Is coconut sugar a healthy alternative to its white counterpart?

Medical News Today has published a newsletter about coconut sugar, which is one of the alternatives to sugar that is very popular nowadays.

"Medical News Today" explained that coconut sugar is very similar to white sugar in terms of flavor and calories, but it has the advantage that it provides some additional nutrients regardless of the low glycemic index.

"Medical News Today" indicated that for people who have already stopped consuming white sugar or are using alternatives such as "stevia" sugar, there is no need to switch to coconut sugar as an option.

Whereas people who find it difficult to eliminate white sugar can slowly switch to coconut sugar, then brown sugar and then choose some other healthy alternative, as this helps make the transition smoother.

"Medical News Today" showed the method of manufacturing coconut sugar, noting that it is made from coconut palm sap, as it is extracted by cutting the coconut palm flower and collecting the liquid juice in containers, then this liquid is placed under heat until most of the water evaporates, and the result is The final results give brown sugar that resembles raw sugar, but the distinguishing factor is that the coconut sugar particles are very small

Coconut sugar contains 70-75% of sucrose and 10-20% of fructose, which is less compared to white sugar, as fructose is not easily broken down in the body and turns into fat in a short time.

Apart from the low glycemic index, coconut sugar contains insulin that helps slow glucose absorption, as it can be beneficial for people with prediabetes, but no more than 1-2 teaspoons per day. Also a good dose of antioxidants, iron, calcium and potassium, which are nutrients found in regular coconut as well.

Coconut sugar maintains the balance of electrolytes in the body because it is rich in potassium, magnesium and sodium, in addition to containing 400 times more potassium than white sugar, which helps in regulating the water content in the body.