Having a dark brown color and thick sweet taste, palm sugar is often equated with palm sugar. In fact, the two types of sugar are very different. Just like a case of granulated sugar, palm sugar is also made from sugar cane. While palm sugar is made from palm juice or coconut starch juice.
In addition to the ingredients and how they are made, a significant difference between palm sugar and palm sugar lies in the nutritional content. Java sugar does not contain important nutrients, whereas palm sugar has nutrients that are beneficial to health.
Nutrients contained in palm sugar include zinc, iron, inulin fiber, and magnesium. Palm sugar also has lower calories, fat, and glycemic index than 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 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 maintain stable blood sugar levels.
However, there are no clinical studies that can ensure that palm sugar can prevent an increase in blood sugar or control blood sugar levels. Therefore, the benefits of palm sugar for diabetes still need further investigation.
2. Control high blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension is a dangerous and often asymptomatic condition. Without proper treatment, high blood pressure can cause serious complications, such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney damage.
To help control blood pressure so as not to rise, a person needs to live a healthy lifestyle, reduce salt intake, and eat nutritious food. One of the nutrients that can help lower blood pressure is potassium.
Palm sugar does contain potassium, but it is not recommended to meet the full intake of potassium 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 will increase the density of calcium and other minerals in the bones, as well as limit the amount of calcium wasted through urine.
Bone-dense minerals and maintained calcium levels can keep you from various bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.
But so far, there have been no studies that confirm the effectiveness of palm sugar on maintaining bone health. For healthy bones, you still need to exercise regularly and increase consumption of vitamin D and calcium.
4. Reducing the risk of kidney stones
Kidney stones are conditions in which hard mineral or mineral deposits that resemble stones in the kidney form. If it is large, kidney stones can clog the urinary tract.
People who suffer from kidney stones will experience symptoms in the form of pain in the back and waist, often feel like urinating, stagnant urine, and pain when urinating.
Research has found that lack of potassium intake can increase the risk of kidney stone formation. Therefore, to prevent kidney stones, meet your daily potassium needs. Potassium intake recommendations for adults per day is around 4,500 - 4,700 mg.
5. Maintain ideal body weight
Because palm sugar has slightly lower calories than granulated sugar, using this sugar as a sweetener can help maintain weight. But there are conditions, namely the amount must not be excessive.
If consumed too much, incoming calories will remain high. As a result, the body will experience weight gain, especially if high calorie intake is not accompanied by exercise or physical activity.
Keep Limit Consumption
Although at first glance sounds promising, unfortunately until now there has not been much health research that can ensure the benefits of palm sugar for general health.
Although it has higher potassium levels and is considered healthier than ordinary 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 excessive amounts. Consuming too much sugar can increase your risk of suffering from diabetes, kidney problems, and even heart disease.
Daily intake of ordinary sugar may be replaced with palm sugar, to get a variety of benefits above. But if you suffer from diabetes and have difficulty controlling blood sugar, then you should consult a doctor before consuming palm sugar.
