour after the meal.
The second is calcium. Milk and dairy products lower iron absorption.
Molasses and milk should not appear in the same meal.
The third is phytates, found in whole grains and pulses.
Soaking and fermentation reduce phytate levels.
Where a meal is built with those three blockers in mind, the contribution of molasses rises markedly.
Why is it eaten with tahini?
Tahini and molasses is a classic pair in Turkish cooking.
That combination makes sense nutritionally as well as in taste.
Tahini contains iron too: 4.3 milligrams per hundred grams.
It also provides protein, calcium, magnesium and healthy fats.
The fat slows the absorption of the sugar in the molasses.
That is an advantage for blood sugar.
The protein increases satiety.
Together the two make a more balanced meal than molasses alone.
But the calcium in tahini lowers iron absorption somewhat; that is an unrecognised disadvantage of the pairing.
Adding a source of vitamin C compensates for that effect.
What is the reality of calories and sugar?
That is the part most often skipped.
A hundred grams of grape molasses carries around 290 to 310 calories.
The sugar is 65 to 75 grams.
That sugar is natural; but it does not behave very differently from table sugar in the body.
A tablespoon of molasses — 20 grams — is around 60 calories and 14 grams of sugar.
That comes close to two sugar cubes.
The advantage of molasses is that it brings minerals and phenolic compounds alongside the sugar.
Table sugar provides calories alone.
That makes molasses the better option without making it unlimited.
For people with diabetes molasses counts as sugar and the portion needs controlling.
How much a day?
One or two tablespoons is a suitable quantity.
That is 30 to 40 grams and 90 to 120 calories.
Eating it with tahini at breakfast is the most widespread and most balanced use.
The quantity should halve for children.
A higher quantity is acceptable for athletes and people doing heavy physical work; it provides quick energy.
For someone diagnosed with iron deficiency molasses is not a treatment.
A supplement recommended by a doctor is needed in that case.
Molasses should be thought of as a supporting food.
The label should be read when choosing; genuine molasses contains only grape juice with no added sugar or glucose syrup.
A dark colour and thick consistency indicate traditional production; very fluid, pale products may have been diluted.
How is molasses produced?
The production method determines the product's nutritional content too.
In the traditional method grapes get pressed and the must is mixed with a calcareous earth.
That earth neutralises the acidity and lets the sediment settle.
The must then boils in open vats for a long period.
Water evaporates and the sugar concentrates.
The time runs six to twelve hours.
Maillard reactions occur during that long boil, creating the dark colour and the characteristic aroma.
Industrial production uses evaporation under vacuum at a low temperature.
That method gives a paler, less aromatic product but with lower nutrient loss.
Neither method is simply better than the other; the traditional route gives depth of flavour and the industrial one preserves more of the heat-sensitive compounds.
