By: Ana Margarita Olar| Foodfindsasia.com
Coco sugar is a boiled and dehydrated sap of coconut palm. The supposed health benefits of this coco sugar are now making it a well-known commodity for those who are health conscious.
Here are some health benefits that could be derived from using coco sugar:
NUTRIENT CONTENT
Advocates of coco sugar don’t claim that it is a super food but it does offer a certain amount of vitamins and minerals compared to the regular table sugar.
It has trace amounts of potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, calcium, iron, and zinc. Coco sugar also contains small amounts of phytonutrients such as polyphenols, flavonoids. anthocyanidin, and antioxidants.
It also has B vitamin called inositol often used as a mood booster.
LESS FRUCTOSE CONTENT
A sugar contains both fructose and glucose. Glucose is a molecule that is vital to living and fructose is not. Agave nectar is 90% fructose; a high fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose. Coco sugar, on the other hand, has just 45% fructose making it a much better option.
Why is this important? Because according to studies, consuming fructose higher than what you seasonally get from ripe fruits can cause: increased blood level of uric acid, it converts quickly to triglyceride (a form of fat), causes insulin resistance, and makes you crave more sweet foods.
ACTS AS PREBIOTIC
Coco sugar contains good amounts of inulin, a type of dietary fiber that acts as a prebiotic that feeds you intestinal bifidobacteria (a probiotic).
According to clinical research, prebiotics like inulin support gut health, blood sugar balance, prevents colon cancer, facilitates bone mineralization, and boosts immunity.
LOW GLYCEMIC IMPACT
The glycemic index (GI) is the measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels. The higher the glycemic index, the higher the blood sugar level.
Coco sugar ranks 35 in this index, much lower than the GI of regular table sugar that ranges 60-75. Low GI foods have been shown to reduce postprandial glucose and insulin responses and improve blood glucose and lipid concentration, thus making coco sugar a promising sweetener for diabetics
HEALTHY FATS
According to Dr. Jonny Bowden in his article 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, coconut provides healthy fats, including lauric acid which have antiviral, antimicrobial, and immune boosting effect and may even help fight against certain types of cancer.
While there have been debates as to the nutritional and health impact of coco sugar, studies have shown that it may be a promising sugar for diabetics, a long-term nutrition intervention study is still recommended to further obtained more data regarding the benefits of coco sugar.
