Coconut sugar is a truly natural sweeteners ideal for diabetics looking to satisfy their sweet tooth. This is because coconut sugar is not really a “sugar”. What has been termed coconut sugar is a natural sweetener made from the sap of coconut blossoms.
New to Western countries, coconut sugar has been used as a natural sweetener by the indigenous people of South East Asia for thousands of years. Though some refer to coconut sugar as “palm sugar” it is important to note that coconut sugar is not palm sugar. Real palm sugar is made from the sap of the date palm, whereas coconut sugar is made from the sap of coconut blossoms.
Coconut Sugar Is A Low Glycemic Sweetener
| Low Glycemic Foods | GI = 55 or less |
| Medium Glycemic Foods | GI = 56-69 |
| High Glycemic Foods | GI = 70+ |
Coconut sugar is a low glycemic sweetener but not a calorie free food. The GI rating of coconut sugar is 35 and one tbsp of coconut sugar has just 10 calories. This makes coconut sugar the ideal sweetener for diabetics looking for an all natural sweetener that tastes very similar to brown sugar. But, because coconut sugar is one of the least processed sweeteners on the market today, its color and sweetness can vary depending on the type of coconuts used as well as the season and location of harvest.
Coconut Sugar Is A Nutritious All Natural Sweetener
Coconut sugar is far healthier than conventional sugars such as brown sugar, traditional white sugar and even raw sugar and can be used as a 1:1 sugar substitute in baking.
What makes coconut sugar healthier than conventional sugars is its extremely high mineral content. Besides being a rich source of iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc, coconut sugar also contains over 16 amino acids and four different B vitamins.
But, what makes coconut sugar a truly unique sweetener is the presence of inositol, also known as vitamin B8. Inositol is a low glycemic carbohydrate which gives coconut sugar most of its sweet flavor. Inositol consumption is especially beneficial to diabetics because this vitamin is believed to help relieve the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Because of its impact on the central nervous system inositol supplements are also recommended as a treatment for anxiety, depression, bipolar mood disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorders.
Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/araswami/
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January 15, 2012 at 2:17 PM
We are a Raw And Organic food importer.
Earth Circle Organics.
We saw the article on coconut sugar, we carry it From Bali.
We would love to get you folks some samples of our Raw Cacao, butter and paste so you might do a product evaluation
How can we contact to arrange shipping?
Eric Juell
January 16, 2012 at 8:45 PM
Hi Eric, I just emailed you the info
January 16, 2012 at 2:29 AM
Where can I find the research on that the coconut sugar contains inositol?
January 16, 2012 at 6:16 PM
Hi Janet, I initially use wikipedia as a source and then follow the links cited in those articles. The wikipedia article on coconut sugar mentions its high inositol levels. But, if you do a quick google search for “coconut sugar inositol” you’ll also find the same information.