Nutrients in Sugar Cane Juice

Nutrients in Sugar Cane Juice

 Sugar cane juice is popular in parts of Southeast Asia and South America, where sugar cane is an important crop. You may even see it for sale at farmers markets or festivals in the southeastern United States, as it is widely produced in Florida and Louisiana. Although it appears to provide few nutritional benefits, it is a healthier alternative to table sugar and may offer some antioxidant properties due to its supply of flavonoids.

How Sugar Cane Juice is Made

Sugar cane juice is the raw material from which table sugar is made. According to the American Sugar Alliance, sugar cane growers make refined sugar by grinding harvested cane. During this first step, they extract sugar cane juice, which some people enjoy drinking as a beverage or using as a sweetener. They boil it until it becomes a thick syrup. Eventually, it crystallizes and they then use a centrifuge to spin the large chunks of crystal, producing raw sugar.

Sugar Content

Although sugar cane juice and refined sugar are made from the same plant, their sugar contents differ. "Organic Lifestyle Magazine" lists sugar cane juice, with a relatively low glycemic index of 43, as a healthy alternative to table sugar when used in moderation. It contains fructose and glucose, which, unlike sucrose-based sugars, do not require insulin for metabolism. Because your body metabolizes these plant-based sugars in your liver rather than in your small intestine, the fructose and glucose from sugar cane juice are absorbed more slowly than sucrose and do not cause wild fluctuations in your blood sugar level.

Essential Vitamins and Minerals

Sugar cane juice is not a significant source of any essential vitamins or minerals, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database. It contains trace amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, thiamine and riboflavin. It contains no vitamin C, E or A, nor does it provide you with any protein or fiber. It can be a natural way to sweeten and enhance foods, such as strawberries or grapefruit, that do offer rich nutritional benefits.

Flavonoid Benefits

A 2006 Sao Paolo, Brazil study indicated that, although sugar cane juice does not provide any vitamin A, C or E, it may still offer antioxidant benefits because it contains flavonoid and phenolic compounds. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, flavonoids may provide antiviral, anti-allergic, anti-platelet, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and antioxidant benefits to the human body. Referring to the Brazilian study, the National Institute of Medicine concluded that crushed sugar cane leaves are comparable in flavonoid content to other foods that are considered high in that nutrient, making sugar cane juice a potentially good source of antioxidants.