2584: Is Coconut Sugar Healthy? Here’s What You Should Know by Sally Kuzemchak of Real Mom Nutrition

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[00:01:35] This is Optimal Health Daily, episode 2584.

[00:01:38] Is Coconut Sugar Healthy?

[00:01:40] Here's what you should know by Sally Kazumczyk of RealMomNutrition.com

[00:01:45] and I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator.

[00:01:48] Happy Monday! Thank you so much for being here

[00:01:51] and welcome back to a new week of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:01:54] This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web,

[00:01:58] kind of like an ongoing audiobook.

[00:02:00] And with that, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:02:05] Is Coconut Sugar Healthy?

[00:02:11] Here's what you should know by Sally Kazumczyk of RealMomNutrition.com

[00:02:18] Coconut sugar is trendy right now,

[00:02:20] billed as a wholesome alternative to sugar

[00:02:22] and cropping up in recipes for healthier baked goods.

[00:02:25] It's even been dubbed a superfood.

[00:02:28] It's also a lot pricier than sugar.

[00:02:31] At my neighborhood grocery store,

[00:02:32] a 1-pound bag of coconut sugar costs $3.49

[00:02:37] while a 4-pound bag of store brand white sugar was on sale for $1.89.

[00:02:43] That's 10 times the cost per ounce.

[00:02:46] So, are there benefits to coconut sugar that make it worth that extra cost?

[00:02:51] Is coconut sugar healthy?

[00:02:53] Is it better for you than other forms of sugar?

[00:02:56] Let's take a look.

[00:02:58] What is Coconut Sugar?

[00:03:00] Coconut sugar is made using sap from flower buds on the coconut tree.

[00:03:05] The sap is heated and dried to form granules of sugar.

[00:03:08] Coconut sugar is brown in color and has a slight caramel flavor.

[00:03:13] Organic coconut sugar comes from crops grown without the use

[00:03:16] of synthetic pesticides and herbicides.

[00:03:19] Coconut sugar can be used one for one

[00:03:22] in place of white table sugar in recipes,

[00:03:24] though your recipes may come out and taste a bit different when using it.

[00:03:29] Is Coconut Sugar Good For You?

[00:03:32] Here are the facts about coconut sugar nutrition.

[00:03:35] Per teaspoon, it has the same number of calories,

[00:03:38] about 15, and grams of carbohydrates,

[00:03:41] about 4, as table sugar.

[00:03:44] According to the label,

[00:03:45] it has 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of protein,

[00:03:49] and 0% of the daily value for vitamins A, C, calcium, and iron.

[00:03:57] You may have seen information online about how nutritious

[00:04:00] coconut sugar is compared to regular sugar,

[00:04:03] but the high amounts of vitamins and minerals

[00:04:05] mentioned in articles are usually based on a much larger amount

[00:04:09] of coconut sugar than you'd actually eat.

[00:04:12] For instance, I saw a comparison chart online

[00:04:15] showing that coconut sugar has 10,000 milligrams of potassium.

[00:04:19] Wow, that's a lot!

[00:04:21] The catch?

[00:04:22] That's the amount in 1 kilogram of coconut sugar,

[00:04:26] in other words, about 5 cups.

[00:04:29] I've also seen claims that coconut sugar is healthier

[00:04:32] than other sweeteners because it's free from fructose,

[00:04:35] which some research suggests may not be good for the body

[00:04:38] when consumed in large amounts.

[00:04:40] But coconut sugar is actually up to 90% sucrose,

[00:04:44] and sucrose breaks down in the body into glucose and fructose.

[00:04:49] Is coconut sugar added sugar?

[00:04:52] Yes.

[00:04:53] When you put coconut sugar in your coffee

[00:04:56] or when it's used in packaged foods and recipes,

[00:04:59] it's considered an added sugar,

[00:05:01] just like white sugar, molasses, honey, and agave nectar.

[00:05:05] Is coconut sugar good for weight loss?

[00:05:08] Per teaspoon, coconut sugar has the same number of calories,

[00:05:12] about 15,

[00:05:13] and grams of carbohydrate, about 4,

[00:05:16] as regular table sugar.

[00:05:18] There is no evidence that coconut sugar

[00:05:20] has any magical weight loss powers.

[00:05:22] Is coconut sugar better for blood sugar?

[00:05:25] One of the main selling points of coconut sugar

[00:05:28] is that it is better for blood sugar

[00:05:30] because it has a lower glycemic index than white sugar.

[00:05:34] That's true,

[00:05:35] but it's not as clear-cut as it sounds.

[00:05:37] First,

[00:05:38] here's what the glycemic index actually is.

[00:05:41] The glycemic index ranks foods on a scale

[00:05:44] from 0 to 100

[00:05:46] based on how much they raise the blood sugar

[00:05:49] after eating them.

[00:05:50] A low glycemic index food,

[00:05:52] which would be 55 or less on that scale,

[00:05:55] means it won't cause your blood sugar to spike

[00:05:58] as much as high glycemic index foods,

[00:06:01] which would be those that are 70 or more on that scale.

[00:06:05] It's thought that eating a diet

[00:06:07] rich in lower glycemic index foods

[00:06:09] is good for your health

[00:06:10] because it can help keep blood sugar levels lower.

[00:06:13] That, in turn,

[00:06:14] can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

[00:06:18] There are claims that the glycemic index

[00:06:20] of coconut sugar is 35,

[00:06:22] which would make it much lower than regular table sugar,

[00:06:25] which has a glycemic index of 60.

[00:06:28] When I dug into the source of this value,

[00:06:30] it appears to be based on a study

[00:06:32] of 10 subjects

[00:06:33] from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute

[00:06:36] in the Philippines.

[00:06:37] Ten people doesn't sound like a lot,

[00:06:39] but it's actually all that's needed

[00:06:41] to determine the glycemic index value of a food,

[00:06:44] and that's just one drawback of the glycemic index.

[00:06:47] The glycemic response

[00:06:48] can also vary from person to person

[00:06:51] and change depending on

[00:06:52] what else is eaten during the meal,

[00:06:54] and it has nothing to do

[00:06:55] with how nutritious a food actually is.

[00:06:58] For instance,

[00:06:59] jelly beans are slightly lower on the index

[00:07:02] than red potatoes,

[00:07:03] even though jelly beans are obviously candy

[00:07:06] and red potatoes are rich in fiber,

[00:07:08] vitamin C,

[00:07:09] and potassium.

[00:07:10] What's more,

[00:07:11] the official glycemic index

[00:07:13] actually ranks coconut sugar at 54,

[00:07:16] which is much closer to table sugar at 60.

[00:07:19] So,

[00:07:20] if all the hype about coconut sugar

[00:07:22] is based around its ranking

[00:07:23] on the glycemic index,

[00:07:24] that feels a little flimsy to me.

[00:07:27] Is coconut sugar better for you

[00:07:29] than brown sugar?

[00:07:30] Probably not.

[00:07:32] Brown sugar is simply

[00:07:33] white sugar from sugar cane

[00:07:35] or sugar beets

[00:07:36] with molasses added to it

[00:07:38] for flavor and color.

[00:07:40] Coconut sugar comes from sap

[00:07:42] from flower buds on the coconut tree.

[00:07:44] Neither sugar is particularly

[00:07:46] healthy or wholesome.

[00:07:47] If you have diabetes and find that

[00:07:49] coconut sugar in your coffee

[00:07:51] doesn't raise your blood sugar as much,

[00:07:53] opt for that.

[00:07:54] Otherwise,

[00:07:55] use the sweetener you like best

[00:07:57] and can afford

[00:07:58] and use it in moderation.

[00:08:00] Is coconut sugar less processed?

[00:08:02] Coconut sugar is touted

[00:08:04] as being less processed

[00:08:05] than regular table sugar.

[00:08:07] Coconut sugar is made by

[00:08:09] heating the sap

[00:08:10] until the liquid evaporates off,

[00:08:12] then grinding it into granules of sugar.

[00:08:14] It's akin to raw table sugar

[00:08:16] which does not have molasses removed

[00:08:18] and retains a darker color.

[00:08:20] On the other hand,

[00:08:21] white sugar is cleaned

[00:08:23] by removing molasses

[00:08:24] and impurities

[00:08:25] using lime and carbon dioxide.

[00:08:27] White sugar is also filtered

[00:08:29] and spun in a centrifuge

[00:08:30] to remove impurities.

[00:08:32] So it sounds like

[00:08:33] coconut sugar does involve

[00:08:34] fewer steps to take it

[00:08:36] from plant to bag.

[00:08:37] And it is unrefined

[00:08:39] which means that

[00:08:40] impurities aren't removed.

[00:08:41] But unrefined isn't the same

[00:08:43] as unprocessed.

[00:08:45] There is still processing involved

[00:08:47] in making coconut sugar.

[00:08:49] What are the disadvantages

[00:08:51] of coconut sugar?

[00:08:52] Coconut sugar is much more expensive

[00:08:54] than regular white sugar

[00:08:56] so you'll be spending more to use it.

[00:08:58] There's also the risk

[00:08:59] that people will think

[00:09:00] it's so healthy

[00:09:01] they should be eating more of it

[00:09:03] than they would regular sugar.

[00:09:05] Fact is,

[00:09:06] all added sugars

[00:09:07] should be used in moderation

[00:09:08] whether that's coconut sugar,

[00:09:09] white sugar or honey.

[00:09:11] Should you use coconut sugar?

[00:09:13] If you like the flavor

[00:09:15] of coconut sugar

[00:09:16] feel free to use it

[00:09:17] though you may achieve

[00:09:18] the same flavor

[00:09:19] with brown sugar

[00:09:20] for a much lower cost.

[00:09:21] If you want to use

[00:09:22] coconut sugar in your coffee

[00:09:24] or baking

[00:09:25] with the hopes of

[00:09:26] controlling your blood sugar

[00:09:27] by all means

[00:09:28] give it a try.

[00:09:29] Don't believe the hype

[00:09:30] that it's a nutritious superfood

[00:09:32] and don't buy into the notion

[00:09:34] that recipes using coconut sugar

[00:09:36] magically transform brownies

[00:09:38] and cupcakes into health foods.

[00:09:40] Coconut sugar is still

[00:09:41] an added sugar

[00:09:42] just like white sugar,

[00:09:43] honey or molasses

[00:09:45] which should all be eaten

[00:09:46] in moderation.

[00:09:48] You just listened

[00:09:53] to the post titled

[00:09:54] Is Coconut Sugar Healthy?

[00:09:56] Here's What You Should Know

[00:09:57] by Sally Kazumchick

[00:09:58] of RealMomNutrition.com

[00:10:00] and I'll be right back

[00:10:01] with my commentary.

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[00:11:12] Dr. Neil here

[00:11:13] for my commentary.

[00:11:15] As a dietitian

[00:11:16] let's say I have a patient

[00:11:17] that tells me

[00:11:18] that they try

[00:11:19] and avoid refined sugar

[00:11:20] and only consume

[00:11:21] all natural sugars

[00:11:23] like honey, agave

[00:11:25] and coconut sugar.

[00:11:26] Well,

[00:11:27] when I hear the words

[00:11:28] honey, agave

[00:11:30] and coconut sugar

[00:11:31] I basically interpret

[00:11:32] them all the same.

[00:11:34] Now in my notes

[00:11:35] I write down

[00:11:36] that the patient consumed

[00:11:37] honey, agave

[00:11:38] and coconut sugar

[00:11:39] but in my head

[00:11:40] I treat them all the same.

[00:11:42] In my head I'm thinking

[00:11:43] okay so they consume

[00:11:45] three different forms

[00:11:46] of basically the same thing

[00:11:48] sugar.

[00:11:49] Now this may seem

[00:11:50] a bit unfair

[00:11:51] but as today's author

[00:11:52] Sally said

[00:11:53] coconut sugar

[00:11:54] has basically

[00:11:55] the same amount

[00:11:56] of calories

[00:11:57] and carbohydrate

[00:11:58] as regular sugar

[00:11:59] and while it

[00:12:00] may seem to have

[00:12:01] more vitamins

[00:12:02] and minerals

[00:12:03] than table sugar

[00:12:04] the differences

[00:12:05] are so small

[00:12:06] it's usually not worth it.

[00:12:07] So again

[00:12:08] as Sally recommended

[00:12:09] in today's article

[00:12:10] I would save

[00:12:11] your money on this one.

[00:12:13] Alright that'll do it

[00:12:14] for another edition

[00:12:15] of Optimal Health Daily

[00:12:16] Thank you so much

[00:12:17] for being here

[00:12:18] I hope you have

[00:12:19] a great rest of your day

[00:12:20] and I'll see you back

[00:12:21] here tomorrow

[00:12:22] with another post

[00:12:23] and where your

[00:12:24] optimal life awaits!