Last Updated on December 14, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Sugarcane juice is a drink to relish in summers. It is sweet and best served cold with some spices to make a tasty and fulfilling summer drink.
Sugarcane juice is one of the natural drinks that is said to be a coolant and a hydrating agent. At the same time, it can have several benefits on the health as well.
But in reality, Sugarcane is good when taken in moderation for all. However, for diabetic individuals, sugarcane juice is an absolute no and a poor choice for their health.
Is sugarcane juice healthy?
The juice from sugarcanes is a common drink available during summers. It is a plant belonging to the grass family and is mainly grown and harvested as a raw material for making refined sugar.
However, sugar juice has mixed views about being healthy for one. Hence, the best way to ensure that Sugarcane does not affect your health is to consume it in moderated quantities.
Sugarcane juice is naturally made and retains a lot of plant-based nutrient goodness. It is said to be a nourishing drink as it can be an immediate energy source for the body.
Sugarcane has a lot of carbohydrates that can contribute to the body’s energy levels. But at the same time, the excess amount of carbs can be harmful to the body.
Diabetic patients can be most affected by this. We will discuss the effects of sugarcane juice among diabetic individuals in the further section of this article.
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On the other hand, sugarcane juice has almost no fat at all. It is therefore safe and would not contribute to fat accumulation in the body. It is still advised to keep the quantities low and not consume this juice regularly.
Sugarcane juice has a lot of antioxidants and minerals. These are crucial nutrients for one’s health that assist in improving and strengthening the body’s immunity.
The many available minerals in the body can also help cure and prevent several other health problems. It has been appreciated for its good impacts on kidney functioning and controlling high blood pressures as well.
Sugarcane juice does not contribute to any cholesterol in the body. However, this juice is mostly absent of some other important nutritional elements like fiber and proteins too.
There are several side effects of this drink as well. We will have a closer look at those in the following sections.
To make sure that the consumption of sugarcane juice does not impact your health, you need to learn your health first. It is recommended to consult a health expert if you think that drinking sugarcane juice can trigger some problems in the body.
Is sugarcane juice good for diabetes?
Well, the straight answer to this is NO. Sugarcane is full of carbs and calories, harmful to the body’s blood sugar levels if not controlled.
Although sugarcane juice has several health benefits, for diabetics, the risks are more. The quantity of sugar found in Sugarcane and its juice is very harmful to your diabetic blood glucose level.
It can cause severe spikes and lead to further symptoms and damage. Therefore, diabetic patients must steer away from sugarcane juice entirely.
Even if you are not diabetic, any diet with too much sugar can lead to fluctuations in the blood glucose levels and ultimately be a reason for developing diabetes.
Hence, it is always important to consider your health conditions first and plan your daily intakes with proper attention to your physical well-being.
Some studies have declared that natural and directly derived sugarcane products are better for diabetics than the refined versions and may even have glycemic index regulating abilities.
This is said as sugarcane juice has a very low glycemic index, around 30 – 40 only. This might seem healthy for diabetics. But on the other hand, it has a higher Glycemic Load.
The glycemic load of a particular food item can influence the blood sugar levels more. It represents how much of that food will harm blood sugar levels. Being high in Glycemic Load, sugarcane juice can lead to harmful spikes in the blood sugars very quickly.
They have also been claimed to help with improving blood sugar management and insulin response in the body. This is because the presence of some antioxidants like polyphenols can help the pancreatic cells to perform better.
But these reasons are preliminary and not backed up. Thus, sugar cane juice must be mainly avoided as the risks of Sugarcane overshadow its health benefits for diabetics.
In addition to this, the cane itself or in the juice form are both supposed to be kept away if you are following a diabetes-specific diet. Moreover, sugarcane juice can contribute to higher calories in the body, further leading to complications in the heart.
Nutritional composition of Sugarcane
Let us look at the nutritional profile of sugarcane juice to understand what beneficial or harmful components it has to offer to our health.
The following table shows the various nutrients available in 30 grams of sugarcane juice:
| Sl. No. | Nutrients available in 30 g sugarcane juice | Amount available |
| Carbohydrates Dietary fiber | 27.37 g – 0 g | |
| Fats Saturated fats Monounsaturated fats Polyunsaturated fats | 0 g 0g 0 g0 g | |
| Proteins | 0.9 g | |
| cholesterol | 0 mg | |
| Potassium | 167.80 mg | |
| Niacin | 0.19 mg | |
| Riboflavin | 0.15 mg | |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.08 mg | |
| Calcium | 33.01 mg | |
| Phosphorus | 0.03 mg | |
| Magnesium | 2.59 mg | |
| Iron | 0.54 mg | |
| Manganese | 0.08 mg | |
| Copper | 0.08 g |
From the above table, you can find out that sugar cane juice can supply your body with several varieties of vitamins and minerals. They can contribute to more advantages on health.
Let us now move on to finding out what the health benefits of these nutrients are.
15 health benefits of having sugarcane juice:
The list of health benefits of sugarcane juice is quite impressive. Still, it is important to consider your health conditions first and include this juice in your diet with prior care.
The advantages of sugarcane juice are as follows:
- The richness of calories and carbohydrates in sugarcane juice makes it a very energizing drink. You can have a boost of energy with a glass of this drink. It is especially beneficial in the summers.
- The availability of potassium in this juice adds benefits for the stomach and its functioning. Potassium helps with balancing the pH of the stomach, which in turn leads to the proper secretion of digestive juices helping in metabolism.
- Having sugarcane juice can also help with reducing the effects of cancer cell growth in the body. It can improve overall health due to several health-enhancing antioxidants that combat the bad effects of free radicals in the body.
- The plenty of sucrose found in sugarcane juice is helps induce better wound-healing qualities in the body. This also assists in proper health maintenance and keeps the body safe from severe injuries.
- Having sugarcane juice is also beneficial for liver functioning as it keeps away the chances of catching ailments like jaundice. The alkaline balance in the body induced by this juice adds to this benefit as well.
- It is also excellent for your kidneys because it has no fats, cholesterol, or high salt content. This keeps the kidneys in proper shape and does not cause any risks.
- Sugarcane is also beneficial in strengthening the bones and teeth. The presence of minerals like phosphorous and magnesium aid this function and prevent tooth decay as well. The absence of these nutrients can also cause bad breath problems, which can be dealt with with sugarcane juice.
- Sugarcane juice is also appreciated for its ability to treat and ease urinary tract infections and keep the kidneys healthy.
- In the summertime, sugarcane juice can be a good coolant as well as a hydrating agent. It helps with fatigue conditions and reduces symptoms of fever, heat strokes, and other discomforts.
- Drinking sugarcane juice is also said to benefit the body by cleansing away toxins from the body. This is good for the entire body and does not lead to other diseases.
- This juice also can decrease high blood pressure and add more to one’s cardiovascular health.
- Sugarcane juice is also good for gaining more muscle strength. The ample amount of glucose aids this benefit in the body.
- Sugarcane juice is also great for the skin and takes care of skin issues like acne, premature aging, etc.
- Sugarcane juice can also lead to better hair growth.
- In addition to this, sugarcane juice can also have a good impact on pregnant women.
Side effects of having sugarcane juice
- Too much sugarcane juice can lead to weight gain. This juice might not have much fat, but the excess carbs can accumulate in the body over time and lead to weight management issues.
- It can also lead to or increase diabetic symptoms in the body.
- Having a higher portion of your daily calorie intake increases the risk of heart diseases. Hence, sugarcane juice can also be a contributor to the same.
- Daily consumption or over-consumption of Sugarcane is bad for the health as it can lead to conditions like blood thinning, insomnia, dizziness, headaches, etc.
- Sugarcane juice can also lead to infections if the method of preparation is unhygienic.
REFERENCES:
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/20-amazing-benefits-of-sugarcane-juice-for-you/
