Sweeteners — Honest Comparisons, Purity Tests, and Real Nutrition
Jaggery, honey, palm jaggery, coconut sugar, and mishri. GI comparison table, 5 honey purity tests, and mineral content that white sugar lacks.
Sweetener Comparison (per 100g)
| Sweetener | Calories | GI | Iron (mg) | Potassium (mg) | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cane Jaggery | 383 | 84 | 11.0 | 1050 | Unrefined — boiled cane juice |
| Liquid Jaggery | ~280 | 80 | 8.0 | 800 | Unrefined liquid — concentrated cane juice |
| Palm Jaggery | 365 | 41 | 2.7 | 1490 | Unrefined — concentrated palm sap |
| Raw Honey | 304 | 58 | 0.4 | 52 | Minimal — extracted and filtered |
| Coconut Sugar | 375 | 35 | 0.9 | 1030 | Unrefined — dried coconut sap |
| Country Sugar | 380 | 65 | 4.0 | 400 | Minimally refined — retains molasses |
| Mishri | 387 | 65 | 0.1 | 3 | Re-crystallised sugar — minimal processing |
| Date Syrup | 280 | 47 | 1.5 | 470 | Extracted — dates cooked and strained |
| Stevia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Extracted glycosides — highly processed |
| White Sugar | 387 | 100 | 0.01 | 2 | Refined, bleached, sulphur-treated |
GI values are approximate and vary by source. No sweetener is freely usable by diabetics — all require portion control.
Product Guides
Organic Jaggery (Bella)
11mg iron/100g and real minerals — but still 70% sucrose. GI 84. Honest complete guide.
2 min read
Liquid Jaggery
Concentrated liquid form of cane jaggery. Distinct uses in pancakes, drinks, and Karnataka cooking.
3 min read
Palm Jaggery
Lower GI 41 than cane jaggery. 1490mg potassium/100g. Traditional Tamil Nadu and Kerala sweetener.
3 min read
Raw Forest Honey
CSE 2020: 77% commercial honey adulterated. 5 home tests. Complete nutrition and benefit guide.
4 min read
Raw Forest Honey — Complete Product Guide
Enzymes, infant warning, NMR test explained. Water glass and paper purity tests.
3 min read
Coconut Sugar
Low GI 35. Inulin prebiotic content. Is it actually better than jaggery? Honest comparison.
2 min read
Country Sugar (Nattu Sakkarai)
Traditional unrefined cane sugar with molasses intact. Between white sugar and jaggery.
2 min read
Mishri (Rock Sugar)
Ayurvedic throat remedy and digestive aid. What makes mishri different from refined white sugar.
2 min read
Stevia — Zero-Calorie Natural Sweetener
Zero calories, 200-300x sweeter than sugar. Diabetes use, side effects debate, and daily safe amounts.
3 min read
Date Syrup
Iron-rich natural sweetener from dates. Baby food safe, lower GI than honey, and cooking uses.
3 min read
Brown Sugar
Partially refined cane sugar with molasses. Between white sugar and jaggery — honest nutrition guide.
3 min read
Knowledge Articles
Jaggery vs Sugar vs Honey — Honest Comparison
Calorie, GI, minerals, and processing compared. Which to use and in what amounts.
1 min read
How to Test Honey Purity at Home — 5 Tests
Water test, paper test, heat test, thumb test, candle test. Which ones actually work.
1 min read
Is Jaggery Really Healthier Than Sugar?
GI 84 vs 100. Minerals yes, but nearly identical calories. The nuanced answer.
2 min read
Raw Honey vs Processed Honey
What happens during processing — enzyme destruction, heating, filtration, and what's lost.
2 min read
Honey Health Benefits — What Science Says
Wound healing, antimicrobial, cough suppression — the evidence-graded review.
2 min read
Honey vs Sugar — Which is Better?
GI 58 vs 100. Fructose content, minerals, and why honey isn't diabetic-friendly either.
1 min read
How to Test if Your Honey is Adulterated
Water glass test, paper test, flame test, and why CSE's NMR test found 77% fake.
1 min read