Glycemic Index Rating, Pros, and Cons

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

To determine if coconut sugar makes sense for you, it’s important to look at factors such as glycemic index, processing and nutrition.

This article examines whether coconut sugar makes a suitable sugar replacement, including its nutritional composition and the pros and cons of using it.

Coconut sugar: Where it lands on the Glycemic Index

The glycemic index (GI) is a scale used to measure the impact of foods containing carbohydrates 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. Using the GI is especially relevant for individuals who have diabetes or are otherwise monitoring their blood sugar trends, but it can also be helpful 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 manage their blood sugar.

Coconut sugar usually falls around 35 on the GI scale, but table sugar is between 60 and 65. Although not a huge difference, coconut sugar has a slightly less dramatic effect on your blood sugar levels than table sugar.

Is Coconut Sugar a Good Sugar Substitute?

Coconut sugar is often marketed as a healthier alternative to refined sugar and has a number of potential benefits. However, it is important to consider various factors and not to view any sugar substitute as a one-size-fits-all solution.

Benefits

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

Side effects

Coconut sugar is still sugar. It is not meant to be eaten regularly or in large amounts but to help enhance the sweetness of certain recipes. Coconut and refined sugars are so similar that they can be used in the same ways in the kitchen with a simple 1-to-1 swap.

If you ate a lot of sugar, you would eat 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 quantities may increase your risk of inflammation, unintended 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 sugar, including coconut sugar.

Nutrition Facts: Coconut Sugar Per Serving

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 serving of 2 tablespoons, or 8 grams (g), 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 not always listed on the nutrition facts label, research has found that coconut sugar provides trace amounts of potassium, calcium, zinc, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and certain antioxidants.

Still, this does not mean that coconut sugar is a good source of micronutrients. You would have to eat a lot of coconut sugar to get any beneficial amount, which would add up to a lot of extra calories.

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

Making Coconut Sap and Sugar Extraction

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

First, you have to make a cut in the flower of the palm tree, which allows the sap to pour out. The sap is collected in containers and then exposed to high heat. This evaporates the juice and any remaining liquid.

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

Coconut sugar alternatives

If you’re looking for sugar alternatives but don’t want to rely on coconut sugar, there are many alternatives that can be used for cooking and baking, including:

• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is just white sugar and molasses, but has a similar color and texture to coconut sugar.
• Raw Turbinado: Turbinado sugar cane is made from sugar but retains some molasses from processing and gives it a caramel flavor.
• Honey or agave: If you don’t want the solid granules, honey or agave nectar can work well to sweeten recipes and drinks.
• maple syrup: Another liquid option, maple syrup gives it its unique smoky maple flavor.
• Sucanat: This comes from sugar cane but is less processed than cane sugar, resulting in a brown color and a caramel flavor similar to coconut sugar.
• Sugar Date: This is a far cry from table sugar as it is made from dehydrated ground dates. However, it is a minimally processed option, and dates are naturally sweet. It works well in certain cooked recipes – but be aware that it doesn’t melt like sugar.
• Stevia: Derived from the stevia plant, this is sweeter than coconut sugar and works best for sweetening drinks and baking.

There is no single best choice of sugar or sweetener. Choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences.

Summary

There is plenty of marketing hype for coconut sugar and other sweetening agents. Although coconut sugar is less processed, has a lower glycemic index, and has a slightly better micronutrient profile than table sugar, that does not mean “health food.” Added sugar is still added, and coconut sugar should still be used sparingly in your kitchen.