Abstract:
Diet with high Glycemic Index [GI) causes elevated blood glucose level and it has been associated with the risk of chronic heart diseases. Identification of glycemic index of food is very crucial for diet management. Generally, GI of food is determined by in-vivo clinical studies. In-vitro digestion that occurs in upper gastrointestinal tract of human is a promising alternative for clinical GI measurement. Coconut jaggery is popular traditional sweetener' This study was conducted to compare the nutritional status and GI of coconut jaggery and common table sugar. Proximate composition of table sugar and coconut jaggery was determined and sugar profile was analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatographic [HpLCJ. Rapidlr. Available Glucose (RAG], Total Glucose [TGJ, Hydrolysis Index [HI] and GI or taute sugar and coconur jaggery were predicted through modified Englyst's method. coconut jaggery has significantly higher
[p<0'05J percentage of crude fiber [0.16 %J, ash (2.7 o/o) and sucrose (g6.3vo).o*pr."Jto common table sugar' The significantly highest percentage of RAG (96.63 %J was obser-ved in glucose and lowest percentage [32'38 %J was observed in coconut jaggery. The highest TG percentage 1i+.os %) showed in reference glucose and the lowest TG percentage [32.38 %) was observed in coconut laggery. Lower HI ol 32 o/o was observed in coconut jaggery in which 57.31 o/o of predicted glycemic index IpGI) could be observed indicating that it is lower than the PGI of table sugar (73.79vo). coconut jaggery can be recommended as a healthier sweetener than table sugar.
