Coconut palms have been traditionally tapped for their sweet nectar for centuries throughout the tropics, especially in the Philippines and parts of Indonesia. The coconut palms are not harmed through the nectar tapping process. One of the great things about tapping the Coco nucifera palm is that it continues to produce sap for the next 20 years or more. Although coconut sap doesn't take as long to heat process as cane sugar or other natural sweeteners, most commercial coconut nectar syrups these days appear to use high temperatures during this reduction phase. Therefore, coconut nectar can't really be considered a "raw food" for those adhering to a strict raw vegan diet regimen. Gram for gram, maple syrup has considerably more calories than coconut nectar. However, it also isn’t hugely complicated in terms of processing, meaning that like coconut nectar and unlike processed honey, it retains a high-degree of its original nutrients. Maple syrup contains antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, manganese and copper. It requires 10+ healthy (non-diabetic) individuals who must fast, then eat a carefully measured quantity of the food, and then have their blood glucose levels measured for 2 hours after. Participants have to be recruited (and presumably paid) along with the research service. It’s not a cheap or easy test. ( 4)

This is just one type of molasses. It’s made from the dark leftover liquid after cane or beet sugar has been crystallized. Manufacturers have not published any glycemic index or load values, but other research suggests that the GI value of molasses runs 5-20% lower than the more refined granulated white sugars. ( 11) Is coconut nectar healthy? Again, like honey, maple syrup has a distinctive taste which means you’ll always know that its maple syrup being used as the sweet-element. Great if you want that, not so great if you don’t want such a dominant flavour. Coconut aminos have a very similar texture and color to light soy sauce. While it’s a bit sweeter than soy sauce, it does not taste like coconuts, and many use it as a soy sauce substitute. Are coconut aminos bad for you? To get a better understanding of this, you should know that a tablespoon of white sugar amounts to around 49 calories.

The coconut nectar to sugar ratio can vary greatly depending on how much moisture is left in the syrup. When there’s more water, it means less sugar content per teaspoon and vice-versa. To a lesser extent, the time of year it’s harvested also affects the content.

Now, one of the reasons that people consider eating coconut nectar is because they are on one kind of diet or the other. Some individuals may count calories for weight management or be adhering to a more naturalistic diet like paleo. Unlike whole fruits which have fiber to slow their digestion, coconut blossom nectar is a refined sugar. It has been filtered, partially evaporated, and possibly pasteurized. It’s not Paleo and the Whole 30 diet categorizes it the same as other refined sweeteners. At The Coconut Company, we have to confess that our real love is coconut nectar. It’s purer and a more natural form of sweetener. Of course, honey is another of nature’s bounty of sweeteners, as is maple syrup, so how does coconut nectar compare to the stuff from our friendly bees and maple trees? Is coconut nectar better than honey? Is coconut nectar better than maple syrup?PAHs are very bad substances that can be formed when something burns. Since coconut blossom sugar is heated, we test for the presence of PAHs. We know that very few coconut blossom sugar brands do this, because of the cost element. It goes without saying that we do test it and therefore can always guarantee a safe and pure product! On the one hand, it is derived from a natural source. On the other, it is still considered an added sugar and isn’t entirely healthy. Yacon root syrup is one of the lowest glycemic sweeteners and is comparable to coconut nectar in taste as well as its higher levels of prebiotic sugars. Another natural sweetener with a zero glycemic index is the luo han guo fruit or monk fruit. It can be used as a natural sweetener in tea, coffee, baking recipes, in cooking, as a syrup over pancakes, toast or ice cream, in raw food desserts, in smoothies and in juices. It works in any recipe just like honey, agave syrup, maple syrup or sugar. a b c d Purnomo H (2007). "Volatile Components of Coconut Fresh Sap, Sap Syrup and Coconut Sugar" (PDF). ASEAN Food Journal. 14 (1): 45–49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-11-24 . Retrieved 2017-10-07.