There's been a lot of conflicting nutrition advice in the last decade. For a long time we collectively feared fat and counted calories...until we realized that wasn't accurate or healthy. Every six months, there's a new study that shows that eggs are either good or bad for your heart health. (We say just eat them.) And don't get me started on the confusion around red meat. But after all this time, there's one thing that virtually every health expert agrees upon: Sugar, while delicious, is not a health food, and should be consumed in moderation. Show
Natural sweeteners, however, are another story. The benefits of honey, for example, are preached regularly. But coconut sugar—aka sugar sourced from coconut trees—has more of a mixed reputation. Many healthy bakers, including Alt-Baking Bootcamp stars Mia Rigden and Jenny Dorsey, swear by it as a better-for-you alternative to cane sugar. But at the end of the day, isn't it still sugar? How healthy could it possibly be? We asked registered dietitian Carissa Galloway, RD, to help us set the record straight. Is coconut sugar healthy? Here's how it compares to cane sugarCoconut sugar, Galloway says, is made from the sap of coconut palm trees (kind of like how maple syrup is sourced from maple tree sap). After the sap is collected, it's heated and the water evaporates. As it dries, you're left with a brown, crystalized sugar that's sweet like regular white sugar—and contains a comparable amount of sugar per one-teaspoon serving (four to five grams in coconut sugar, depending on the brand; four grams in granulated sugar). However, unlike traditional white sugar, coconut sugar comes with a slight nutritional edge. "Nutritionally, one difference between coconut sugar and regular, cane sugar is that coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index," Galloway says. "This means that it will have a lower impact on your blood glucose levels, not spiking insulin. It makes it a better choice especially for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes." (Emphasis on lower—as with all sugars, including "natural" ones like honey and maple syrup, coconut sugar can still impact your blood sugar levels, which can affect mood, energy, and overall health.) Coconut sugar has a smaller impact on your blood glucose levels than regular white sugar because it contains trace minerals that help slow absorption. "Coconut sugar has small amounts of iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, and short chain fatty acids," she says. And we mean small. For example, depending on what brand you choose, a one-teaspoon serving of coconut sugar contains around 10 milligrams of calcium—which is just 1 percent of the recommended 1,000 milligrams of calcium adults are supposed to eat per day. So while it's a nice perk, it's not going to make or break your nutrition for the day. With all that said, Galloway doesn't recommend mainlining coconut sugar on the reg. "As a dietitian, I don't feel comfortable calling any sugar 'healthy,' but it is a better choice than cane sugar," Galloway says. "I wouldn't recommend consuming coconut sugar with the intent of getting any nutrients. But at least you know when you are looking for a sweetener option that it has at least a small amount of nutritional value, versus cane sugar, which has none." When to use itWhile coconut sugar might not be the next superfood anytime soon, it isn't a bad option when you're looking for a sweetener. Galloway says that some benefits of cooking and baking with coconut sugar is that it's a one-to-one swap to cane sugar, and, unlike maple syrup or honey, its texture makes it easy to use as a straight-forward swap. "Something to keep in mind is that it doesn't actually taste like coconut," she says. "The taste is more similar to brown sugar." Because of its brown color, she also says to keep in mind that it may change the color of what you're making. "If you're using it to make sugar cookies, just know they're going to come out brown, not white," she says. Like anything, she says using coconut sugar can take a little trial and error. "You may find that it needs just a little more moisture or the timing is slightly different, so just keep an even closer eye than usual on the oven or stove," she says. In general, she says it's a good sugar substitute to try. "If you're using it instead of cane sugar, you're treating your body a little bit better," she says. "Those trace minerals are small, but it does count for something!" Looking for a creative way to use coconut sugar? Check out this delicious healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe featuring the sugar du jour:
 This popular sugar alternative has a low glycemic index compared to regular table sugar — but it's still sugar. Image Credit: Creative-Family/iStock/GettyImages If you've been trying to cut refined sugar in your diet, it's likely that you've seen coconut sugar at the grocery store. This natural sweetener is also known as "coconut palm sugar" or "coco sap sugar" and it's joining the ranks of sugar substitutes. What Is Coconut Sugar?Despite its name, coconut sugar doesn't actually come from coconuts. Instead, it's a sugar made from the sap of the coconut palm tree, per Michigan State University. It's been used as a sweetener for many years in Southeast Asia. Coconut sugar looks and tastes a lot like brown sugar, but the crystals are a little bit larger, drier and flakier. It can work as a 1:1 substitute for cane sugar in some recipes. But the slightly drier consistency could have some effect on your homemade baked goods' texture, so you might need to experiment with adding in a little more liquid. How Is Coconut Sugar Made?The process is a bit like making maple syrup or maple sugar. Coconut nectar sap is collected from the trees' flower buds and boiled until most of the liquid evaporates, leaving a thick, sweet syrup. As the mixture cools, the sugars in the sap crystallize into solid granules that look like brown sugar, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Coconut Sugar Nutrition Facts The nutrition and calories in 1 tbsp coconut sugar (about 12.5 grams):
Coconut Sugar vs. Table SugarCompared to white sugar, coconut sugar contains more vitamins and minerals. It has trace amounts of vitamin C, as well as minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and copper. It also has antioxidants and the fiber inulin, according to a November 2017 report in the British Dental Journal. However, you would need to eat a lot of coconut sugar to get any of these benefits. Sugar is a carb that the body uses for energy. Both coconut and table sugar are made up mostly of sucrose, followed by fructose and glucose, per Michigan State University. There are 15 calories in one teaspoon of coconut sugar, per the USDA, which is similar to the calorie count in a teaspoon of granulated sugar. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends getting less than 100 calories (or 6 teaspoons) to 150 calories (or 9 teaspoons) from added sugar — that's about 25 to 36 grams of sugar, including the coconut variety. Coconut Sugar’s Low Glycemic IndexThe significant difference between coconut sugar and regular table sugar is their glycemic index (GI). The GI measures how food affects the body's blood sugar levels. Coconut sugar has a GI of 36 while table sugar is around 60, according to Michigan State University. This makes coconut sugar a healthier alternative for people with diabetes. Foods with high GI levels cause big spikes in blood sugar levels because they are quickly broken down by the body in a "sugar rush," per the University of Washington. This increase in blood sugar levels can have a negative effect on people with diabetes. Effects of Added Sugars, Including Coconut SugarSugary drinks, along with sweets and cereals are the top sources of added sugar in our diets, per Harvard Health Publishing. As the name suggests, added sugars are any sugars that have been added to foods during processing. While small amounts of sugar aren't bad for us, eating a diet packed with added sugars is. A diet with too much added sugar can often lead to weight gain and heart disease, according to the AHA. Coconut sugar isn't good for you, per se, but it's OK to Limiting your added sugar intake — including coconut sugar — plays a key role in maintaining a healthy body. How healthy is organic coconut sugar?Coconut sugar contains healthy fats that are known to help prevent high cholesterol and heart disease. Inulin is a type of dietary fiber that helps keep your gut healthy, prevent colon cancer, and balance your blood sugar. While standard table sugar is pure sucrose, coconut sugar only contains about 75 percent sucrose.
What is the healthiest sugar?Brown sugar is definitely a healthier option than refined white sugar. It is processed in a completely natural way to maintain as much of the sugarcane's natural nutrition as possible, including vitamins and minerals.
Is coconut sugar healthier than honey?If you're looking to keep it low on the glycemic index, honey is slightly higher than coconut sugar (58 vs. 54, respectively)—so it might not be your best bet. Where honey does have advantages over coconut sugar is the abundance of research4 available, says Perez.
Are there any benefits to coconut sugar?According to the above analysis of coconut palm sap, coconut sugar contains some inulin, whereas table sugar and corn syrup do not. Inulin is a specific fiber that may be beneficial to the body, helping improve gut health and slowing glucose absorption.
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Is organic coconut sugar good for you
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