Having a dark brown color and a thick sweet taste, palm sugar is often equated with palm sugar. whereas, These two types of sugar are very different. Just like granulated sugar, palm sugar is also made from sugar cane. While palm sugar is made from sap or coconut starch liquid.
Apart from the ingredients and the method of manufacture, a significant difference between palm sugar and palm sugar lies in their nutritional content. Java sugar does not contain essential nutrients, while palm sugar has nutrients that are beneficial to health.
The nutrients contained in palm sugar include: zinc, iron, inulin fiber, and magnesium. Palm sugar also has lower calories, fat, and glycemic index than granulated sugar.
However, these nutrients are only available in small amounts. While the only nutrient in palm sugar that has high levels is potassium.
Benefits of Palm Sugar
Because it is more nutritious than ordinary granulated sugar, palm sugar is considered to have several health benefits, such as:
1. Maintain blood sugar levels
Compared to other types of sugar, palm sugar has a relatively low glycemic index. This means, when consuming palm sugar, blood sugar levels do not increase quickly. This effect is good for diabetics who must keep their blood sugar levels stable.
However, there is no clinical research that can confirm that palm sugar is able to prevent the increase in blood sugar or control blood sugar levels. Therefore, the benefits of palm sugar for diabetes still need to be studied further.
2. Control high blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension is a dangerous condition and is often asymptomatic. Without proper treatment, high blood pressure can lead to serious complications, such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney damage.
To help control blood pressure so it doesn't spike up, a person needs to live a healthy lifestyle, reduce salt intake, and eat nutritious foods. One of the nutrients that can help lower blood pressure is potassium.
Palm sugar does contain potassium, but it is not recommended to fully meet potassium intake from this sugar. This is because sugar intake that is too high is also not good for health. If sugar is consumed in excess, blood sugar and blood pressure will increase.
3. Maintain bone health
Potassium also plays a role in bone health. Studies show that adequate daily intake of potassium increases the density of calcium and other minerals in the bones, and limits the amount of calcium that is excreted in the urine.
Mineral-dense bones and maintained calcium levels can keep you from various bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.
But so far, there has been no research that confirms the effectiveness of palm sugar on the maintenance of bone health. For healthy bones, you still need to exercise regularly and increase the consumption of vitamin D and calcium.
4. Lowers the risk of kidney stones
Kidney stones are a condition in which hard deposits of substances or minerals that resemble stones form in the kidneys. If they are large, kidney stones can block the urinary tract.
People who suffer from kidney stones will experience symptoms in the form of pain in the back and waist, often feel the urge to urinate, the urine comes out sluggishly, and pain occurs when urinating.
Research has found that a lack of potassium intake can increase the risk of developing kidney stones. Therefore, to prevent kidney stones, meet your daily potassium needs. The recommended daily intake of potassium for adults is around 4,500 – 4,700 mg.
5. Maintain ideal body weight
Since palm sugar has slightly lower calories than granulated sugar, using it as a sweetener can help maintain weight. However, there is a condition, namely that the amount should not be excessive.
If consumed too much, the incoming calories will remain high. As a result, the body will experience an increase in body weight, especially if high calorie intake is not accompanied by exercise or physical activity.
Keep Limiting Consumption
Although at first glance it sounds promising, unfortunately until now there has not been much health research that can confirm the benefits of palm sugar for health in general.
Although it has higher potassium levels and is considered healthier than regular sugar, it does not mean that palm sugar can be consumed in excess. This is because palm sugar also contains high fructose and sucrose.
Both of these substances can increase blood sugar levels and are not good for health if consumed in excess. Consuming too much sugar can increase your risk of developing diabetes, kidney problems, and even heart disease.
Regular daily sugar intake may be replaced with palm sugar, to get the various benefits above. However, if you suffer from diabetes and have difficulty controlling blood sugar, then you should first consult a doctor before consuming palm sugar.
