# I've discovered coconut sugar



## gabagoo (Feb 15, 2014)

i have recently switched over to this from refined sugar.  tastes almost as sweet and healthier for you


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## Alix (Feb 15, 2014)

Hey gabagoo, I'd be interested in seeing your research on why coconut sugar is better for you. When I was reading up on it a while ago, the conclusion seemed to be that it was "slightly less bad" for you than refined sugar. If you have any links I'd love to see them.


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## gabagoo (Feb 15, 2014)

I researched via internet (for what it's worth)   Research showed that this type of sugar breaks down slower in your system reducing the spiking that refined sugar causes.
Who knows for sure but I am willing to try anything.  

Dr. Oz recommends coconut sugar | MNN - Mother Nature Network


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## Alix (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks gabagoo, I am looking for more scientific data. Dr Oz is a lovely man, but I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to food fads. If you find anything interesting let us know, I'll be watching for any new info.


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## Roll_Bones (Feb 17, 2014)

Hows the cost comparison?  This would help me decide which one to use.


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## jennyema (Feb 17, 2014)

I don't believe anything if it comes only from Dr. Oz, sorry.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 17, 2014)

Here's a good source of information: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fc...p_50_935_sweeteners_nutritivenonnutritive.pdf

To find reliable sources, I put a search term into Google like this:

site:*.edu "coconut sugar" vs other sweeteners

The first part limits the search results to higher education sites, which have research-based information. The quote marks around "coconut sugar" ensure that that particular string, and not just the words coconut and sugar, appear in the search results.


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## cave76 (Feb 17, 2014)

jennyema said:


> I don't believe anything if it comes only from Dr. Oz, sorry.



I feel the same way. Once in a while Oz strays away from marketing and into science but not often enough.


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## LPBeier (Feb 17, 2014)

I have used coconut sugar a few times and honestly don't see much difference in sweetness, nutrition, or anything for that matter.  It doesn't dissolve quite like regular sugar or natural cane sugar.


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## Zereh (Feb 17, 2014)

Dig into how white sugar is made and the chemicals used to make it uniformly colored and sized (sulfur dioxide, phosphoric acid + calcium hydroxide {which precipitate into calcium phosphate}). Then read up on the process for getting coconut palm sugar onto the grocery store shelves. That comparison  alone should make you a convert.  Or at least make you rethink the unsulphured molasses.


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## itsjess (Feb 28, 2014)

I have a bag of coconut of sugar in my pantry. I bought it about 6 months ago, I have used once or twice. We don't use a lot of sugar in our home, but if I need it is there. I'd rather use coconut sugar or honey or maple syrup. Than regular sugar. It is IMO a good alternative.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 28, 2014)

itsjess said:


> I have a bag of coconut of sugar in my pantry. I bought it about 6 months ago, I have used once or twice. We don't use a lot of sugar in our home, but if I need it is there. I'd rather use coconut sugar or honey or maple syrup. Than regular sugar. It is IMO a good alternative.



Why do you think that?


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## Zereh (Mar 1, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> Why do you think that?



I would say that white sugar is the least healthy of any of the alternatives she listed, which makes them all better choices.

Do you think that sugar is the best choice?


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## itsjess (Mar 1, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> Why do you think that?



From research I've done for myself and family. I try to eat as healthy as possible but I'm not perfect. And if a sweetner is needed or wanted, I want to something that has some nutrition in it. I know what works for myself and family and regular sugar does not. Like I said we don't use a lot sweeteners but when we do I feel why not choose something that has some vitamins and minerals.


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## CraigC (Mar 1, 2014)

Are palm sugar and coconut sugar the same? I have used palm sugar in Thai cooking and it has a distinct flavor that enhances dishes.


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## Roll_Bones (Mar 1, 2014)

Does coconut sugar taste like coconuts?


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## Zereh (Mar 1, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> Does coconut sugar taste like coconuts?



Nope, there is no coconut taste. I detect a faint caramel taste in the background, so I guess you'd say it's sweet (of course) with a bit of depth to it.


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## Zereh (Mar 1, 2014)

CraigC said:


> Are palm sugar and coconut sugar the same? I have used palm sugar in Thai cooking and it has a distinct flavor that enhances dishes.



Nope, they're different!


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## taxlady (Mar 1, 2014)

CraigC said:


> Are palm sugar and coconut sugar the same? I have used palm sugar in Thai cooking and it has a distinct flavor that enhances dishes.





Zereh said:


> Nope, they're different!


But sometimes coconut sugar is called palm sugar. It can be very confusing. It's also sometimes called coconut palm sugar.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 1, 2014)

itsjess said:


> From research I've done for myself and family. I try to eat as healthy as possible but I'm not perfect. And if a sweetner is needed or wanted, I want to something that has some nutrition in it. I know what works for myself and family and regular sugar does not. Like I said we don't use a lot sweeteners but when we do I feel why not choose something that has some vitamins and minerals.



Can you provide a reference to the research? I like to be able to evaluate it myself.


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## taxlady (Mar 1, 2014)

I don't usually worry to much about what kind of sugar I use. I just try not to use very much sugar. I have met lots of people who use brown sugar, or honey, or some other variant of sugar and think that because it isn't white sugar, they can eat as much of it as they want.

Sure, I have honey, brown sugar, and molasses, but they have different flavours and different uses. As far as I am concerned, they are all sugar. I would certainly buy coconut sugar for a recipe that calls for it, since it has a different flavour.

I have some organic sugar for vegetarian friends. Most white sugar is filtered through charred bones, so many vegetarians won't eat it. Some brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added back. I am seriously considering switching all my white sugar to organic. If I can find organic Fair Trade sugar, the switch will come sooner.


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## itsjess (Mar 1, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> Can you provide a reference to the research? I like to be able to evaluate it myself.


I'm not sure why you are asking this? You can look around and find out for yourself. I am not saying to gobble down sweetner of any kind is healthy. The info is out there that honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar have minerals and vitamin that plain white sugar does not. So I choose those instead of plain white sugar. And those three are still eaten sparingly.
So if you want to evaluate coconut sugar, go right ahead. I'm not pushing it on anybody. I was giving my opinion on this thread. 
Just Google coconut sugar and all kinds of things pop up pro and con and what it is. 
Hope that helps.


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## cave76 (Mar 1, 2014)

GG----- try Google Scholar or PubMed.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 1, 2014)

taxlady said:


> I have some organic sugar for vegetarian friends. Most white sugar is filtered through charred bones, so many vegetarians won't eat it. Some brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added back. I am seriously considering switching all my white sugar to organic. If I can find organic Fair Trade sugar, the switch will come sooner.



This is the brand I use, TL!  Raw Cane Sugar


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## GotGarlic (Mar 1, 2014)

itsjess said:


> I'm not sure why you are asking this? You can look around and find out for yourself. I am not saying to gobble down sweetner of any kind is healthy. The info is out there that honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar have minerals and vitamin that plain white sugar does not. So I choose those instead of plain white sugar. And those three are still eaten sparingly.
> So if you want to evaluate coconut sugar, go right ahead. I'm not pushing it on anybody. I was giving my opinion on this thread.
> Just Google coconut sugar and all kinds of things pop up pro and con and what it is.
> Hope that helps.



I know I can look it up myself, and no one said you're pushing it on anyone. However, you brought it up and said your research convinced you that it was better. So I wondered why. So I asked. That's what we do here - Discuss Cooking  It's rare that people make statements and no one asks any questions about them.


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## cave76 (Mar 1, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> This is the brand I use, TL!  Raw Cane Sugar



If you buy sugar made from sugar beets they don't have to go through the charred bones step (but that's being abandoned to some degree.) 

A sugar beet is white. I think it's sold under the brand name of Spreckels.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 1, 2014)

cave76 said:


> If you buy sugar made from sugar beets they don't have to go through the charred bones step (but that's being abandoned to some degree.)
> 
> A sugar beet is white. I think it's sold under the brand name of Spreckels.



LOL!  I have an aversion to beet sugar...lived close to the fields and the plant where it is made in Colorado and the smell from there  Unfortunately, I have a remarkable odor memory and I can smell the sugar plant now as we chat about it.  Can we talk about something more pleasant smelling...like skunk???


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## cave76 (Mar 1, 2014)

" Can we talk about something more pleasant smelling...like skunk???"

Sure, how about a dorian fruit?  (I've never smelled or tasted one but some people find it horribly unpleasant.)

"The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage. The persistence of its odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia."
Wiki


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 1, 2014)

cave76 said:


> " Can we talk about something more pleasant smelling...like skunk???"
> 
> Sure, how about a dorian fruit?  (I've never smelled or tasted one but some people find it horribly unpleasant.)
> 
> ...



I've never smelled one, either.

Anyway, I do get all my sugars from the Wholesome Sweeteners Brand, they make coconut, cane, agave, etc.


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## Zagut (Mar 1, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Can we talk about something more pleasant smelling...like skunk???


 

 So you'd like to turn this into a discussion about beans or roadkill?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 1, 2014)

Zagut said:


> So you'd like to turn this into a discussion about beans or roadkill?



LOL!!!  Nah, just get off my foray into beet sugar...


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## taxlady (Mar 1, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> This is the brand I use, TL!  Raw Cane Sugar


Thanks for the link PF. I'll look at the local health food stores. I don't want to deal with the hassle of online ordering from the US.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 1, 2014)

taxlady said:


> Thanks for the link PF. I'll look at the local health food stores. I don't want to deal with the hassle of online ordering from the US.



You only got the link because my brain went blank on the brand name, knew I would recognize it in a list.  I get mine at Costco, if you have something similar.


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## taxlady (Mar 1, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> You only got the link because my brain went blank on the brand name, knew I would recognize it in a list.  I get mine at Costco, if you have something similar.


Thank you for reminding me about Costco. I don't usually look for sugar there. They do carry some organic stuff, like 2% milk. Last time I was at Costco I found organic bottled lemon juice.


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## cave76 (Mar 1, 2014)

Zagut said:


> So you'd like to turn this into a discussion about beans or roadkill?



You mean recycled beans???

BTW---- I misspelled DURIAN. But I guess it still smells as bad.  But I like limburger cheese so...... maybe???


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 1, 2014)

cave76 said:


> You mean recycled beans???
> 
> BTW---- I misspelled DURIAN. But I guess it still smells as bad.  But I like limburger cheese so...... maybe???



A durian by any other name, smells just as bad...


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## GB (Mar 1, 2014)

Durian smells horrible, but like stinky cheeses it tastes much better than it smells. My kids really enjoyed it. I was happy to have tried it once, and only once


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## Dawgluver (Mar 1, 2014)

I bought one at an Asian market in Philly when Baby Bro lived there.  We had to put it outside.  It did taste better than it smelled, but I was the only one to try it.


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