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Incredible Sugarcane Superfood

  • PLANTS

Sugarcane comes from the grass of the family. It is popular for its juice, which is very tasty and sweet. It is from this juice regular refined cane sugar is made. Sugarcane juice is one of the purest forms of sugarcane other than the plant stalks themselves. You can also eat the plant stalks. It has lots of fiber, which you need to spite out efter very bite.

Most of the world’s sugarcane is grown in subtropical and tropical areas. People may not know this, but it is also grown for biofuel production. This is because that is can be used for ethanol production. The cane fibres (by product form pressing the juice) are used to produce the ethanol and biofuel.

The nutritional density of sugarcane juice is amazing. It has nice levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, various amino acids, zinc, thiamin, and riboflavin. It provides antioxidants like flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds, which can boost overall health and reduce oxidative stress.

The natural and raw sugarcane juice can lower blood pressure, strengthen the bones, reduce cholesterol, aid in weight loss, fight fevers and infections, and soothe stress. It can help you sleep better, boost energy levels, support kidney health, strengthen the immune system, protect the skin, optimize digestion and also manage diabetes.

Traditional Sugar Medicine

Sugarcane / Sugar cane

It has been used for ages as a medicinal plant. In old traditional medicine, they used it to treat various diseases and unbalances in the body. Today sugar is still an important part of medicine. As many needs sugar drop when getting treatment in modern hospitals.

Several modern studies have been done on sugarcane juice, and they back up the traditional wisdom. In the old Asia they used sugarcane because it has impressive results with reducing inflammation, and relieving pain. It also acts like an antiseptic. An antiseptic is a substance that stops or slows down the growth of microorganisms. They’re frequently used in hospitals and other medical settings to reduce the risk of infection during surgery.

Good for Athletes

women running on track field
Runners / fuelled by sugar – Photo by Jonathan Chng

Scientifically sugarcane juice has become a strong contender against the varieties of sports drinks on the market. Studies aimed to see the effects of sugarcane juice on how athletes perform and burn fuel. Thet concluded that sugarcane juice was mostly as effective as sports drinks during exercise and more effective for rehydration afterward. Sports drinks and sugarcane juice equally restored fluids in the participants, but those who drank sugarcane juice felt more full.

Athletes burn a lot of sugar. Muscle glycogen is the predominant form of stored glucose in the body, and blood glucose are the main energy substrates for muscle contraction during exercise. Carbohydrate-rich diets are recommended for athletes, because they are associated with increased muscle glycogen stores, as well as delayed onset of fatigue. High carbohydrate diets and sugar intake before and during exercise have shown to be beneficial due to increased concentrations of glycogen maintenance of blood glucose and brain function.


https://www.britannica.com/plant/sugarcane
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-cane-sugar
https://www.organicfacts.net/sugarcane-juice.html
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/do-sugarcane-drinks-have-health-benefits
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24427476/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29526084/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29526084/