Sweeteners make you feel good, eliciting a sensation of pleasure when they hit your taste buds. But not all sweeteners are the same. Organic tapioca syrup is a liquid sweetener made from tapioca starch. It is used as an alternative sweetener to sucrose -- also known as table sugar, corn syrup and honey. The nutritional composition of organic tapioca syrup is similar to sucrose, but it may be a slightly healthier option to the white crystals in your sugar bowl.
Lower in Calories
Organic tapioca syrup has the same sweet flavor as sucrose, but is lower in calories. A 1/4-cup serving of tapioca syrup contains 168 calories, while the same size serving of sucrose contains 194 calories. Twenty-six calories may not seem like a lot, but trimming calories here and there throughout your day can help you lose weight. Decreasing your daily calorie intake by just 100 calories a day can help you lose 10 pounds in a year, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Lower in Carbohydrates
Compared to sucrose, organic tapioca syrup is also lower in carbohydrates. A 1/4-cup serving of organic tapioca syrup contains 42 grams of carbohydrates, while the sucrose contains 50 grams of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy, but if you have diabetes you need to control your daily intake for better blood sugar control. Using organic tapioca syrup in place of sucrose can help you save a few grams of carbs, which may help you better manage your blood sugar.
Pesticide Free
As an organic product, the organic tapioca syrup reduces your exposure to pesticides. Conventional farmers use pesticides to help control weeds, insects and disease, which can end up on your food. Instead of using pesticides, organic farmers rotate crops to control weeds, and use natural predators, such as birds, to control insects. Limiting your intake of pesticides may reduce your risk of cancer and Alzheimer's disease, according to a report on the website Scitable by Nature Education. (reference 5,8)
GMO-Free
The organic tapioca syrup is also not genetically modified. Genetic modification is a type of technology that alters the genetic structure of a food or crop to make it more resistant to disease, increase its yield or to alter its nutrient composition. Genetically modified sucrose is not yet available, but sugar companies in Australia are talking about ways to increase sugar production using this technology. The effects of genetically modified foods on your health are not completely known. But it may increase your risk of developing food allergies and increase your resistance to antibiotics, according to the Human Genome Project Information website.
References
- Ciranda: Tapioca Syrup
- Barry Farm: Tapioca Syrup Nutrition Facts
- Sweet Harvest Foods: John Mountain Organic Tapioca Syrup
- USDA Nutrient Database: Sugars, Granulated
- MayoClinic.com: Organic Foods: Are They Safe? More Nutritious?
- Harvard School of Public Health: How to Get to Your Healthy Weight
- American Diabetes Association: Sugar and Desserts
- Scitable by Nature Education: The Dangers of Pesticides
- AgBio Forum: Genetically Modified Sugarcane: A Case for Alternate Products
- Human Genome Project Information: Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms
Member Comments