YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Move Over, Agave—Coconut Sugar Is Here

    By | Healthy Living – Fri, Sep 30, 2011 7:32 PM EDT

    Levi BrownLevi BrownBy Archana Ram, DETAILS

    Confused and frustrated by the search for the healthiest sweetener? You're not alone. From saccharin to agave, we've been barraged with alternatives to plain old cane sugar since the early 20th century. But a savior may be here-a chemical-free, minimally processed alternative.

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    Coconut sugar, which is drawn from the sap of the coconut palm tree and has a mild caramel flavor, is packed with magnesium, potassium, and iron-minerals that stabilize your energy levels. It's also high in inositol, a B vitamin that is widely used as a mood booster.

    Health-minded hot-spot restaurants like Pure Food and Wine in New York City and Moonshadows in Malibu, California, use coconut sugar in their desserts and some entrees. "It doesn't give you an energy crash, and it's not as fattening as regular sugar," says one convert, Allison Lubert, co-owner of Philadelphia's Sweet Freedom Bakery. "Those two benefits alone sold me."

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    Many of those turning to coconut sugar are using it in place of agave, which was the sweetener du jour until recent reports showed that it's worse for your body than high-fructose corn syrup.

    Agave is up to 90 percent fructose, which your system immediately converts to fat; by comparison, HFCS contains 55 percent fructose, while coconut sugar averages around 45 percent. And coconut sugar isn't just better for your heart-it's good for your conscience, too. The Food and Agriculture Organization calls it the world's most sustainable sweetener.

    INSIDE THE INGREDIENTS
    The Skinny on Three Popular Sugar Alternatives

    Crystalline Fructose
    Added to many sports drinks, this processed sweetener, derived from corn, contains 98 percent or more fructose, making it much more fattening than high-fructose corn syrup.

    Apple Juice
    This is used to sweeten everything from smoothies to teas, and although it looks healthy on an ingredient list (it's fruit!), it's 64 percent fructose, compared with high-fructose corn syrup's 55 percent.

    Stevia
    Extracted from a South American herb, stevia is calorie-free and devoid of the serious side effects (memory loss, arrhythmia, and seizures) associated with some other zero-calorie sweeteners.


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