Glycemic Responses by Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Jaggery and Cane Sugar (Saccharum officinarum): A Comparative Study

Aim: Cane sugar (Saccharum officinarum) and (Cocos nucifera) jaggery are prominent sweeteners. The aim of the this study is to evaluate Glycemic Indices (GI) of cane sugar and coconut jaggery using healthy human subjects.

Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted as a collaborative project with Coconut Research Institute Sri Lanka and National Hospital Colombo Sri Lanka, between 2019 to 2020.

Methodology: Starch fractions (Total starch - TS, Resistant starch – RS and Digestible starch – DS) and sugar profile of two test foods were analyzed. Thirty six (n=36) healthy volunteers were recruited and were subjected to health screening. Fifty grams of digestible carbohydrate containing test food portions were given for each subject who had been fasting for 8 - 12 hours. Intravenous blood samples were collected to analyze blood glucose concentration and GI of food.

Results: Cane sugar contained high percentages of TS (95.86 ± 1.58%), DS (95.73 ± 1.59%) and RS was just 0.13± 0.02%. Coconut jaggery contained a lower percentage of sucrose (76.12±1.62%) and glucose (5.22±0.11%). Healthy volunteers (25.95±3.62 years) whom were having healthy fasting blood glucose concentrations (73.54±8.89 mg/dl) and HbA1c (5.05±0.35 %) were tested with glucose, and the two test foods.

Conclusions: There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between blood glucose response curves and GI of coconut jaggery (65.19±36.53) and cane sugar (60.76±35.80), where both can be considered as moderate GI sweeteners.