what’s the deal with coconut sugar?
OK. Still on the hunt for fructose-free sugar substitutes. Jo and I came across coconut sugar this week – a health food shop here in Byron had a bunch of very wholesome treats using coconut sugar. I reckon you’ll start seeing it everywhere. A few of the health food companies are starting to market it.
Via David Anderson/Glenn Allsop 2011
I asked the chick behind the counter about it. She said it was evaporated coconut water. Which would make it fructose-free. Hoorah!
But, alas, I got home and discovered the truth.
It’s pretty much palm sugar…the stuff they use in Asian cooking…. made by making several slits into the bud of a coconut tree (instead of a palm tree) and collecting the sap. Then, the sap is boiled until it thickens and solidifies.
There are some positives:
- It is the most nutritious of the possible sugars. Here is a link that compares its mineral content to other sugars.
- It’s the single most sustainable sweetener in the world. This is good, yah!
- Coconut sugar has an extremely low glycemic index. 35!!!
But. The fructose deal?
As you know, we’re interested in the fructose content – it’s the dangerous, fattening bit of sugar. Everyone gets excited about agave, which I’ve written about before. Agave is 90% fructose. You can read more about the fructose situation here.
So this is what the manufacturers of coconut sugar are saying:
The major component of coconut sugar is sucrose (70-79%) followed by glucose and fructose (3-9%) each. Minor variations will occur, due to differences in primary processing, raw material source, tree age and variety of coconut.
Good, yes? No! This is very tricky wording. Because sucrose – or just plain table sugar to you and me – is half fructose! So in effect coconut sugar’s between 38% and 48.5% fructose (I did the maths just now). Which…is about the same as sugar and honey.
Back to square one…Thought I’d just share….
Well that’s a bit disappointing! The day I heard and got excited about agave was the very same day I then read your article about it, just saved! Thanks for being my sugar-substitute watch dog*!
*I feel I should say that I’m not actually cutting out sugar myself (I’m not yet as brave or as resiliant to temptation as you) but sometimes I get intrigued about what ‘could be’ if I did.
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So, essentially – that makes coconut water full of fructose too? Boo!!
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May 26th, 2011 at 11:24 am
No. Coconut water is fructose-free. Coconut sugar is from the sap from the tree.
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May 26th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Hoorah! Thanks for clarifying that.
My brain hurts.
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May 26th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Just don’t buy coconut water that is mixed with fruit juices if you’re avoiding fructose…(obviously).
I started drinking it after hearing its benefits such as rehydration, etc, but all the brands of coconut water I’ve tried have still usually contained over 10g sugar. Now I don’t bother with the stuff.
Damn – there must be something out there surely. Thanks for all your valuable info. It is great!
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I’d love to hear how you’ve been going on your no sugar journey. I know you said you tried a piece of slice a while back, have you dabbled some more or remained steadfast?
I tried to have a little dabble about two months in and it felt like a huge hungry monster reared up inside me that I just couldn’t control. I’ve only recently managed to “get back on the wagon”. Would love to hear your thoughts! Also have you tried Stevia? I’m currently having a little love affair with it. I haven’t looked up it’s breakdown yet though, in case I have to give it up too!
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May 26th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
The whole ‘sugar is bad for you’ thing is everywhere now. I was flicking through May’s edition of Marie Claire and there’s David Gillespie’s name in another sugar related article.
It’s catching on.
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May 26th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
I know…I’m getting journos telling me they’re doing stories on it after reading everyone’s interest on here…don’t you love how mags follow online now….three months later…
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May 26th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Well you were once a Trend Consultant! A very influential one I’d say
Im sure the chiefs of CSR are after you! LOL
3 months into my own sugar-free journey and things are feeling very good indeed. I have conquered Candida overgrowth, lost a couple of kilos along with the constant bulgy air baby, learned to love the taste of pure raw cacao and tuned my tastebuds to find the natural sweetness in things like oat milk. The only thing I’ve really missed is fruit, but I’m starting to put a bit back in my diet. Thanks to you, Sarah, I am building a wonderful toolkit of strategies, tips and recipes for healthy,whole foods like lentils, chickpeas, grains, herbs and spices I never bothered much about before. I’ve discovered the wonderful world of sheep and goat cheeses too! You are my go-to girl for food and cooking advice. You have also pointed me to some other wonderful sources, such as Gluten Free Girl and the Chef, and now Sally Fallon. So, big thanks. x
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i heard golden syrup doesn’t have fructose. Since switching to it, I have felt great.
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May 26th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Golden syrup is pretty much pure sucrose, aka pure sugar. About the same fructose content as table sugar, so quite high.
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May 26th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
interesting. maybe there is another ingredient in golden syrup that’s doing it then?
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May 26th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
I heard glace cherries are a really good way to stave off sugar cravings.
May 26th, 2011 at 8:59 pm
FailTroll Fails.
http://trololololololololololo.com/
May 26th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
nope. glace cherries are almost pure sugar
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Thanks for sharing Sarah! I did a little research of my own and came to the same conclusion but its nice to have it confirmed.
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May 26th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
I’ve also been using rice malt syrup in my smoothies. It’s a great substitute for honey.
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June 3rd, 2011 at 6:36 pm
As far as my research goes Rice malt syrup is Maltotriose, Maltose and Glucose only all break down to glucose, can anybody else confer
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Interesting, but so far on the sugar-free wagon I’m happy enough to use dextrose – when I can get it that is lol. Disappears rather quickly at the local supermarket, must try the brewing shop.
And I’d like to try rice malt syrup if I can find it…
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July 20th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Faye, I get my dextrose powder in Big W, in the home brew section. It’s Brigalow brand, and a 1 kg bag costs around $3.00. If you want something to replace honey, golden syrup or molasses, try Rice Malt Syrup. It’s on sale at Coles, in the Health Foods aisle.
If you don’t want to use dextrose, you can use Glucose Syrup, it’s in the aisle where the cake mixes is, with the cake decorating stuff, in a jar. Quite cheap. But dextrose/glucose syrup are not very sweet, so David recommends you only use it after you have gone through withdrawals, and even then it’s supposed to be for a treat only, not an everyday thing!! Sorry!!
The Rice Malt syrup is nice on porridge, I made some last Sunday for brekky, added 1 sachet of Natvia as well, but will omit it next time, as the syrup was enough. With cream on top it was delicious.
Am fructose free now for 10 months, so no sugar for me any more. For the person that asked, our bodies can’t live without glucose. So glucose it is.
good luck with it all, Faye.
Silver Angel
Spread the Love
SMILE!
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April 21st, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Curious as to why ‘only for treats” as we break down all our food into glucose anyway? I’m not suggesting we live purely on cake of course!
I can confirm that the great benefit from changing from fructose to glucose is a reduced appetite – my body knows exactly what I am eating and doesn’t look for more than it needs. So I’ve found there is no longer a need to be scared of ‘treats’.
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November 23rd, 2011 at 7:19 am
Be careful! Dextrose is a genetically-modified corn product!
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April 21st, 2012 at 12:51 pm
That’s interesting. But once it is simply dextrose (which is chemically a mirror-image of glucose) can it be harmful – there is nothing left but the pure stuff of energy – the thing we convert everything we eat into. I’m not disagreeing but I am curious as to whether it matters (from an eating point of view rather than an ecological point of view that is)
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April 21st, 2012 at 12:47 pm
We have ‘Bin Inn’ shops – where you buy lots of stuff loose. I found they carried masses of dextrose in stock – loose and pre-bagged. And at a good price.
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I’m still trying to hunt down a sugar-free chocolate. Any suggestions?!
All the ones I’ve found at health food stores have agave syrup.
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May 26th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Pacari Ecuadorian Organic Chocolate is 100% cacao. Dairy and soy free. But it’s an acquired taste as it has no sweetness whatsover. Once you become accustomed to it though, it can be quite addictive. I buy it from a local organic grocer in Blackburn. The website is http://www.pacarichocolate.com. I have also bought pure cacao nibs from the same place. They are chewy and almost meaty. Great added to breakfast cereal or porridge. I get more of a sweet hit by adding raw cacao powder to oat milk for a hot chocolate. The oat milk has sweetness without any sugar. Hope that helps someone!
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May 26th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Thanks Lucy – I will check out that website!
I still need a sweet hit and chocolate is definitely my weakness. I can do without the fruit, but not chocolate!
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July 20th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Kate, I was once like you, but now have cocoa made on milk, with 1 sachet of Natvia. Just mix up the Natvia & 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder in a cup with a teaspoon of milk, boil the rest of the milk up & pour over the cocoa, it’s yummy. I have it with a small piece of hard cheese before bedtime, if I’m hungry. I now don’t crave chocolate any more.
Hope this helps. I believe the organic raw cacao is the best stuff, but I bought the Bourneville one from Cadbury, sugar free. Mainly ‘cos I haven’t seen any of the organic stuff yet.
Sarah, Love your site, congrats on it.
Silver Angel
Spread the Love
SMILE!
May 26th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Not for the faint-hearted that stuff!
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May 27th, 2011 at 10:06 am
Plamil makes xylitol sweetened 72% choc (also vegan) and a rice syrup sweetened chocolate. I got mine after someone recommended it in a comment! It’s quite nice!
From veganonline.com.au
May 27th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Brittany, that’s an awesome find!! Sugar free, dairy free choc made with a sweetener I actually approve of – finally! YAY!!!
http://www.plamilfoods.co.uk/chocolate
May 28th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Isnt it rad!
Hope lots of people can enjoy it xox
Great to have news from the online community about sugar free ventures! I started last year but fell off the wagon tripping across Europe, but back on again the last couple of weeks and feel fab!
We found glucose powder at a health food shop (we asked for dextrose and the girl looked very confused, until we told her it’s also called glucose) and we made David’s (lizzie’s) brownies for my sister’s birthday on Tuesday. As he said they aren’t as sweet but still yummy (and it’s actually nice to not feel gross after dessert!) We might make some more on the weekend, maybe add some macadamias! Yum!
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Chocolate fudge recipe for those searching for sugar free chocolate.
This is not quite chocolate but should give you the sugar rush you are looking for. It’s from a wholefoods cookbook and is good for you which is a bonus. The recipe called for honey but I swapped it for rice malt and it’s still nice. We’re off the sugar though so it may still be a little bitter to those not accustomed to the full taste of raw cacao powder!
Enjoy!
1 cup of nuts of your choice (I soak and lightly toast mine)
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup coconut oil (not too soft not too hard)
1 cup rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (I use natural which has a teeny amount of fructose(david says it’s ok on his site) but the imitation stuff has nothing)
70g raw cocoa powder
Pulse nuts in food processor once or twice, add all other ingredients and blend until well combined.
Pour into tray lined with baking paper, cover with more paper and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours until set. Cut into squares and keep in the fridge.
YUM just made my first batch and it is surprisingly good. Just sweet enough. You would have to like coconut oil though as this is the main flavour. Luckily I love the stuff.
I read David’s book and it scared the hell out of me. I try to eat organically and lead a chemical free lifestyle but had no idea sugar could cause so many health problems. And as a mother of a 2 year old who is already addicted to sugar it’s a great wakeup call. I just hope it also helps with my AI disease. I have uveitis which sends the inflamm to my eyes. I’m permanently blind in one eye and have cortisone injections in the other every few months to keep it for as long as possible. Can anyone else with AI tell me whether they have had brain scans and other tests done? I’ve had my condition for about 9 years and have only just recently been told by others I really should see a neurologist. My specialist is great, the best in his field, but he seems to only be interested in treating my direct symptom and nothing else. I’ve also tried a few naturopaths, acupuncturists etc but it seems like they’re all just guessing and don’t really have any idea how to help. I do a lot of my own reading but it would be nice to have some extra help. Can anyone recommend a got natural medicine specialist in Melbourne? Thanks
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May 26th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Lauren, I’m not sure if this is the sort of help you are looking for, but I have a fantastic Naturopath in Blackburn who works in tandem with a lovely GP. They are a fantastic team and combine the best of traditional medicine with holistic preventive treatment. I have AI in the form of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I know I can’t expect a cure, but I am confident about minimising its effects with the help of testing and monitoring of my medication dose by my GP, and dietary, herbal and other treatments from the naturopath who is at Vital Chi. They have a website if you would like to Google them. Angela is my practitioner, but there are other great people there as well. I now look at food as medicine and not just pleasure. Of course, I still want the pleasure, but I’m conscious of what foods are doing to my body and choose more wisely now. Most of the time!
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May 27th, 2011 at 11:44 am
wow this recipie sounds amazing i must try. Raw cocoa powder has a tonne of flavour, I constantly crave and eat healthy gluten free sugar infused treats but am looking for a better alternative.
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April 20th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Hi Lauren, check out some of the paleo books like the one by Robb Wolf or online Chris Kresser has some excellent information… All carbohydrate eventually gets broken down into sugar…
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Sorry didn’t mean to write sugar rush above, just meant if you need something sweet and chocolatey it should do the trick. It’s a hit with the kiddo too!
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I stand by stevia completely. When first using it, it’s a bit of trial & error with how much to use, but that’s part of the fun of discovery as well. With Candida it’s the only safe sugar substitute I’ve discovered.
I’ve been reading about erythirol, which is a sugar alcohol, which is not metabolised by the body, it goes straight to the liver & is excreted through urine. Apparently it’s safe for people with Candida as it causes no gastrointestinal distress & doesn’t add to the caloric amount in food because of how its digested. So, I’m curious…
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May 26th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Yes I use stevia too and have looked into erythirol. You can get a product from the supermarket called Natvia which is made from the above two products. I am still not sure about erythirol. Although it appears to be the “safest” form of artificial sweeteners it is still a chemically altered and refined product so doesn’t fit into the wholefoods way of eating. Given the whole fructose debacle though I am letting my husband have the Natvia in his coffee instead of sugar until he weans himself off sugar. In this world full of natural and chemically created “poisons” it’s hard to know what is best. What I mainly try to do is stay away from all sweet foods and then I don’t want them anyway! (Except for mmmm, coconut cream by the spoonful)
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May 27th, 2011 at 9:01 am
You make some really good points, Lauren. I’m even a bit dubious about dextrose, as it is also still refined and processed. I’d like to see more evidence and research on it. Meanwhile I agree with you that the best solution if you can manage it is to stay away from sweet foods altogether and lose the dependency. And if that fails, try to choose the most unprocessed close to source version that doesn’t have too much fructose. Tough challenge! To borrow from another of Sarah’s posts, I guess we have to listen to our guts. Literally in some cases!
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May 27th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Hi Lucy, yes I agree with you on the dextrose also. Anything that isn’t originally designed to go into our bodies I am very wary of. It seems that many people are missing the point when cutting out sugar. They are desperately searching for an alternative sweetener and chocolate when really we weren’t designed to eat a lot of sweet stuff in the first place. It’s really not that hard to cut it out. Having said that I’ve never been a real chocoholic. I did used to enjoy the occasional treat but can happily live without it. I was a big juice fan though so that’s been a bit trickier but if I want a bit of sweetness I find a couple of pieces of organic apple or a few organic grapes do the trick. Also thanks heaps for the info on the naturopath, I will look into it. Would you mind if I ask which doctor you go to? I’m always looking for one who understands. Not sure if you’re allowed to put it on here but my email is lozzie59@hotmail.com if you want to contact me that way. Thanks
May 28th, 2011 at 8:11 am
I agree Lauren, it’s much better decision to stick with the naturally occurring stuff, which is why I use ground leaf stevia when I want something sweet. I’ve been sugar-free for 18 months now, so my sweet tooth isn’t as bad as it used to be. But there are times when I do feel like a little indulgence, & stevia (& coconut flour) allow me those times. I can’t have fruit, nor coconut sugar, so you gotta find little (healthy) pleasures somewhere sometimes!
I, too, love a spoonful of coconut cream
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May 26th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
I have read that xylitol is ok for candida. It’s anti-yeast, hence why it’s no good for bread making…
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Hi Sarah, I’ve done my research and I’m also fructose free (aside from berries). You can use xylitol and brown rice syrup quite happily. I make hot chocs with 2tsp raw cacao, slightly less xylitol and a cup of rice milk on the stove. Super yummy (if using traditional cocoa you’ll need more of it, plus more xylitol to get the same taste – about 1Tbs). I also use xylitol when making cakes, ice creams, custards, sweet sauces (like sweet chilli) and more. Slightly less xylitol than sugar is generally called for as xylitol is slightly sweeter. I use brown rice syrup instead of honey and maple syrup – in muesli bars, drizzled on pancakes and satay skewers and more. It’s also lovely in my hot chocs if I ever run out of xylitol. I’ve also made a couple of orange cakes using whole boiled naval oranges and a little xylitol as sweeteners. The best one I’ve made though is one I call my Coco-almond cake and has almond meal, dedicated coconut, eggs, cocoa, butter and or coconut oil (I use 1/2 each) and a sugar-free vanilla extract (I found in DJ’s). Yum
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May 26th, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Oops, there’s xylitol in that Coco-Almond cake (left out of ingredients). Also baking powder if you want it rise a little. Oh, and as dedicated as I am to coconut I meant ‘dessiccated coconut’ not ‘dedicated coconut.’
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Lara I looked into xylitol too and was excited to find that it was fructose free but it’s a no-no from a wholefoods point of view and David doesn’t approve of it on his website either. Pure glucose powder or syrup or rice malt syrup are what works for us and seem to be the most accepted as the healthiest forms of sweetener if you need to have something. Each to their own I say, just wanted to mention that
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May 27th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Hi Lauren, it’s true that xyitol is not a wholefood….but neither is glucose powder. I choose xylitol because it has no negative health consequences, it has several positive health consequences and it does not wreak havoc with my blood sugar. Many health professionals have advocated a sugar-free diet over the last 2 decades and as a Naturopath and Nutritionist I don’t agree with everything that David Gillespie advocates. I think his book is fantastic in many ways (I’ve read it), but I believe it should be seen as a wonderful starting point rather than an end point. I have not read whatever is written on David’s website, but in his book he approves of xylitol and lists the only negative as being the high cost of xylitol compared to sugar and dextrose. For me that is not a problem as I buy it in bulk and I don’t eat a lot of it so it goes a long way. I also love that I can directly substitute it into recipes that call for sugar so I can use all my old favourite recipes (although I personally use less xylitol as I don’t like things very sweet). Sweet foods are occasional foods in my home, with the exception of one daily hot chocolate, which I make with raw cacao (packed full of nutrition) and sweeten with a small amount of xylitol or brown rice syrup. I believe that if sweet foods are consumed too regularly they lose their special celebratory properties. However, I have a young child so I have to balance her desire to be like all the other kids, with my desire for her to eat healthy, wholesome foods. Xylitol helps me do that, although I also use brown rice syrup quite a bit (eg. in muesli bars for her lunch box, and in brown or red rice puddings).
I’ve made 2 recipes from David’s book using dextrose powder, and they both had the same effect on me (even in small quantities): I quickly experienced a surge of giddy, giggly, wonderful energy, caused by a sudden elevation of blood sugar (glucose has a GI of 100). For me that giddy, happy (fleeting) quality of sugar foods was always the most addictive part, so given that glucose/dextrose gives me the same feeling (leaving me craving more), it isn’t a viable alternative for me. Xylitol has a negligible effect on blood sugar (GI 7), so it is better for me in that regard. My advice for xylitol, would be to source a non-gmo brand, such as this one http://www.naturallysweet.com.au/our-products/xylitol/ and buy it in bulk for best value
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June 2nd, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Wow that was so informative, thanku Lara. Brilliantly clarafying why I don’t want sugar. For me it’s highly addictive like u mentioned the rush when u have dextrose, so I will steer clear.
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June 6th, 2011 at 9:34 am
Hi Lara,
Thanks so much for all that info. It’s great to get different points of view and I completely agree about the dextrose. I appreciate your reply in backing up your views without being attacking or demeaning. Do you have any advice on coconut products in general for us all? I use coconut oil for cooking, coconut cream instead of icecream etc but was wondering if this is bad from a naturopathic point of view? Also your cake recipe sounds great will have to give it a try. Thanks
Thanks for the research, Sarah.
Though I’m wondering…what’s your preferred sugar molecule? Would it be glucose? Doesn’t seem great to eat much of that either. Maybe it’s just a “choose your poison” kind of situation. I’m just curious what your preferred sweetener’s profile would be?
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I agree with Mia, *my brain hurts*. I discoverd coconut and agave products a few months ago, especially coconut yoghut (in Byron it’s “CoYo” but I’m sure there will be other similar products in other cities). I’m glad you’ve done the Maths on the sucrose content of coconut suga Sarah, but maybe I wish you hadn’t. ha ha. Okay, back to *square one* as you say….. Boo hoo.
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Although, I must add that I am still losing weight the last few months, on coconut products, as if I was off sugar entirely, so I must still be in *ketosis* fat burning state even though I am having coconut sugar (not much, but still, it’s sugar). I wonder if the coconut sugar then is different somehow on some other (molecular) level? Maybe it’s a purer sugar, more “whole-grain” so to speak. What’s everyone thoughts on coconut as an easier product for our bodies to digest? Maybe it’s because coconut has so much vegetable fat that it cancels out the sugar somehow (I’m making this up now) . Would love your thoughts on this if anyone has done the research?
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Hi Sarah,
I’m assuming you’ve already discovered and tried Natvia and Stevia? Natural alternatives to sugar…
I know you did an “artificial sweetener” post a while back so I’ll trawl through and see if I can find whether you’ve tried these. In my experience, they’re both great and a HUGELY improved step forward from the carcenogenic artificial sweeteners like Equal.
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It’s good that we seek better options, i love this!
Daily conscious decisions.
Ultimately though, we are looking for substitutes for a bad addiction…
Appreciate real flavours again by eliminating sugars from your diet. We were not born ‘needing’ chocolate after dinner!
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The comment that coconut water has no fructose has me puzzled. Can you please help explain to me why it has no fructose? I have been Googling for hours and everything I have found says it does. I am really hoping it doesn’t so I can use it as a post workout drink to restore my electrolytes in a healthy way.
Thanks a bunch!
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June 1st, 2011 at 12:02 pm
I’m curious about this too. My naturopath told me to go easy on all coconut products due to the presence of fructose, but I distinctly remember David Gillespie giving it the thumbs up in his books. My brief online research unfortunately backed up my naturopath’s view. Any one else got info?
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Hey Sarah, I notice you mention often of eating at cafes in Byron. I am heading there next week, can you recommend some of your favourites
Thanks
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Forget about Stevia, Organic Unsulphured Coconut Sugar and all the other crappy sweeteners. Just use Blackstrap Molasses and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Natural ingredient use for hundreds of years and unsulphured during the processing.
Black Treacle anyone? Very similar.There are 3 stages of producing white refined sugar, Blackstrap Treacle is the byproduct of the last stage, where all the minerals and nutrients are filtered out to produce clear sugar (no nutrients) and molasses (nutrients).
Enjoy!!!
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July 1st, 2011 at 11:41 am
Still full of fructose, though!
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I just thought I’d drop this in – in case it’s useful to anyone.
I bought liquorice root from a herb farm. The tea I made from it is almost unbearably sweet to me. Do you think the tea could be used to sweeten recipes?
I know nothing of it’s chemical make up but I know it’s good for you.
My next move was to try it in a baked cheesecake….I’ll let you know when I do!
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Thanks for this post – I did wonder about coconut sugar when I first saw it since coconut is ok to eat!
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Ayam brand Coconut Water with pulp, has only 4.1g per 100 g. This is in the allowable range for anyone on *no sugar*, I believe.
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Thanks for the ‘heads up’ I was tempted to buy some – and it’s not cheap!
I’m just looking around this site for the first time – looks great.
I’ve recently swapped all my sucrose for dextrose/glucose and thought that nice crunchy coconut sugar would have been a good topping for my home-made buns, etc. in place of brown sugar. Never mind…
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Not sure about why there’s no fructose, but do know that coconut water is the one thing that can be safely injected directly into the human body in place of a blood transfusion (in an emergency, that is) so that suggests it’s pretty okay as a food stuff…
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