John Myers
Coconut blossom sugar is considered a low-glycemic sweetener and is therefore gentle on blood sugar levels. Since its sweetening power is similar to that of sugar, coconut blossom sugar can be used wherever sugar is used.
Coconut blossom sugar from the blossom of the coconut palm
Coconut blossom sugar is made from the nectar of the coconut palm. If you cut the flower bud of the coconut palm, juice emerges there, which is called coconut nectar.
This nectar is collected in a container and either boiled or processed at low temperature in what is known as a vacuum steam cooker to create the coconut blossom sugar crystals. A coconut palm can produce nectar for over 70 years.
Coconut Blossom Sugar – Sustainable Production
Especially with regard to coconut fat or other coconut products, discussions about the sustainability of coconut plantations are repeatedly sparked. There are only a few manufacturers who produce coconut products really sustainably and ecologically.
You should therefore always check with the relevant oil mill or coconut blossom sugar producer before buying whether this is the case.
Sustainably managed coconut plantations protect the rainforest from deforestation, while unsustainable coconut plantations – similar to palm plantations for palm oil production – are planted on the soil of a former rainforest.
However, an important point in relation to sustainable production is that the coconut palm does not have to be felled for the production of coconut blossom sugar. You also need less space than if you had to constantly plant new coconut palms.
For example, Bruce Fife, ND, director of the Coconut Research Center and author of the book Coconut Cures writes:
A farmer can plant a coconut tree as a child and harvest that tree all his life. Coconut season is practically year-round as the tree bears fruit all the time. Artificial fertilizers and pesticides are generally not used when growing coconut palms. Small farmers, who are responsible for most of the world’s coconut harvest, usually cannot afford expensive chemicals and therefore prefer to let nature take its course. Rotting coconut shells and palm fronds are commonly used as natural fertilizers. For these reasons, it must be stated in no uncertain terms that the cultivation of coconuts – and thus also the nectar production – is very environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Coconut Blossom Sugar – Low Glycemic Index
Coconut blossom sugar is best known for its very low glycemic index. The glycemic value of a food indicates how much it causes the blood sugar level to rise.
Low-glycemic foods are very beneficial for our well-being because they do not cause a rapid but a slow and steady increase in blood sugar levels.
High-glycemic foods, on the other hand, cause blood sugar to spike in a very short time. Table sugar and lots of foods that contain isolated carbohydrates are among the high-glycemic foods.
High blood sugar levels caused by high-glycemic foods make the pancreatic beta cells work overtime to fuel insulin secretion.
The pancreas and the body cells that absorb glucose with the help of insulin can be overburdened by frequent consumption of high-glycemic food. Type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia, and insulin resistance are the consequences.
Insulin’s job is to move glucose from the blood into the cells (to distribute the energy) and thereby lower blood sugar levels. If much more insulin is released after eating a high-glycemic food than is the case after eating a low-glycemic food, the blood sugar level will soon drop to a minimum.
This low glucose level is usually even lower than the blood sugar level before the meal.
This mechanism explains why the consumption of high-glycemic products contributes to weight gain – the low blood sugar level creates a new feeling of hunger. The roller coaster ride of blood sugar after eating high-glycemic foods causes you to automatically eat more throughout the day.
Compared to high-glycemic sweeteners, coconut blossom sugar promotes a slower release of energy, which on the one hand keeps you fuller for longer and on the other hand does not cause sugar highs and lows. Coconut blossom sugar is therefore also ideal for diabetics.
Use and taste coconut blossom sugar
Coconut blossom sugar can be used 1:1 like brown sugar. It also doesn’t taste like coconut – as the name might suggest – but has a strong, caramel-like taste.
