Just Panela® Health Benefits
Beyond Sweetness: The Potential Health Benefits of Unrefined Sugar
There is no denying that consumers love the flavor of real sugar, but there is also a growing demand for healthier alternatives to refined sugar. Natural sweeteners like honey and unrefined sugars from Latin America, like panela, are options.
Panela provides the natural sweetness of cane sugar, but compared to refined white or brown sugar, it retains a wide range of nutrients. Here’s a look at the potential health benefits of unrefined sugar and whether these natural sweeteners are suitable alternatives to refined sugar.
What is Unrefined Sugar?
Regular table sugar comes from sugarcane and sugar beets. Manufacturers extract the juice from these plants, boil it, and then spin the crystals in a centrifuge to remove impurities like color and certain flavors.1 However, essential nutrients are also stripped during the centrifugation process. Some of the impurities are retained and sold as molasses. Commercially available brown sugar is white refined sugar with some added molasses.
Unrefined sugar is known in the industry as “non-centrifugal sugar.” This sweetener also comes from sugarcane but doesn’t go through centrifugation during manufacturing. As a result, unrefined sugar retains nutrients that include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other plant compounds. Unrefined sugar also has a darker, molasses-like color and richer, complex flavors than refined sugar.
Unrefined or non-centrifugal sugar isn’t a new product. It’s long been the staple sweetener in many cultures outside of North America. Unrefined sugar is also known as: 2
Panela (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela)
Jaggery (India)
Kokuto (Japan)
Piloncillo (Mexico)
Rapadura (Brazil)
Gur (Pakistan)
As the production and availability of non-centrifugal sugars like panela from Colombia have grown, consumers are discovering a place for them as a natural sweetener and a potentially healthier alternative to refined sugar.
Potential Health Benefits
Unrefined sugar is far from a “health food.” However, many of the nutrients in these sweeteners, notably polyphenols, have demonstrated health benefits.
Antioxidant activity
Lab studies show that polyphenols in unrefined sugar have antioxidant properties.2,4 Antioxidants are potent compounds that block or remove potentially harmful oxidizing agents known as free radicals. These are the same types of protective compounds found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, tea, coffee, olive oil, and other plant foods.
Antioxidants protect and potentially prevent damage to cells’ DNA. That’s important because oxidative damage is linked to the development of chronic health conditions ranging from cancer to heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies in the lab examining the effects of non-centrifugal sugar on rats and cells show that it enhances antioxidant activity. Specifically, it blocks cellular oxidation and stimulates antioxidant enzyme activity. 2,4
Anti-inflammatory activity
Inflammation is the immune system’s natural response to an injury or foreign invader. It’s highly beneficial as a strong acute response because it helps you fight off pathogens and heal from injuries. However, under certain conditions, you can develop chronic, low-grade inflammation. As it persists, it harms healthy tissues and organs throughout your body. Inflammation is thought to be a root cause of many autoimmune diseases, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic health conditions.
The polyphenolic compounds in non-centrifugal sugar also appear to influence cytokines, protein signaling molecules that regulate inflammation in the body. In several studies on animals and human blood cells in the lab, various types of unrefined sugar were shown to reduce inflammation.5
May support metabolic health
For people with metabolic conditions such as obesity, overweight, and insulin resistance, relying on refined sugar as a sweetener may worsen those conditions. Unrefined sugar may be a suitable alternative, provided it’s used appropriately. Some research suggests compounds in unrefined cane sugar may have a neutral effect or possibly support metabolic health.
For example, a study of 104 people compared blood glucose changes after consuming non-centrifugal sugar and refined sugar. Results showed that unrefined sugar had less effect on glucose response than refined sugar. Researchers also noted that polyphenolic compounds in unrefined sugar slowed glucose absorption in the digestive tract.6
In animal studies, rats fed unrefined sugar experienced no weight gain, improved insulin sensitivity, and better glucose levels than those fed refined sugar.2
Researchers hypothesize that these potential metabolic benefits may be due to:2,6
A lower glycemic index in unrefined sugar compared to refined sugar. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a carbohydrate-rich food raises blood sugar. Lower glycemic foods have a lesser impact on after-meal glucose levels.
Compounds in unrefined sugar hinder the function of enzymes that affect sugar digestion and absorption. That means unrefined sugar gets into your bloodstream more slowly.
Minerals in unrefined sugar, particularly chromium and selenium, help regulate insulin activity and glucose levels.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a healthier natural sweetener to replace sugar, unrefined sugar like panela deserves a spot in your pantry.
Although more clinical studies are needed, the existing research suggests it’s more nutrient-rich, and the nutrients, especially polyphenols, in unrefined sugar have health benefits. When used in moderation and with a healthy diet, it may support your health goals better than refined white or brown sugar.
1. https://www.sugar.org/sugar/refining-processing/
2. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/460
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9519493/#bib44
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29803491/
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10803675/
6. https://cdn.nutrition.org/article/S2475-2991(24)00305-6/fulltext
Anne Danahy MS RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
