Sweeteners · Added Sugars

Blackstrap Molasses: Iron, Nutrition, Risks & Better Swaps

What blackstrap molasses is, the exact minerals in a tablespoon, what the two trials in people found for iron and constipation, how to make plant iron count, and the sweeteners Dr. Axe reaches for instead.

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS·16-min read

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Evidence-based32 sources citedUpdated October 9, 2026

Published Oct 3, 2026Last updated Oct 12, 2026Editorial policyMedical review policyFact-checking policy

Blackstrap molasses, the dark syrup left at the end of cane sugar-making.

The Dr. Axe Score™

4.8/10

Overall Dr. Axe Score · Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap scores 4.8: its minerals and its lab antioxidant reading are real, its research in people comes down to two randomized trials, and every tablespoon is still sugar.

Scientific Evidence

4.8/10

Two small randomized trials of blackstrap itself, plus lab and rat studies; no large trials.

Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory

5.0/10

Highest lab antioxidant reading of the sweeteners tested; no human inflammation trial.

Clinical Effectiveness

3.6/10

Our judgment: narrow uses, each from one small trial.

Nutrient Density

6.0/10

Per tablespoon: a fifth of the day's iron, nearly half its copper, with 8.9 g of sugar.

Why this score?

Why Blackstrap Molasses scores 4.8 / 10

Weighting: Evidence 30% · Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory 25% · Clinical Effectiveness 25% · Nutrient Density 20% (4.8×0.30 + 5.0×0.25 + 3.6×0.25 + 6.0×0.20 = 4.79, shown as 4.8).

A transparent, weighted index built for foods. See how it’s calculated →

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Blackstrap molasses at a glance

Blackstrap molasses is the dark, concentrated syrup left at the end of making sugar from sugarcane, and it carries real minerals along with its sugar. A tablespoon has 49 calories and 8.9 grams of sugar, with 3.6 milligrams of iron, 20% of the Daily Value, and nearly half the day's copper.1 2

Dr. Axe's view: molasses isn't among the sweeteners he recommends. Cane products aren't healthy, honey is a far superior option, and even honey should be used sparingly.
What the research shows: two randomized trials of blackstrap itself, one on iron in anemic breastfeeding women and one on constipation in children, plus lab tests that gave it the highest antioxidant reading of the sweeteners tested3 4 5
For low iron: test ferritin first, lean on liver and other organ meats, and pair plant iron with vitamin C 6 7
Dr. Axe's swap: raw honey first; dates or maple syrup where a recipe calls for molasses; all in small amounts and in place of other sweeteners
Choose unsulphured if sulfites bother you, and read the safety section if you have kidney disease or are feeding a young child

Blackstrap molasses is the thick, nearly black syrup left at the very end of sugar-making. Cane juice is boiled and its sugar crystallized out, round after round, until no more sucrose can practically be pulled from what remains.8 That last syrup holds much of what the white crystals left behind, including the cane's minerals and plant compounds, and it's why blackstrap has a reputation as an iron food.

Molasses isn't among the sweeteners we recommend in The Biblio Diet, the book I wrote with Jordan Rubin, and brown sugar is on its avoid list.9 I'd be careful with blackstrap the way I'm careful with cane sugar: it carries far more minerals, but it's still sugar from the cane. Honey is a far superior option. In our house, honey is the sweetener for everything, and we keep high-quality maple syrup for pancakes.10 Everyone should be careful even with natural sugars, so even honey is meant to be used sparingly.

I would use honey to replace any sweetener you have.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom 10 Biblical Superfoods That Can Add Years to Your Life, The Dr. Josh Axe Show (2026), at 24:34

Get My Guide to the 25 Bloodwork Markers

If low iron is why you're looking at molasses, start with your numbers. The free guide walks you through them:

The 25 markers that matter most, read against optimal ranges, not just "normal"
Where iron shows up: ferritin, alongside RBC magnesium, vitamin D and the rest of the panel
What each marker means and the actions to take

Root-cause guide · 25 Root-Cause Bloodwork Markers · Free

Cellular hs-CRP, HbA1c, insulin
Vitamins Vitamin D, MMA (B12)
Minerals Ferritin, RBC magnesium
Hormones Thyroid panel, cortisol
Heart ApoB, homocysteine
Actions What to do next

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Did you know?

Ayurveda, India's traditional medicine, prescribes formulas containing sugarcane derivatives for pandu, a condition similar to iron-deficiency anemia.11
Sugarcane's flavonoids, mainly forms of apigenin, luteolin and tricin, turn up at every stage of sugar processing, through to the by-products such as molasses.12
In 1890, Hall's Journal of Health reported that Louisiana sugar makers were piping sulphur fumes through cane juice to make their sugar and molasses lighter and brighter.13

What is blackstrap molasses?

Quick answer

Blackstrap molasses is the darkest, most concentrated grade of molasses, the syrup left when sugar has been crystallized out of boiled cane juice about as far as it practically can be.8 Compared with light molasses, it has less sugar and several times the iron and calcium per tablespoon.1 14

Molasses grades differ in how much sugar they keep, and the minerals climb as the sugar falls. Per 100 grams, the light grade that USDA lists simply as "Molasses" carries 74.7 grams of sugar, 4.72 milligrams of iron and 205 milligrams of calcium. Blackstrap carries 42.8 grams of sugar, 17.5 milligrams of iron and 860 milligrams of calcium.14 1

That label matters when you compare numbers. USDA's "Molasses" figures match Canada's figures for fancy (light) molasses number for number, and USDA's standard nutrient tables have no blackstrap entry of their own.14 15 If you've seen blackstrap credited with less than 1 milligram of iron per tablespoon, that's where the figure came from.

Molasses grades compared, per tablespoon
Grade	What it is	Per tablespoon
Light (fancy) molasses	The lightest grade and the highest in sugar; the one USDA lists as "Molasses"	58 calories; 14.9 g sugar; 0.94 mg iron; 41 mg calcium (in a 20 g tablespoon)14
Dark molasses	Darker than light molasses; tested alongside blackstrap in the U.S. antioxidant study below5	Not listed separately in USDA's or Canada's nutrient data
Blackstrap molasses	The final, darkest syrup, after the most sugar has been crystallized out	49 calories; 8.9 g sugar; 3.6 mg iron; 179 mg calcium1

Blackstrap carries nearly four times the iron of light molasses

Source: Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File · USDA FoodData Central [1]Each value uses its own record's tablespoon: 20.8 g for blackstrap, 20 g for light molasses.

Jars are also labeled "sulphured" or "unsulphured." Sulfur dioxide is a sulfiting agent, and U.S. rules require any food with 10 parts per million or more of sulfiting agents to declare them on the label.16 If sulfites bother you, see the safety section.

Blackstrap molasses nutrition facts

Quick answer

One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses (15 mL, 20.8 g) has 49 calories and 8.9 grams of sugar, with 3.6 mg of iron (20% of the Daily Value), 0.42 mg of copper (47%), 0.54 mg of manganese (24%) and 179 mg of calcium (14%).1 2

Calculated from Health Canada's Canadian Nutrient File, food 4300 ("Sweets, molasses, blackstrap"), at its 15 mL tablespoon of 20.8 grams. Canada notes these values are unchanged from USDA data. Daily Values are the FDA's.1 2

Nutrient	1 tablespoon (20.8 g)	% Daily Value	Per 100 g
Calories	49	n/a	235
Carbohydrate	12.6 g	5%	60.8 g
Total sugars	8.9 g	n/a	42.8 g
Sucrose (part of total sugars)	5.6 g	n/a	26.9 g
Fat and protein	0 g	n/a	0 g
Iron	3.6 mg	20%	17.5 mg
Copper	0.42 mg	47%	2.04 mg
Manganese	0.54 mg	24%	2.61 mg
Calcium	179 mg	14%	860 mg
Potassium	518 mg	11%	2,492 mg
Magnesium	44.7 mg	11%	215 mg
Vitamin B6	0.15 mg	9%	0.7 mg
Selenium	3.7 mcg	7%	17.8 mcg

That's a lot of mineral for 49 calories. A tablespoon covers about a fifth of the day's iron, nearly half its copper, a quarter of its manganese and a useful share of calcium, potassium and magnesium, and it arrives with 8.9 grams of sugar.

One tablespoon of blackstrap: nearly half the day's copper and a fifth of its iron

Source: Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File · FDA Daily Values [1]

Is blackstrap molasses good for you?

Quick answer

In Dr. Axe's view, it isn't a healthy sweetener: blackstrap carries real minerals and the highest antioxidant reading among the sweeteners in a U.S. lab comparison, but it's still sugar from the cane.1 5 Molasses isn't among his recommended sweeteners; he reaches for raw honey first and uses even honey sparingly.9 10

Where the research stands

Blackstrap molasses itself has been tested in people in two randomized trials. In a trial of 200 anemic breastfeeding women (184 finished), in which the women on molasses knew what they were taking, it raised hemoglobin from 9.47 to 12.11 g/dL over 90 days; in 92 children with constipation, in a trial where neither the families nor the researchers knew who got which syrup, it eased symptoms about as well as a standard laxative over a month.3 4 The rest of its research is lab measurement of its antioxidants and rat studies, and blackstrap hasn't been tested in people for blood sugar control, antioxidant status or hair.5 17

Blackstrap is also an added sugar. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines name molasses among the added sugars to look for on labels, say no amount of added sugar is recommended as part of a healthy diet, and cap one meal at 10 grams.18 A tablespoon of blackstrap carries 8.9 grams.1 To see where else added sugar turns up, read about hidden sugar foods and how much sugar per day is too much.

Blackstrap molasses benefits: what the research shows

On the research so far, blackstrap has the most support for raising iron stores in anemic women and easing constipation in children, each from one randomized trial, followed by lab and rat findings on antioxidants, insulin and bacteria.

Iron for low iron stores

Emerging evidenceHuman studyRandomized trial · 200 anemic breastfeeding women, 184 finished

In a randomized trial of 200 anemic breastfeeding women (184 finished), in which the women on molasses knew what they were taking, hemoglobin rose from 9.47 to 12.11 g/dL on 23.6 grams of blackstrap a day for 90 days, while the placebo group drifted down.3 The full design and results, and how to make plant iron count, are in the iron section below.

Study takeaway: a daily sachet of blackstrap raised hemoglobin from 9.47 to 12.11 g/dL in 90 days in anemic breastfeeding women.

Constipation relief in children

Emerging evidenceHuman studyRandomized trial · 92 children aged 4 to 12

Persian traditional medicine has used sugarcane preparations, blackstrap molasses among them, for children's constipation, and in 2019 researchers in Shiraz, Iran, put that tradition to the test. In a randomized trial in which neither the families nor the researchers knew who got which syrup, 92 children aged 4 to 12 took a 40% blackstrap syrup or polyethylene glycol, a standard laxative, at 1 mL per kilogram of body weight a day for a month. The blackstrap syrup gave similar results to polyethylene glycol: bowel movements per week rose in both groups, and holding back stool, hard or painful stools and large stools fell significantly at 2 and 4 weeks, with no side effects seen.4 The two groups differed only in how often large stools occurred. Before giving it to a child, read the safety section.

Study takeaway: a blackstrap syrup eased constipation in children about as well as a standard laxative over a month.

Antioxidant capacity

PreclinicalIn vitro (lab)Lab analyses · U.S. and Polish retail sweeteners

In a U.S. lab comparison of 12 types of sweeteners plus refined white sugar and corn syrup, dark and blackstrap molasses measured 4.6 to 4.9 millimoles of antioxidant capacity per 100 grams, the highest of the group, against under 0.01 for refined sugar.5 A Polish analysis of 17 sweeteners found the most polyphenols in sugarcane molasses, 11.4 grams per kilogram measured as gallic acid equivalents, and found antioxidant activity rising with phenolic content across the sweeteners tested.19

Study takeaway: dark and blackstrap molasses had the highest antioxidant reading of the sweeteners tested in the lab.

Dark and blackstrap molasses had the highest antioxidant reading of the sweeteners tested

Source: Phillips et al. · J Am Diet Assoc, 2009 [5]A lab measurement of antioxidant capacity per 100 grams of each sweetener.

Less insulin resistance than table sugar

PreclinicalAnimal studyRat study · 108 rats, 10 to 12 per group · 8 weeks

In rats fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet for 8 weeks, a daily dose of molasses carrying 1 gram of carbohydrate led to lower fasting insulin and less insulin resistance than the same amount of table sugar, and to lower levels of IL-1β, an inflammation signal, in the liver. Liver fat was similar between the two.17 The rats got retail molasses of an unstated grade.

Study takeaway: in rats on a high-fat, high-sugar diet, molasses led to lower fasting insulin than table sugar.

Antibacterial activity

PreclinicalIn vitro (lab)Lab culture · 17 sweeteners

In the same Polish analysis, sugarcane molasses killed Staphylococcus aureus at a 2% concentration and the drug-resistant strain MRSA at 4%, while other sweeteners needed 6% to 15% or didn't kill the bacteria at all.19 It's a lab culture result, and the researchers suggest sweeteners like this could one day support antibiotic therapy.

Study takeaway: sugarcane molasses killed staph bacteria at lower concentrations than the other sweeteners tested.

Is blackstrap molasses good for iron?

Quick answer

Yes, for a sweetener it's a rich source: about 3.6 mg of iron per tablespoon, 20% of the Daily Value.1 2 It's non-heme iron, the plant form, so pair it with vitamin C and keep tea and cocoa away from that meal.7 20

Blackstrap's iron trial ran in Faisalabad, Pakistan. It was a randomized trial of 200 breastfeeding women with iron deficiency severe enough to cause anemia, and 184 finished. For 90 days, each woman took one daily treatment: a sachet of 23.6 grams of blackstrap, a paste of blackstrap with dried dates, apricots and rapeseed, or a low-dose ferrous sulfate (iron) capsule, each set at 4.5 milligrams of iron, or a lactose capsule as the placebo, with no iron. Everyone was also dewormed and given nutrition counseling at the start, and since the molasses came in sachets and the comparisons in capsules, the women on molasses knew what they were taking.3

Iron markers before and after 90 days, by group (randomized trial, 184 anemic breastfeeding women finished)
Group	Hemoglobin (g/dL)	Ferritin (ng/mL)	Transferrin saturation (%)
Blackstrap, 23.6 g a day	9.47 → 12.11	10.35 → 12.85	13.07 → 19.153
Blackstrap with dates, apricots and rapeseed	9.29 → 12.33	9.60 → 13.03	13.23 → 19.933
Low-dose iron capsule	9.60 → 11.76	9.62 → 11.48	13.36 → 18.143
Placebo capsule	10.03 → 9.70	10.32 → 8.16	12.92 → 9.913

Ferritin is your body's stored iron, and transferrin saturation shows how much of the iron-carrying protein in your blood is loaded. Both moved the right way on blackstrap over three months, and at the same 4.5 mg of iron a day, hemoglobin ended significantly higher on blackstrap (12.11 g/dL) and the blackstrap blend (12.33) than on the low-dose iron capsule (11.76).3 Here's what happens to that iron after you swallow it.

1Plant iron in the spoon

The iron in blackstrap is non-heme iron, the form found in plants, which your body absorbs less readily than the heme iron in meat and organ meats.6

2Vitamin C converts it

Vitamin C turns ferric iron into ferrous iron, the form your gut takes up, and researchers rank it the most efficient enhancer of plant-iron absorption.7

3Tea and cocoa hold it back

In absorption studies in adults, drinks rich in polyphenols cut iron absorption from a bread meal by 50% to 90%: black tea by 79% to 94% and cocoa by 71%, and coffee and herb teas held it back too.20

4Your stores set the pace

Estimates put iron absorption at 14% to 18% from mixed diets and 5% to 12% from vegetarian diets in people with empty iron stores, and your iron status generally shapes absorption more than what's in your diet.21

5No exit for extra iron

Your body has no pathway to excrete iron it doesn't need, so absorption is its only control.21

If you're low in iron, liver and other organ meats come first for me. In my episode on iron deficiency, I put it this way: "Doing organ meats, and especially liver, is the number one food or supplement for building back your iron levels."6 Start with beef liver, and see iron-rich foods for the rest of the list. For plant iron, I recommend pairing it with a vitamin C-rich food like kiwi, strawberries or citrus, or a squeeze of lemon juice.6 Save your black tea or coffee for between meals.

Before you try to fix low iron with food or anything else, ask your doctor for ferritin and a full iron panel. Low iron has a cause worth finding, and taking iron you don't need carries its own risk.21

Three markers that show your iron status

A blood draw shows where your iron stands. These markers show your iron stores and whether low iron has reached your red blood cells.

Ferritin: Your stored iron.
Hemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying protein in your red blood cells. It falls when low iron has turned into anemia.
Transferrin saturation: How much of the iron-carrying protein in your blood is loaded with iron.

See the cellular bloodwork panel

Have results? Analyze them free →

What to use instead of blackstrap molasses

Quick answer

Raw honey is Dr. Axe's number-one sweetener, and where a recipe calls for molasses, date paste or maple syrup can stand in: maple syrup and date sugar are on his sweetener list, and he suggests date paste.22 9 All of them are still sugars, so use them sparingly and in place of molasses, never on top of it.23

Dr. Axe's sweetener swaps, in order
Swap	Where it ranks	How to use it
Raw honey	Number one, still used sparingly	A teaspoon up to a tablespoon when you add a sweetener23
Dates and date paste	Date sugar is on Dr. Axe's sweetener list, and he suggests date paste; a whole-food swap for molasses' dark, sticky sweetness	Blend dates with water and swap the paste one to one for sugar9
Maple syrup	On Dr. Axe's sweetener list	In small amounts, in place of other sugars9
Monk fruit, stevia, allulose	The next best options after honey, with few or no calories	For sweetness without the sugar load22

When you do add a sweetener, honey is the best: a teaspoon up to a tablespoon, and most people do fine with that, especially around exercise.23 Use honey in place of other sweeteners, not on top of them. Piling honey onto maple syrup, coconut sugar and cane sugar only adds to the sugar load.23 Never give honey to a baby younger than 1 year old,24 and if you have asthma or have had a severe reaction to bee stings or bee products, don't assume honey is safe for you.

Dates are a sweetener my wife Chelsea and I use in some recipes. They're concentrated sugar, but they bring fiber and nutrients along with it,25 about 1.6 grams of fiber per Medjool date.26 For low- or no-calorie options, see monk fruit, stevia, allulose and the full list of sugar substitutes.

Questions about iron or sweeteners?

Ask Dr. Axe AI. Answers are grounded in this library, with sources shown.

Is blackstrap molasses safe?

Quick answer

The main cautions with blackstrap are sulfites in sulphured jars, its potassium if you have kidney disease or take a medication that raises potassium, and young children, who shouldn't have added sugar.27 28 18

Before you use blackstrap molasses:

Children under 4: The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines say to avoid added sugars from birth to age 4, and molasses counts as one.18 The constipation trial treated children 4 to 12 under study supervision, so for a constipated child, work with your child's practitioner instead of dosing molasses at home.4
Sulfite sensitivity: Sulfite additives can cause hives, flushing, stomach pain and diarrhea, and rarely, severe asthma attacks or anaphylaxis. A 2009 review put sulfite sensitivity at 3% to 10% of people with asthma, with greater risk in steroid-dependent asthma, highly reactive airways and chronic asthma in children.27 Choose a jar labeled unsulphured and read the ingredient list, and see sulfite allergy.
Kidney disease or a potassium-raising medication: A tablespoon carries 518 mg of potassium.1 With chronic kidney disease, potassium intake is adjusted to keep blood levels in range,28 and some medications raise potassium, especially when the kidneys are impaired,29 so check with your doctor before making molasses a regular food. See hyperkalemia.

You may also see a California Proposition 65 warning on a jar. Legal settlements with molasses sellers require a cancer warning on their molasses above 325 parts per billion of acrylamide and a warning for birth defects or other reproductive harm above 35 parts per billion of lead.30 31 Those numbers are label thresholds set in the settlements. If you want to know where a jar stands, ask the maker for its lead and acrylamide test results.

The bottom line

Should you use blackstrap molasses?

Blackstrap molasses is the last, most concentrated syrup of sugar-making, and its numbers are real: about 3.6 mg of iron and nearly half a day's copper in a tablespoon, two randomized trials in people, and the highest antioxidant reading of the sweeteners tested in one lab comparison. It's still sugar from the cane, so I'd be careful with it. When you want something sweet, reach for raw honey first, and use dates or maple syrup where a recipe calls for molasses, all in small amounts and in place of other sweeteners.

If low iron brought you here, test ferritin first, put liver and other organ meats at the top of your plate, and pair plant iron with vitamin C. The safety section covers sulfites, kidney disease and young children.

Give your body the right raw materials and it knows what to do with them, and trading up your sweetener is one of the easiest places to start.

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Blackstrap molasses: frequently asked questions

Is blackstrap molasses good for you?

In Dr. Axe's view, it isn't a healthy sweetener: it carries real minerals, about a fifth of the day's iron and nearly half its copper per tablespoon, but it's still an added sugar from the cane.1 18 He doesn't list molasses among his recommended sweeteners; he reaches for raw honey first and uses even honey sparingly.9 10

Is blackstrap molasses a good source of iron?

For a sweetener, yes: a tablespoon has about 3.6 mg of iron, 20% of the Daily Value.1 2 It's plant iron, so vitamin C with the meal helps, and tea or cocoa with the meal can cut absorption by half or more.7 20

How much blackstrap molasses should I take for anemia?

There's no established amount for anemia. In a randomized trial of 200 anemic breastfeeding women (184 finished), in which the women on molasses knew what they were taking, blackstrap given at 23.6 grams a day for 90 days alongside deworming and nutrition counseling raised hemoglobin from 9.47 to 12.11 g/dL; that study dose hasn't been tested as a home treatment.3 If you think your iron is low, have your doctor check ferritin and a full iron panel first, and look to liver and other organ meats, Dr. Axe's top iron foods.6

Is blackstrap molasses better than iron pills?

At the same low dose of iron, it raised hemoglobin more in one trial. In a randomized trial of 200 anemic breastfeeding women (184 finished), in which the women on molasses knew what they were taking, hemoglobin ended at 12.11 g/dL after 90 days on 23.6 grams of blackstrap a day, against 11.76 on a low-dose iron capsule carrying the same 4.5 mg of iron.3 Whatever the source, test ferritin and a full iron panel before adding iron.

What's the difference between blackstrap molasses and regular molasses?

Blackstrap is the darker, more concentrated grade, with less sugar and several times the minerals. Per tablespoon it has 8.9 grams of sugar and 3.6 mg of iron, against 14.9 grams and 0.94 mg in the light molasses USDA lists as "Molasses."1 14

Is unsulphured blackstrap molasses better?

Yes, if you're sensitive to sulfites: choose a jar labeled unsulphured and check the ingredient list, since foods with 10 parts per million or more of sulfiting agents must declare them.16 Sulfite reactions range from hives and flushing to, rarely, severe asthma attacks.27

Does blackstrap molasses help constipation?

In children it did in one randomized trial: among 92 children aged 4 to 12, in a trial where neither the families nor the researchers knew who got which syrup, a blackstrap syrup gave similar results to the standard laxative polyethylene glycol over a month, with no side effects seen.4 Children under 4 shouldn't have added sugar, so for a constipated child, work with your child's practitioner rather than dosing molasses at home.18

Does blackstrap molasses raise blood sugar?

Yes. A tablespoon carries 8.9 grams of sugar, 5.6 grams of it sucrose, so count it as sugar if you have diabetes or insulin resistance.1

Can blackstrap molasses help gray hair?

There's no evidence that it does: blackstrap hasn't been tested for gray hair in people.

Why does blackstrap molasses carry a cancer warning?

Because of acrylamide: California legal settlements with molasses sellers require a Proposition 65 cancer warning on their molasses above 325 parts per billion of acrylamide, and a warning for birth defects or other reproductive harm above 35 parts per billion of lead.30 31 Those are label thresholds set in the settlements, and the maker can tell you a jar's test results.

Is blackstrap molasses better than honey?

In Dr. Axe's view, no: honey is a far superior sweetener and his number-one choice, though even honey should be used sparingly.22 10 Molasses isn't on his sweetener list.9

Is blackstrap molasses healthier than brown sugar?

It carries far more minerals: per 100 grams, 17.5 mg of iron and 860 mg of calcium, against 0.71 mg and 83 mg in brown sugar.1 32 Both are added sugars, and brown sugar is on Dr. Axe's avoid list, so for sweetening, he points to honey instead.18 9

What can I use instead of blackstrap molasses?

Raw honey is Dr. Axe's first choice.22 Where a recipe calls for molasses, date paste or maple syrup can stand in, in small amounts; he suggests blending dates with water and using the paste one to one in place of sugar.9

How much blackstrap molasses is safe a day?

There's no amount you need: the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines recommend no added sugar and cap one meal at 10 grams.18 A tablespoon of blackstrap has 8.9 grams of sugar, so a single spoonful nearly fills that limit.1

Is blackstrap molasses high in potassium?

Yes: a tablespoon has 518 mg of potassium, 11% of the Daily Value, along with 44.7 mg of magnesium.1 2 If you have kidney disease or take a medication that raises potassium, read the safety section before using it.

Freshness & update log

October 9, 2026 — Trimmed repeated book references.

October 6, 2026 — Matched Dr. Axe's quotes to his own words, with their sources.

October 3, 2026 — Rebuilt the 2024 page "Blackstrap Molasses Benefits, Nutrition and How to Use" to the current DrAxe.com standard under Dr. Axe's byline. Replaced the approximate nutrition list (for example, "Calories: 60" and iron at "20%–45% DV") with exact per-tablespoon values from Health Canada's Canadian Nutrient File blackstrap record, and explained that USDA's "Molasses" record describes the light grade. Added Dr. Axe's position: molasses isn't among the sweeteners he recommends, and raw honey comes first, then dates or maple syrup, all used sparingly. Removed the glycemic-load and glycemic-index figures and the claims that blackstrap stabilizes blood sugar and suits people with diabetes; the chromium study cited for them tested chromium supplements, not molasses. Removed benefit claims resting on other products or on no study (PMS, stress, cancer prevention, skin, bones, ADHD, arthritis, cholesterol and hair). Added the two randomized trials of blackstrap itself, on iron in 200 anemic breastfeeding women and on constipation in 92 children, with their numbers, and replaced the home dose for constipated children with guidance to work with the child's practitioner. Corrected the warning-label answer: the warnings on molasses come from California Proposition 65 settlements, a cancer warning for acrylamide and a birth-defect and reproductive-harm warning for lead. Removed the tablespoon-a-day advice and the recipe suggestions. Added the Dr. Axe Score, three charts, an iron-absorption diagram, a guide to plant iron, safety guidance for sulfites, kidney disease and young children, and 32 numbered references.

References

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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This article is for educational purposes. See our medical disclaimer.

On this page

What is it?
Nutrition facts
Is it good for you?
Benefits, ranked
Iron and anemia
Better swaps
Safety
The bottom line
Should you use blackstrap molasses?
FAQ

Quick facts

What it isThe final, darkest syrup of cane sugar-making
One tablespoon49 calories, 8.9 g sugar
Iron3.6 mg per tablespoon (20% DV), plant iron
StandoutsCopper, manganese, iron, calcium
Dr. Axe's swapRaw honey, used sparingly; dates or maple syrup in recipes
Upper limitNo more than 10 g of added sugar per meal (2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines)
Sulfite cautionUnsulphured, if sulfites bother you
Interaction checkLow: medications that raise potassium (see safety)

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