The latest discovery is that coconut sap sugar has been clinically tested as the best sugar substitute for diabetics and health buffs, as it is without side effects, says the Philippine Coconut Authority (Philcoa).
Erlene C. Concibido-Manohar, Philcoa project development officer, said that the brown-colored coconut sap sugar is derived not from the nut but from the toddy or sweet sap from which the locally made wine tuba is also made.
To extract it, the unopened inflorescence is collected, boiled, and concentrated to form granulated sugar. “It is an old technology, but it was only in March 2007 that we realized the coco sap sugar is the best sugar because it is low in glucose,” Manohar says.
It is natural sweetener besting other sugar in the market. Manohar says that laboratory tests at the University of the Philippines confirm that its content sugar level is 12-18 percent.
Based on a 2007 Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) study, the glycemic index (GI) of coconut sap sugar was 35; hence it is classified as a low-GI food, which can be used as natural sweetener for diabetics, Manohar says.
GI is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on its immediate effect on blood glucose levels. “The lighter the number, the greater the blood sugar response,” she says. “A low-GI food will cause a small rise in blood glucose level, while a high-GI food will trigger a dramatic spike,” Manohar adds.
So far, only three areas in Mindanao have processors engaged in the production of coconut sugar. These are in General Santos City, the Zamboanga Research Center, and Barangay San Ramon, Carmen North Cotabato.
Manohar says production is limited at the moment because coconut sap sugar is produced manually. She said they are still studying the possibility of using machines for mass production, but they would like to make sure its glucose content will not change.
While coconut sap sugar is promising and commercially viable, the production capacity of each center is only 1,000 kilos a month because it is done manually.
But Manohar says coconut sap sugar is “good for the health and a source of wealth” every individual would like to have.
Coco sap sugar eyed for diabetics
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