Are There Health Benefits to Coconut Sugar Vs Cane Sugar? 8 Keys to Understanding the Facts!
Are There Health Benefits to Coconut Sugar Vs Cane Sugar?
8 Keys to Understanding the Facts!
The question I have been asked recently – Are there Benefits to Coconut Sugar in comparison to Cane Sugar? Coconut sugar provides a few potential health and nutritional benefits, whereas Cane Sugar, has no health or nutritional benefits.
Research is continually uncovering what the causative factors are in relation to overloading your system with Foods that are going to Cause you Harm – Sugar is One of These Foods.
In this article I share with you How Evidence based Research has discovered that sugar plays a major role, with being a causative factor with the diseases that, we as a community are facing today. You will be getting a closer look as to where our Food has gone so wrong? What the Problem with Sugar is? And how to overcome these important issues.
Now More than Ever -It is vitality important to become MINDFUL – About the Food You and Your Family are Eating, so I would like to support you in Taking Control of What you Eat and What Foods will provide you with long term health benefits, support with ageing well and preventing disease.
1: Evidence based Research
Over 30 years of Evidence based research shows the increased consumption of sugar is linked to an increase in a serious number of health problems and disease. That are not just in Adults but beginning with Young Children.
This research has linked the increase in consumption of sugar, this excess sugar consumption is stored in the body as fat. This has led to the development of over 45 negative health issues. These include hormone imbalance, inadequate metabolic processing, insulin resistance, increased digestive issues, increased inflammation, increase in bad cholesterol levels, fatty liver, diabetes, gout, obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, cancer, asthma, tooth decay, depression, and early death.
A diet of more than 150g of fructose per day reduces insulin sensitivity and increases the risk of developing these negative health issues.
The increase consumption of sugar in these negative health issues has come about as, a majority of people’s diet consists mainly of processed, packaged, baked and fast foods, which are known to contain excessive quantities of sugar, that has led to a World Health Crisis of Obesity.
2: Why this Increased Consumption of
Processed & Ultra Processed Foods
In Countries where Western Standards and Knowledge are meant to provide you with: Improved Living Standards: Food – Hygiene and Laws in reference to microbial contamination of meats, food safety, labelling, permissible additives. Levels of chemical contaminants. Why have Fresh, Whole Foods been replaced with processed and ultra processed foods, that have no nutritional value and have dangerous chemicals, additives, sugar, salt, bad fats and preservatives.
Changes with the increased consumption of Processed and Ultra processed food has rapidly replaced unprocessed or minimally processed foods, freshly prepared meals, and traditional cooking in the diet in most countries, causing significant nutritional deficiencies, increase in health problems and disease, social, economic, environmental disruption, and serious concerns worldwide.
Processed and Ultra processed foods did not exist before the mid-20th century beyond a few products such as margarine or carbonated soft drinks— now account for roughly half or more of total calories consumed in the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada.
This worldwide shift towards greater consumption of Processed and Ultra processed foods has coincided with global increases in obesity prevalence and other nutrition-related chronic diseases. Dangerous Chemical Compounds are leached from plastics in food manufacturing and packaging materials. Read more….
3: Harmful Effects of Sugar
Sugar No Matter which way you look at it has no nutritional value and in quantities greater than 5% of your diet per day will be detrimental to your Health.
Any diet high in fructose and excess sugar no matter where it has been derived will make you weak.
Simple sugars are carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed by the body to produce energy. They are also classified as “simple” because they contain only one or two units of sugar or saccharides.
These simple sugars are a major cause of food cravings, premature aging to your tissues. They disrupt hormone function, deplete your brain of energy and dopamine.
Simple sugars also raise triglycerides – leading to leptin resistance, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity.
They what is known as kryptonite squared meaning that something that has the ability to make you feel weak.
11 Health Issues Discovered from Excess Consumption of Sugar
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Chronic inflammation
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Increased risk of certain forms of cancer
- Cognitive problems, including dementia and Alzheimer’s
- Colon cancer
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Obesity
In my Free Community Membership
Learn more about How Sugar Harms your Body and your Mind
4: What is Coconut Sugar?
Coconut sugar is the boiled and dehydrated sap of the coconut palm.
It comes with a cost than granulated sugar but has the same number of carbohydrates and calories.
There are minimal benefits of coconut sugar that are making it a popular source within the health food world.
However, this form of sugar does offer some trace nutrients that are not found in cane sugar.
Whilst it may have less of a dramatic impact on your blood sugar than other types of natural sweeteners and of course definite benefits compared to artificial sweeteners.
It is important to remember though that it is still a sugar and needs to keep to minimal quantity within your diet. It is highly unlikely that you will find Coconut Sugar in processed, packaged and fast foods.
One of the easiest ways to keep your sugar intake to a minimum is to avoid soft drinks, flavoured milks, bottled fruit juices, processed, packaged, baked and fast foods.
5: Is Cane Sugar a Nutrient Superfood?
The answer here is NO! it does offer very small quantities vitamins and minerals that especially white table sugar doesn’t.
These vitamins and nutrients are only in trace amounts. They include vitamin C, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron and copper.
Coconut sugar also provides small amounts of phytonutrients, such as polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanidin, and antioxidants.
You’ll also find the B vitamin inositol, often used as a mood booster, in coconut sugar.
However, this is not an optimal way of getting your vitamin B or the other vitamins mentioned. These nutrients are better sourced from eating fresh vegetables, meat, chicken, nuts, seeds, lentils and beans. Also, with fruits that are low in fructose.
6: Eating a Low Fructose: Sugar Laden Diet
A low fructose diet is about implementing a diet that reduces the amount of fructose consumed by limiting or avoiding high fructose foods. Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables, honey, and some syrups. It has been found that people who have consumed a high-fructose diet develop fructose intolerance and malabsorption, that is known to cause digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.
Fresh Whole Foods that are Low-Fructose to Eat a Wide Range of Everyday
- Kiwifruit
- Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries
- Grapefruit/lemons/limes
- Honeydew melon
- Watermelon
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Spinach, Kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans,
- Pumpkin and Sweet potato
- Lettuce
Fresh Whole Foods that High-Fructose Eat in Small Quantities
- Apples (better when eaten with skin on)
- Pears (better when eaten with skin on)
- Grapes
- Mangoes
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
As you can see keeping your fructose to a low is to keep the high fructose foods to a minimum (for example: 1 apple or 1 pear or a handful of grapes, 1 mango, 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup) and to eat a wide range of the low fructose foods. Eliminating or keeping to a minimum, processed, and packaged foods. NEVER to Eat Fast or Take-Away Foods.
The Importance of Eating a Low Fructose Diet
Fructose is a major carbohydrate found in fruit, (commonly known as sugar). However, a large quantity of fructose consumed in your diet is derived from sucrose.
Foods such as cakes, desserts, packet, tinned and highly processed foods including fruit juices, other sweetened beverages, sports drinks have large quantities of added fructose.
Sucrose is the sugar derived from cane sugar; the sugar found in your sugar bowl. Sucrose consists of 50% fructose and 50% glucose. This type of sugar is what your body quickly converts to fat.
The liver is the only organ than is able to break down fructose, one of the results of this process is the breakdown of triglyceride – a form of fat.
Hence where the term “fatty liver” comes from. A fatty liver as you can see develops from a diet high in fructose and sucrose.
These diets consist mainly of processed foods, fast foods such as McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and so on. Also, a diet including a large quantity of pastries, cakes, soft drinks, chips, lollies and also energy type drinks. Also heavily sweetened milk drinks.
An Example of this Deadly Diet: may follow as such- McDonalds for Breakfast, Pie and Iced Coffee for morning tea and a hamburger and coke for lunch. Snacks during the day may be anything from chocolate, to chips, lollies etc. This is the type of diet that is killing our nation and seeing the enormous increase in obesity, heart problems, diabetes, cancer and circulatory disorders.
7: The Facts about Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar has 45% less fructose, so compared to table sugar and other natural sweeteners, is a slightly better option.
Coconut sugar comes from the sap of the cut flowers of the coconut palm. It does not come the actual coconut fruit, the part from which most beneficial coconut products are derived.
According to Nutritional research it has been found that as mentioned coconut sugar does contain very small quantities of iron, zinc and calcium. However, you would have to eat a ton of it to have any nutritional benefit as such. Not a good idea, you are better off eating real, fresh foods to get your nutrition.
Coconut sugar is lower than table sugar on the Glycaemic Index (GI). This is what ranks carbs on how they affect your blood sugar (glucose). The Glycaemic Index doesn’t necessarily apply to sweeteners as such, as it doesn’t measure fructose, this being the main component of coconut sugar. Therefore, fructose ranks low on the Glycaemic Index. This is because the body can’t use it immediately for energy. It doesn’t seem to affect blood sugar but will deplete you of energy.
When eating lots of fructose, this goes straight to your liver. Your liver attempts to metabolize it, into a useful fuel before causing damage. This is where fructose is considered as toxic in large amounts.
The major component of coconut sugar is sucrose which makes it about the same as table sugar.
The bottom line is that sugar, is sugar no matter how you have it. Therefore, if you eat large quantities of coconut sugar, it is going to cause additional work for your liver, causing toxic accumulation. Therefore, increased risk of fungal infections, decreased brain function and will be metabolized directly into fat.
8: Keeping it Simple –
The Answer to Overcoming these Issues:
Is to follow a diet that includes 70% Vegetables, 10 % Fruit, 10 – 15 % Organic meat, Chicken and Fish. 15 % Nuts, Seeds and Plant Proteins such as Quinoa.
The rule of thumb is “Fresh is Best” this is what your body will derive its energy from, fresh wholesome fruit and vegetables support your body’s detoxification process, improving immune function, the nutritional value of fresh foods supports cell renewal and energy restoration.
What you Do Today will make a Difference to your Health & Quality of Life for Tomorrow!
Further Nutritional Support
My eBook – Eating to Live
In this Book I share with you the Essential Foods to Eat and Why!
- How to make “Food Your Best Friend” “Not Your Worst Enemy”
- The Foods to eat to prevent or overcome ill health and disease and how they will work for you
- What you eat, how you eat and whom you eat with, makes all the difference to the enjoyment of your food with Easy, Delicious recipes for the whole family
Master a Life of Optimal Health: Happiness & Vitality
Professional Evidence -Based Knowledge
Receive Weekly Insights & Guidance
To Live your Best Life
Don’t Miss the Next Issue!
I invite you to subscribe to my Free Weekly Newsletter that my clients, subscribers and members have been looking forward to each week for over 20 years.
What People say – “Thank you, Julie I find your Newsletter gives me inspiration to stay on the path”. “Julie, I don’t know how you knew I needed this information”.
I design my Newsletters to share insights, guidance and strategies that will help with every day and serious health issues, that people have presented me with over the years, seeking advice and what they can do.