The Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute released the following information about their analysis of nutritive values found in coconut palm sugar.  The original comparison only contained Coconut Nectar, Brown Sugar and Refined White Sugar.  To provide a broader comparative analysis, we included Light Agave Syrup, Honey and Maple Syrup.  

We realize that all of these sweeteners, including Coconut Palm Nectar, are agricultural products which means this data can change from product to product, batch to batch, season to season, region to region.  This information is based on averages that we obtained from publicly available databases, primarily found on the internet.  Our posted analysis is a genuine effort to provide consumers with an authentic comparison, yet we urge all consumers to conduct their own research in order to feel confident about anything going into their bodies.

Health Attributes of Palm Sugar Nutrients

 Please click on the mineral name to read a detailed explanation on the role they play in our lives

Glycemic Index Explained

Coconut palm sugar is GI-35.  The Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute used the following procedure to determine the Glycemix Index (GI) value of coconut palm sugar:

• Fifty grams (240 ml) standard glucose tolerance test beverage (Medic Orange 50, Product no. 089) and fifty (50) grams of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) sugar  was fed in random order to ten (10) human subjects.
• Blood samples (0.3-0.4 ml) were collected after feeding through finger prick using a 7ml Vacutainer  at zero (0) hour, and thereafter at every 15 min interval for 1 hour, and every 30 min or the next hour.
• The serum was separated from the blood using a refrigerated Effendorf centrifuge, and analyzed for glucose levels on the same day using a Clinical Chemistry Analyzer after calibration with the glucose standard (Glucofix Reagent1: Menarini Diagnostics, Firenze, Italy).
• The blood sugar levels of the ten (10) healthy human subjects given coconut palm sugar and reference glucose food samples were graphed against the time of study.  The incremental area under the glucose response curve (IAUC) of the coconut palm sugar was calculated geometrically ignoring the area below the fasting level (Wolever et al.,1991).  The Glycemic Index (GI) of the coconut palm sugar was calculated as GI = IAUC of the test food / IAUC of standard glucose multiplied by 100.  It’s index value is 35.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

Glycemic Index takes into account the quality of the carbohydrate in a food and ignores its quantity.  A glycemic index value therefore tells us only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar.  It doesn’t tell how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food.  Both things are important to understand a food's effect on blood sugar.

Glycemic load considers the quality and the quantity of carbohydrate content of the foods.

The following table gives a values for low, medium and high glycemic load for foods.

• Low GI = 55 or less
• Medium GI = 56 - 69
• High GI = 70 or more

*Values are with reference to Glucose.
Foods that have a low glycemic index invariably have a low glycemic load, while foods with an intermediate or high glycemic index range from very low to very high glycemic load.  Therefore, you can reduce the glycemic load of your diet by limiting foods that have both a high glycemic index and a high carbohydrate content.

According to Dr. Trinidad, a scientist from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute - Department of Science and Technology, the Glycemic Index (GI) is the glucose response of an individual from food relative to a standard glucose solution.  Low G I foods are good for proper control and management of diabetes mellitus (type II diabetes) and has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol.  It is also good for weight maintenance therefore prevents overweight and obesity.

Their findings indicate the glycemic index of 35 for pure coconut palm sugar.  Please note that some coconut palm sugar on the market, in particular palm sugar from Thailand, is also mixed with cane sugar and other malt based ingredients.

The glycemic index value alone does not give accurate picture of the food. The glycemic load (GL) takes both the things into account. The glycemic load is the glycemic index divided by 100 multiplied by its available carbohydrate content.

The glycemic load of coconut palm sugar is 1.4, or 1 when rounded off.

Who can Benefit from Eating Food Low on the Glycemic Index?

*Please note, we are not doctors or from the medical community.  All examples below are published statements of how a Low GI diet may help in one's health.  Anyone suffering from a blood-sugar related disease, or any health disorder, should consult with their doctor regarding dietary intake.

By helping to maintain lower blood sugar and insulin levels, a low-GI diet may be useful in preventing and treating a variety of the health problems. Here are some clinical studied and published examples of how eating low on the glycemic index can help promote excellent health:

Diabetes - Substituting low-GI carbohydrates (like thick-cut oats, pasta, and legumes) for high-GI carbohydrates (like processed cereals, white bread, and potatoes) can help lower blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. This is why the GI has been an integral part of medical nutrition therapy for diabetes in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Europe for many years.

A low-GI diet may also help prevent diabetes from ever developing in the first place. Harvard University researchers who tracked the eating habits of over 100,000 men and women found that people whose diets are low in fiber and high in refined and high-GI carbohydrates are more than twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes, as are people who eat a fiber-rich diet with a low glycemic load.

Cancer -  Insulin is a cellular growth factor. Many studies have shown an association between high insulin levels and a variety of cancers including breast, colorectal, prostate, and pancreas. Other studies have shown links between diets high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, glycemic load, and cancer. This suggests that lifestyle changes like maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising, and eating a healthy low-GI diet may help protect against cancer at least partly by lowering insulin levels.

Cardiovascular disease - As with type 2 diabetes, researchers have found that a diet high in refined and high-GI carbohydrates may substantially raise the risk for heart disease. These foods increase blood insulin levels, which in turn contribute to a higher blood pressure, higher levels of blood fats (triglycerides), lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, and an increased tendency for dangerous clots to form and linger in the blood.

Hypoglycemia - People who have meal-related reactive hypoglycemia secrete too much insulin after eating. This causes the cells to remove so much sugar from the blood that they feel weak, shaky, irritable, headach-y, unable to concentrate, and very hungry with a few hours of eating. Choosing low-GI carbohydrates can help prevent this type of hypoglycemia because eating foods that promote a gradual rise in blood sugar and a lower insulin response reduces the likelihood that blood sugar levels will drop too low.

Obesity - Since low-GI foods are slowly digested, they provide a gradual and sustained rise in blood sugar. This keeps you feeling full and satisfied and delays the return of hunger between meals. Conversely, high-GI carbohydrates provide short bursts of energy that satisfy you in the short term but soon leave you hungry. Many of the fat-free and low-fat foods that have become popular over the last decade-such as bagels, processed cereals, rice cakes, crackers, snack chips, and cookies-tend to rank high on the glycemic index and may actually contribute to a pattern of overeating in some people.