Glycemic index assessment, pros and cons

Coconut sugar is a natural sweetener derived from the sap of the coconut palm tree. The sap is dried and processed into granules or sugar blocks for culinary use. It is often marketed as a healthier alternative to table sugar and with added benefits.

To determine whether coconut sugar makes sense for you, it is essential to look at factors such as the glycemic index, processing and nutrition.

This article examines whether coconut sugar is a suitable sugar substitute, including its nutritional value and the pros and cons of using it.

Coconut Sugar: Where It Places on the Glycemic Index

The glycemic index (GI) is a scale used to evaluate the impact of carbohydrate-containing foods on your blood sugar levels. It ranks them on a scale of 1 to 100, with higher values ​​indicating a faster rise in blood sugar levels. Using the GI is particularly relevant for people who have diabetes or who otherwise monitor their blood sugar trends, but it can also be useful for overall health and wellness.

Coconut sugar has a lower GI compared to regular sugar. This means it has a slower impact on blood sugar levels, which may benefit people who need to keep their blood sugar levels under control.

Coconut sugar generally falls around 35 on the GI scale, while table sugar is between 60 and 65. Although it’s not a big difference, coconut sugar has a slightly less dramatic effect on your blood sugar than table sugar.

Is coconut sugar a good sugar substitute?

Coconut sugar is often marketed as a healthier alternative to refined sugar and has some potential benefits. However, it is important to consider several factors and not view sugar substitutes as a one-size-fits-all solution.

Advantages

The main advantage of coconut sugar is that it is similar to table sugar and can be used in the same way to sweeten recipes and drinks. Compared to table sugar, coconut sugar has a slightly lower glycemic index and contains small amounts of several micronutrients that it retains during processing.

Side effects

Coconut sugar is still sugar. It is not intended to be consumed regularly or in large quantities, but to help enhance the sweetness of specific recipes. Coconut and refined sugars are so similar that with a simple 1-to-1 swap, they can be used in the same way in the kitchen.

If you ate a lot of sugar, you would consume a significant amount of calories without fiber, fat, protein and only minimal amounts of specific vitamins and minerals. Consuming coconut sugar (or any sugar) in large amounts can then increase the risk of inflammation, unintentional weight gain, and related diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Regardless of where it comes from, health experts recommend getting no more than 20% of your total daily calories from added sugars, including coconut sugar.

Nutrition Facts: Single serving of coconut sugar

Compared to table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, which provide calories without any nutritional benefit, coconut sugar provides several nutrients in addition to energy.

A 2 teaspoon or 8 gram (g) serving of coconut sugar has the following nutritional composition:

• Calories: 30
• Total fat: 0 g
• Sodium: 0 milligrams (mg)
• Total carbohydrates: 8 g
• Total sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 0 g

Although they are not always listed on the nutrition facts label, research has shown that coconut sugar contains trace amounts of potassium, calcium, zinc, vitamin C, magnesium, iron and certain antioxidants.

However, this does not mean that coconut sugar is a good source of these micronutrients. You would have to eat a lot of coconut sugar to get a beneficial amount, which would come with a lot of extra calories.

Although coconut sugar contains more nutrients than table sugar, you are much better off getting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from whole food sources such as fruits and vegetables.

Juice extraction and coconut sugar making

How is coconut sugar made? It is derived from the sap of the coconut palm tree, not from coconuts. The process of making coconut sugar consists of two main steps.

First you need to make a cut in the flower of the palm tree, which will allow liquid sap to flow out. The sap is collected in containers and then exposed to high temperatures. This causes the juice and any remaining liquid to evaporate.

Then the dried, crystallized solids are broken into granules that can be used as table sugar. The final product is brown in color and has a caramel-like taste.

Alternatives to coconut sugar

If you’re looking for sugar alternatives but don’t want to rely on coconut sugar, you can use several other options for cooking and baking, including:

• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is simply white sugar and molasses, but has a similar color and texture to coconut sugar.
• Rough turbinado: Turbinado sugar is made from sugar cane, but retains some molasses during processing and offers a caramel-like flavor.
• Honey or agave: If you don’t need the solid granules, honey or agave nectar can work well to sweeten recipes and drinks.
• Maple syrup: Another liquid option, maple syrup, brings its unique smoky maple flavor.
• Sucanat: This comes from sugar cane, but undergoes less processing than cane sugar, resulting in a brown color and caramel-like flavor similar to coconut sugar.
• Date sugar: This is far from table sugar, as it is made from dried dates. However, it is a minimally processed option and dates are naturally sweet. It works well in specific cooking recipes, but keep in mind that it does not melt like sugar.
• Stevia: Derived from the stevia plant, this is sweeter than coconut sugar and works best for sweetening drinks and in baking.

There is no one best sugar alternative or sweetener option. Choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences.

Resume

There is a lot of marketing hype for coconut sugar and other sweeteners. Although coconut sugar is less processed, has a lower glycemic index and has a slightly better micronutrient profile than table sugar, that doesn’t make it a “health food.” Added sugar is still added sugar, and coconut sugar should still be used in moderation in your cooking.