Comparison of Blood Glucose on Consumption of Non-Centrifugal Sugar and Refined Sugar

Objectives: Non-centrifugal sugar (NCS) or jaggery, is a sweetener produced by concentrated sugarcane juice. Sugarcane possesses a variety of bioactives owing to its myriad constituents. Opposed to table sugar, jaggery consists of various polyphenols and minerals, on account of its unrefined nature. Although present in traceable amounts, the minerals and polyphenols are known to have specific biochemical functions . Despite the reported health benefits of jaggery, phytochemical studies in sugarcane are scarce and its bioactive compounds have still not been adequately exploited. Considering the implications of refined sugars on human health over the years such as insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, the replacement of refined sugars with unrefined alternative sweeteners may have a positive dietary effect. One approach to reduce postprandial hyperglycaemia is to retard the absorption of carbohydrates after food intake. This could be achieved through the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase present in the gastrointestinal tract. This paper brings evidence from recent measurements of both unrefined and refined sugars. Methods: Ten NCS samples were analysed against refined sugar, acarbose and green tea to evaluate its α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties. These samples were also analyzed for its polyphenolic and flavonoid contents to study any correlation between the two outputs. On the basis of this, a clinical trial (N=104) was conducted to study the effect of jaggery on blood glucose profile in comparison to refined sugar. Results: It was found that NCS showed a strong positive effect on the inhibition of both these enzymes. Also, a significantly strong correlation was also observed between phenolic and flavonoid contents and inhibition % of this α-glucosidase (r = 0.662, 0.770; p = 0.052, 0.015). Also, a moderate positive correlation was seen between α-amylase inhibition and TPC (r=0.54). Clinical trials showed that consumption of refined sugar caused glucose profile changes similar to a pre-diabetic patient (70% of participants) whereas jaggery consumption exhibited such effect on only 15% participants. Conclusions: The presence of certain minerals and polyphenols makes NCS a good candidate as a healthier sweetener over refined sugar. Funding Sources: Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, Govt. of Maharashtra.