Coconut Palm Sugar - Nutrient Superstar?

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Created on 10, June, 2014

Marketing materials for coconut palm sugar describe it as having "super-nutrient qualities," and a low glycemic index.

The manufacturer's table that compares coconut palm sugar to other sweeteners uses 100 g as the serving size, when that is actually 25x a standard (1 tsp) serving of sugar. Once the figures are changed to reflect a 4 g serving (1 tsp), the nutrients are insignificant, except for potassium, which is still not even a "good source" -- it would be about equal to the amount in one bite of a banana (many foods are a much better source of potassium, so a sweetener is not going to be your first choice for boosting potassium or ANY other vitamin or mineral). Additionally, the figures given for 100 g of the "sugar" are most likely for the fresh nectar that it is made from. Once the nectar is boiled down to produce the sugar crystals, there would certainly be no more water-soluble vitamins left (such as the C and Bs that are shown in the comparison table). As for gylcemic index... if you eat a couple teaspoons of sugar as part of a meal that contains whole grains, dairy, or other protein, fat and/or fiber-containing foods, the sugar's glycemic index becomes immaterial (those other food components will lower it significantly). This is simply expensive sugar.