In order to manage their condition, people with diabetes need to monitor their sugar intake. A good way of doing this might be by choosing a natural sweetener option. One of the more popular choices is coconut palm sugar.
In this article, we look at the effect coconut palm
sugar has on blood sugar (glucose) levels and whether it may be healthful for
people with diabetes.
What is
diabetes?
Is coconut palm sugar a safer
option for people with diabetes, who have to closely monitor their blood sugar
levels?
People with diabetes have bodies that do not
produce enough insulin or use
insulin correctly.
Insulin is the hormone needed to help the body to
normalize blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels are a measurement of the
amount of sugar in the bloodstream.
Most foods contain sugar. The body stores the sugar
and transports it through the bloodstream to the cells, which use it as energy.
When insulin is not working properly, sugar cannot
enter cells, and they are unable to produce as much energy. When the cells of
the body cannot process sugar, diabetes occurs.
What is
coconut palm sugar?
Coconut palm sugar is made from
the sap of the
coconut palm. The sugar is extracted from the palm by heating it until the
moisture evaporates. After processing, the sugar has a caramel color and tastes
like brown sugar, making it an easy substitution in any recipe.
Coconut palm sugar is considered a healthier option
for people with diabetes because it contains less pure fructose than other
sweeteners.
The digestive tract does not absorb fructose as it
does other sugars, which means that the excess fructose finds its way to the
liver. Too much fructose in the liver can lead to a host of metabolic problems,
including type 2 diabetes.
Can people
with diabetes eat coconut palm sugar?
While the American Diabetes Association (ADA)
do find coconut palm sugar to be an acceptable sugar substitute, they do not
appear to endorse its use.
Coconut palm
sugar and glycemic index
Some people believe coconut palm sugar is more
healthful because it is lower on the glycemic index (GI).
People with diabetes are encouraged to consume
foods with a low GI because they will not raise blood sugar levels as much as
foods with a high GI level. Any GI value of 55 or less is considered low, and
anything above 70 is high on the GI.
Both honey and cane sugar have GIs of
around 50, while the GI of coconut palm sugar, as reported by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Philippines,
is 35.
However, the University of Sydney have
measured the GI of coconut palm sugar at 54. Based on its chemical makeup, this
is thought to be the most likely value. Despite the difference in opinion,
coconut palm sugar is still considered to be a low GI food.
Issues with
looking at GI
There are several factors that
contribute to blood sugar levels after eating, including how the food is
prepared.
In the United States, there is no official GI rating
system. The ADA note, however, that GI numbers for specific foods differ based
on their source, and this would likely apply to coconut palm sugar.
According to the Joslin Diabetes Center, the
GI is not the best guideline for what happens to blood sugar levels after
eating.
There are many factors that influence the process,
including:
- the individual
- the content of the food
- how food is prepared
- what other foods are consumed
- the rate of digestion
Therefore, the ADA advise people to treat coconut
palm sugar as they would any other sweetener, including pure cane sugar. It is
also important to include the number of calories
and carbohydrates
it contains when planning meals.
People should always check the nutritional labels
on coconut palm sugar. This is because coconut palm sugar may contain other
ingredients, including cane sugar, which means its GI will be much higher than
noted in a rating system.
Coconut palm
sugar contains inulin
Inulin is a fermentable prebiotic fiber, beneficial
to gut bacteria that may help with controlling sugar levels in type 2
diabetics.
At least one research study finds
coconut palm sugar contains significant amounts of inulin.
A study from 2016 found that fermentable
carbohydrates might help to improve insulin sensitivity. They may also have
unique metabolic effects for those who are at high risk for diabetes.
Benefits for
women with type 2 diabetes
Another study finds that inulin provides some benefits
for women with type 2 diabetes, including blood glycemic control and
antioxidant status. Antioxidants protect the body from disease and damage.
More research is needed to further identify and
understand these findings to extend to other populations with type 2 diabetes.
Nutritional
value of coconut palm sugar
Coconut palm sugar contains the same number of
calories and carbohydrates as regular cane sugar.
In addition, coconut palm sugar and cane sugar both
contain:
- fructose, which is a monosaccharide, or single sugar
- glucose, which is a monosaccharide
- sucrose, which is a disaccharide that is made up of two sugars: half fructose, half glucose
However, the proportion of these sugars is
different in cane sugar and palm sugar.
Fructose
content
Coconut palm sugar and cane sugar contain nearly
the same amount of fructose, but there is more pure fructose in cane sugar,
which may cause problems for people with diabetes.
Often referred to as "simple sugars,"
sucrose, fructose, and glucose are also essential carbohydrates.
Sucrose is sugar that is common in many foods. It
is a natural compound and gives the body vital energy but can be harmful in
large quantities. Added sweeteners found in processed foods, desserts, and
beverages contain the most sucrose.
When sucrose is heated, it breaks down to form
fructose and glucose.
Fruits have a high level of
fructose.
High levels of fructose are found in:
- fruits
- agave nectar or syrup
- high fructose corn syrup
- foods with added sugars
High levels of glucose are found in:
- dextrose, also known as grape sugar or corn sugar
- some fruits
- starches, such as bread, grains, and pasta
- foods with added sugars
Other
nutrients found in coconut palm sugar
Coconut palm sugar may be considered a better
option, as it has more nutritional value than some other sugars.
Unlike cane sugar, it contains:
However, people should bear in mind that cane sugar
contains tiny amounts of these nutrients. Most people only consume a few
teaspoons of coconut palm sugar at a time, which actually contains less than 2
percent of all nutrients.
Healthful whole foods will provide dramatically
more of these same nutrients for fewer calories.
Conclusion
There is not enough sufficient research to back up
claims coconut palm sugar is more healthful, better, or different than any
other sugar for blood sugar.
While coconut sugar contains inulin, it may not
contain enough to significantly affect blood sugar levels. In addition, coconut
palm sugar is also just as high in calories as regular cane sugar.
Coconut palm sugar seems to be slightly more
beneficial than regular sugar but is still best consumed in moderation.
Therefore, individuals with type 2 diabetes should treat it the same as other
sugars and use it sparingly, as it still might raise blood glucose levels,
despite its possibly lower GI.
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