Hey there, viewers.
We’ve been pretty much caged in our homes for well over a year.
Boredom can make you mindlessly binge on treats.
I know from experience.
It's not news that sugar is poison for your body, and its effects are pretty clear when
you step on that scale.
What if I told you there was a slightly healthier option than processed white sugar?
What if I said it didn’t take away from the taste?
In today's video, we’ll be discussing the hipster sweetener... palm sugar!
How many calories does it have?
Can diabetics have it?
We’re talking all that AND more...
Is palm sugar a natural sweetener?
Palm sugar is made from palm trees.
It’s a secret ingredient of delicious sweets made in South East Asian, Middle Eastern,
and North African countries.
It can also be added to curries and sauces.
Lots of sweet nectar are present in the flowers of palm trees.
It’s quite sticky, and is often called sap.
People cut these flowers, bundle them up, and keep them hanging upside down from a height
for some time.
The sap oozes out of the flowers, and is collected in a container below.
This sap is also used to make a weird alcoholic beverage called toddy, which is the reason
some people say “toddy palm tree” and “toddy sugar”.
Now there are other sugars that can be obtained from different trees like dates and coconuts,
which go by the name date palm sugar & coconut palm sugar.
The process of making other natural sugars is similar to toddy sugar.
Which of these sugars have you tried?
Did they taste similar to white sugar?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community.
The common table sugar goes through a lot of chemical processes to give it a bright
white color.
Palm sugar is 100% natural, since it doesn’t involve any chemical processes.
The collected sap is boiled until it loses moisture.
The runny sap is converted into a thick syrup which crystallizes even more after it’s
heated.
Palm sugar is available in crystal, powdered, and syrupy forms.
It’s traditionally available in packets, tins, jars, and squeeze bottles.
You can scoop out, and mix it in with your food.
This sugar is also available in the form of bricks and cakes with a typical golden brown
to dark brown color.
You could say that the crystal form has a mild caramel flavor, while the syrup tastes
a bit like honey.
Lots of work goes into making palm sugar, so it’s usually pretty expensive.
Sometimes, non-authentic stores sell palm sugar at surprisingly low prices.
It’s believed that the purest form of palm sugar is mixed with regular sugar to reduce
the cost.
If you want to buy genuine products, you have to go for the pricier ones with a darker color.
Can something like sugar have nutrients?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes!
This ingredient has a lot of nutrients.
It will always deliver a little more than ordinary sugar.
This is due to the process the sugar goes through while being produced.
The unprocessed and unrefined sugar keeps all the vitamins and minerals intact in the
palm sugar.
This is why it's common to find small packets of palm sugar in some cafes.
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Palm sugar has a lower glycemic index compared to honey, sugar, and other popular sweeteners.
A lower GI will keep your blood sugar level low.
GI’s differ from person to person, and mostly depend on what the sugar is mixed with.
The GI of sugar will increase when mixed with carbs and dairy.
This is why cakes and ice cream top the lists of dangerous food with high GI.
And that brings us to some great news for diabetics out there.
Researchers have stated that palm sugar can be a great alternative for people with diabetes.
But palm sugar is still sugar, and will always cause a small spike in your blood sugar.
Palm sugar contains sucrose.
Which is mainly responsible for giving a sweet taste to any sugar.
Palm sugar has 70 to 80% sucrose when compared to white sugar.
You'll find sucrose in most processed foods.
Sucrose breaks down to glucose and fructose eventually.
A tiny amount is also present on its own in palm sugar.
Glucose is responsible for spiking up your blood sugar quickly.
Palm sugar also has a small amount of fructose, a natural sugar found in fruits.
Manufacturers add fructose to corn syrup to make it sweeter.
If you’re aiming to lose weight and just can't resist the urge of having sweets, you
might be thinking of swapping white sugar with palm.
A single tablespoon of palm sugar has 54 calories.
That's a lot!
Older studies believe palm sugar to have lower calories than white, and equal calories to
honey.
But modern studies claim you should consume an equal number of calories for both these
sugars.
Before we move ahead, here’s another video you might like.
Watch and learn more about the 7 signs of a magnesium deficiency.
There is a bright side to palm sugar nutrition.
It has essential minerals like zinc, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and copper.
Of course, these vitamins are essential for our body.
If we start consuming Palm sugar just for the sake of these minerals, we’ll be loading
our body with too many empty calories.
On the other hand, fruits and vegetables have these minerals along with other added benefits.
Palm sugar has lots of manganese, which is essential for healthy bones and reduces insulin
resistance to keep you away from diabetes.
Health benefits of palm sugar
At this point, you might be wondering if palm sugar has anything good in it.
If consumed in moderation, it can have positive effects on digestion.
This is due to a dietary fiber called inulin.
Studies suggest that this plant-based fiber keeps your gut healthy and leads to good digestion.
Palm sugar also has another plant-based compound called phytonutrient, which has an antioxidant
effect on your body that prevents cell damage, and keeps you away from chronic illness.
The star ingredient of palm sugar is potassium.
Surprisingly, the raw weight of palm sugar has much more potassium than bananas and green
vegetables.
Potassium is important for your nerves and muscles.
It’s also essential for maintaining your heart health and blood pressure.
However, overeating sugar just for the sake of potassium is not advised.
You’ll just become a victim of obesity and the diseases it brings.
Are there any better sweeteners than Palm sugar?
Fruits No other sugar can match the kind in fruits.
They’re filled with essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers, which can keep
you full longer.
Try having fruit when that sweet craving sets in.
After a glass of water, assess that craving again after.
Chances of you not craving sweets are much higher.
The reason you crave sweet foods is hunger.
Just eating something can satisfy you.
Maple sugar or syrup What good are pancakes without maple syrup?
From a nutrition point of view, maple and palm sugar are pretty similar.
However, it has a slight upper hand to palm sugar.
Date sugar This has a twist.
Date sugar does not blend with other ingredients when cooking and baking.
It leaves behind particles in your meal.
It’s prepared from dried dates, which are ground into a fine powder.
If you’re a cook, you can try making it at home.
It’s quite different from date palm sugar.
After stressing the importance of fruits, we have to tell you about 14 fruits that double
as medicine.
Did you know there are tons of drinks other than coffee and tea to kick start your day?
Here are 15 morning drinks you need to try for a refreshing day.
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to become healthier.
Have you tried cooking with palm sugar?
Let us know in the comments below!