Commonly considered the best natural sweetener in place of refined white sugar, dates still have their own sugar content. In fact, one Medjool Date can contain 16 g of sugar! In every form, sugar is a simple carbohydrate that is converted into glucose for the body to use as energy. However, not all sugars are created equal. The effect sugar has on the body and its state of health depends greatly on the type of sugar you’re eating.
Natural sugars, as found in dates and other fruits, are considered to be “fructose.” These foods provide important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to keep your body healthy and even help prevent disease. In addition to fructose, dates are high in fiber, which keeps the body feeling full.
On the other hand, refined white sugar, sourced from sugar cane or sugar beets and then processed to extract the sugar, is considered “sucrose” — a combination of that natural fructose found in dates as well as glucose. Refined sugar is a processed product versus a natural one, like dates, and has little to no nutritional value – leading to the dreaded “empty calorie” pitfall.
Another difference is the way the body metabolizes natural sugar versus refined sugar. You’ve heard of a “sugar rush” and the subsequent “sugar crash” associated with refined sugar. These are the result of the body’s ability to break down refined sugar very quickly, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to spike. Despite the fact that you may have eaten 500 calories in a processed cake or cookie, you’re less likely to feel full because these sugar-laden products lack the fiber in dates that slows the metabolism and maintains that “full” feeling longer.
It is important to note that once the sugar passes through the stomach and into the small intestine, the body can no longer differentiate whether it came from a scoop of ice cream or a handful of dates. The way the body uses that sugar also depends on how much sugar is already in your bloodstream. If the amount is high, the newly digested sugar gets converted to either fat or glycogen, which is glucose in storage form for your body can use for rapid energy.
Food that is closest to its natural form is always a better choice than its processed, refined version that has been stripped of important minerals and nutrients. We invite you to enjoy the delicious natural sweetness of dates… in moderation, of course!