“Coconut sugar is a natural sugar made from coconut palm sap,” says dietitian-nutritionist Dana K. Monsees, M.S., CNS, LDN. “It’s also referred to as coconut palm sugar or coconut palm sap in liquid form.” Technically, it’s quite similar to white sugar. “Calorie for calorie and gram for gram, coconut sugar is equivalent to classic white table sugar (15 calories, 4 grams sugar per teaspoon),” says registered dietitian Danielle Fineberg, M.S., R.D. Here’s how coconut sugar nutritionally stacks up, per teaspoon. The nutritional stats don’t seem to indicate much of a difference between coconut sugar and regular cane sugar, but are their benefits on any other level? “Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index (GI) than cane sugar or even maple sugar,” says New York City–based holistic nurse practitioner Victoria Albina, N.P., MPH. “Foods with a lower GI are more slowly absorbed, thereby reducing the health-damaging insulin spike.” To Albina’s point, research indicates that the GI value of coconut sugar is 35 ± 4, while white cane sugar (sucrose) is 65 ± 4. Researchers believe this lower value may make coconut sugar a more appealing option for people with diabetes or those seeking out a sweetener that doesn’t drastically affect their glucose levels. However, additional research is necessary. Beyond the nutritional numbers, coconut sugar may be a preferable choice for some for other reasons. “Coconut sugar is an alternative to cane sugar, tends to not be genetically modified, and is usually not bleached,” Albina says. “Another benefit to coconut sugar is that it is a more environmentally sustainable choice than palm sugar or cane sugar.” A few other things to consider when selecting a sugar alternative: “While agave and xylitol are both also low GI, they are both highly processed, while coconut sugar is not,” Albina says. “And xylitol can cause gastrointestinal upset in many people.” That said, if you’re eager to sample some other sweet options besides cane sugar, here are some options you might want to try as you figure out what works best for your diet and lifestyle: She’s also a contributing editor at California Home Design.
