GI Symbol News with Alan Barclay

New low GI sugar

Alan Barclay

A low GI sugar made from 100% sugar cane is now available for those who like a little sweetness in their life – or in their tea or coffee. The new sugar has the same taste and colour as regular sugar and can be used in baking in the same way, but because of the innovative manufacturing process (raw cane sugar is sprayed with a molasses extract, a natural by-product of sugar cane manufacture), it retains most of the nutrients from the sugar cane, like minerals and antioxidant polyphenols. The GI Foundation has certified LoGiCane™ as a healthier low GI choice within the sweetener category.

Added sugars and high sugar foods like jam, marmalade and syrup are among the top five contributors of glycemic carbohydrate in the Australian diet, and this is similar in the US and the UK. We know from dietary modelling that substituting LoGiCane™ (GI 50) for regular sugar (average GI 65) will lower the GI of the diet of older Australians by approximately one percentage point – and help reduce the GI of the Australian diet from its current high 55–60 down to around 45. We know from research that the average GI of your daily diet needs to be around this low level to reduce the risk of developing chronic disease including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

What about the calories? The jury is still out on this one. There is some early evidence that Logicane™ has less kilojoules/Calories, and is less likely to cause tooth decay than regular sugar (due to its polyphenol content), but more research is underway to confirm this.

Does this mean you can have more sugar. Not at all. Horizon Science (the research group behind LoGiCane™) and the GI Foundation fully back current dietary guidelines that recommend only moderate consumption of added sugars as part of a balanced healthy diet. LoGiCane™ with its low GI is simply a better choice for your long-term health that should be used instead of regular sugar in (let me repeat) moderate amounts.

What’s moderate consumption? About a teaspoon of sugar in a cup of tea or coffee, a couple of teaspoons on a high fibre, low saturated fat breakfast cereal, or a tablespoon or so in a baked product like a fruity muffin. The total should be no more than about 6–10 teaspoons a day which includes all sources of refined sugar you consume – what’s already in the foods you eat as well as what you add yourself.

LoGiCane™ is currently available in Australia and NZ. For more information email: alan@gisymbol.com

Contact
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
CSO, Glycemic Index Ltd
Phone: +61 2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 2 9785 1037
Email: mailto:alan@gisymbol.com
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com.au