Have you ever walked the aisles of your favorite store and found a new product that looks intriguing?
I’ve been seeing coconut sugar more and more. What once started out as a small display tucked between other sugar products has now escalated to full-blown endstand displays.
What’s the difference between cane sugar and coconut sugar? And is it any better for you than the regular stuff?
What coconut sugar promises is to cause a lower rise in your blood sugar levels than other types of sweeteners. The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly different foods raise your blood sugar level. Cane sugar was found to have a GI of around 60, compared to coconut sugar which has a GI of around 54.
That may sound good in theory, but sugar is sugar. Sugar doesn’t provide nutrients to the human body. It has virtually no vitamins or minerals. And the more you take in, the more your blood sugar levels continue to rise.
Sugar is also high in fructose. And while doctors are still researching what fructose does to the human body, they do agree that excessive fructose triggers many conditions including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Don’t believe the rhetoric that coconut sugar is fructose-free. Instead, coconut sugar contains sucrose, which is half-fructose. That means it’s used and triggered within the body in similar fashion to fructose. And when consumed in excess, it can impact you in the same way as every other type of sugar.
Bottom line: if you’re going to use coconut sugar, think of it as an alternative to table sugar. Use it sparingly. Although not as processed as other types of sugar, coconut sugar still isn’t good for the human body.