If the two are almost nutritionally identical, what’s the potential upside to using one over the other? “In the refining process of white sugar, it is stripped from all of its vitamins and minerals,” Fineberg explains. “Coconut sugar does not go through as rigorous a refining process; therefore, it contains trace amounts of minerals. That being said, you would need to eat a lot of sugar to receive any measurable benefits from those minerals.” Some of the minerals you will find in coconut sugar—albeit, in small amounts—include iron, zinc, calcium, and potassium, along with short-chain fatty acids.
