Different “sugars” have different glycemic indexes. Maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than turbinado sugar.

I'd forgotten about the glycemic index. Grainlady and Canary Bird used to reference it frequently. I checked, and maple syrup is about 54 with Turbinado at 65. So, there is a slight difference.

But I was wondering if it's similar to the sea salt vs. table salt debate in the low sodium world. When I was cooking low sodium for my husband, I belonged to a few Facebook groups dedicated to all things salt-free/low sodium. Invariably, someone would ask about the difference between salts. They were under the impression that food seasoned with sea salt was low in sodium. The disappointing answer was that salt is salt. There are no appreciable differences in sodium levels. If you are on a low sodium diet, you need to drastically reduce your salt intake. Not switch to another form of salt.

Well, there is “justifiable rationale”. It is called the Glycemic Index. Some sugars are processed in some people’s bodies faster than others.

I disagree with your (garden gal) comments in regards to one’s bodies abilities to process sugar.

Disagree all you want - sugar is sugar regardless of its source and regardless of how fast the body may process it. If the maple syrup users think they are avoiding sugar by using syrup instead, they are sorely mistaken!!

The way a body processes sugar has been studied. For many, it is what it is, for some it can be life style altering.

I participated in a local University study. For some, it doesn’t matter, for some it does. It, being carbs, and the University has published their findings on the glycemic index.

The University was Stanford in California, the diet was “the Zone”.

How a body may process sugar has very little to do with how it is sourced. The slight differences in the glycemic index of processed cane sugar versus maple syrup are not significant enough to think that avoiding one while indulging in the other is making any difference at all!!

btw, corn flakes, potatoes, rice and white bread all have a much higher glycemic index than does processed cane sugar OR maples syrup!!

The study I participated in, revealed the source of sugar (carbs) influences how a body processes it.

The study may have been involved in the Glycemic Index.

Sugar is sugar, but for some, an excess can trigger an endocrine process to store it as fat. Different bodies have different levels of excess. The Glycemic index maybe an attempt to help those with health issues that may be caused by excess carb intake.

The Maple Syrup would lend a taste that would bedifferent than sugar, but otherwise, I agree, sugar is sugar.

If you are talking a teaspoonful in a cup of coffee it's all negligible....but maple syrup does contain some minerals that are not present in white sugar....but then so does turbanado sugar.
People who pointedly use "an alternate sugar" in their coffee make me laugh.....as they take another helping of mashed potatoes and just one more small slice of that good Italian bread....and extra croutons on my salad.

Indulging in one, while avoiding another...

The “couple of people” in the OPs post would probably be better served avoiding all sugar.

Interesting conversation. The “couple of people” do not have particular medical issues. It’s all self-diagnosis. And pick & choose. Haphazard. Lots of carbs in the form of flours, potatoes, etc. But maple syrup in oatmeal and coffee.

LOL! Good one, Linda. So true.

I don't like sugary drinks, but do sometimes indulge in a diet soda because I do like them. I also like cookies. So I might have a cookie with a diet soda. I'm under no illusions regarding the sugars, starches and effects of artificial sweeteners. I also do think that a mandarin orange with a glass of water--a common snack for me--which has more than twice the sugar of a cookie and diet soda, has more "nutrition" than sugar. :) Whole fruit and clean water are better than refined flour/sugar and chemical water, but it's not an alternative to sugar.

The question on the maple syrup is quantity. As has been said, the difference in glycemic index number for the amount one would likely put in a standard serving of coffee is negligible. Glycemic index does matter for a lot of people with sugar processing issues--which is a much larger group than just diabetics. But with the maple syrup as sweetener, how much syrup is used? Does it alter the coffee flavor enough with a smaller dose than solid sugar? Does the smaller amount of sugar by volume mean that they're using significantly less sugar? Does the psychological effect of using one of the most expensive sugars boost their feelings of contentment, thereby affecting their body chemistries? Is calling it "healthier" just an excurse to indulge in real maple syrup?

Really really really good coffee doesn't need sweetening. I'm not interested enough in coffee to become one of the mad scientists who perfect the craft. There was a fabulous restaurant near where I lived during my mid-20's which had awful parking, so died, but they also had the best coffee I've ever had (always--not a one off accident). Very rarely have I met its match--including by said mad scientists at home (I saw a report of some commercial ones an hour away who might have the answer) so I just don't bother with it. Still, a better way to deal with the issue at hand is to switch to tea. Both Darjeeling and Oolong are delicious without sugar or cream.

I also find a little amusing that some people seem to think that one kind of sugar contains less sugar than another. Couldn't that be considered food faddism?

There are some good reasons to avoid sugar, and I agree that it would better, and make more sense to have an unsweetened beverage.

According to this site, maple syrup has some benefits because of essential minerals that it contains, but if the goal is to reduce calories and carbohydrates, it will not help. I cannot imagine drinking maple flavored coffee, but then I do not drink coffee. I do buy turbinado sugar as well as piloncillo, but I use these for their flavor rather than glycemic index. I also buy coconut palm sugar.

I do not use any sugar in drinks - I do not drink coffee, but I do drink one cup of tea in the morning and use Splenda for that. Lately I've been making tonic water syrup using Splenda for sweetener. The commercial tonic water is made with HFCS, which I always avoid, if possible.

Bottom line, if you want to avoid sugar, then it is good to avoid syrups and honey.

From someone who has made a LOT of maple syrup, and studied the chemistry behind it . . . both cane, beet and maple syrup all contain about 99% sucrose as their form of "sugar." The amount of sugar in maple syrup varies, but it's about 66%. The rest is water, so one reason to use maple syrup is it is more dilute, so a tsp. of maple SYRUP will contain about 33% less sucrose than a tsp. of refined white sugar. They do make maple sugar, in which case the percentage would be higher. For comparison, white sugar is 99% sucrose, maple sugar 90% and brown sugar 88%. As for minerals, I think that is negligible in the amount of syrup you would put in coffee. Maple syrup picks up some caramel flavor from the cooking, it's more noticeable so maybe more flavor bang for your sugar buck, but then so is brown sugar or honey. If you use less sugar by subbing maple syrup due to its other flavor components, that would be great I suppose. Every little bit helps.

I prefer unsweetened beverages, and I love maple syrup, BTW. I think it might taste good with coffee 🙂

There seem to be any number of people who want to believe that sweet stuff that they are tasting is anything other than some form of sugar.

It may have a slightly different glycemic reaction, but there is not much difference.

Still, it becomes one of these things that gets promoted by slightly shady and questionable "practitioners" of many sorts.

Coconut sugar is another of the myths that are being promoted as being more acceptable than sugar. Like the maple, there is only a slight difference between it and any other sugar.

If sugar is a problem the best thing you can do is to avoid it altogether or consume it in moderation and with a good does of common sense.

For those who put maple in their tea or coffee, maybe the best thing that you can do is to learn to drink it without it having to be sweet. Changing your dietary habits is the only real way to avoid sugar, or too much sugar.

When people find one thing acceptable and demonize the other they are just fooling their cognitive selfs. The physical body does not recognize your distinction. It detects sugar and processes it, no matter what you call it.

For any bit of nutritional benefit that might come from getting this or that from your sweetener of choice, the fact is that you would have to consume way too much of it. And, that would quickly negate any nutritional factor.

If sugar is to be avoided, just avoid it. That is the only way. There is no magic sugar. Those chemicals that make artificial sweeteners are to be avoided even more than sugar, in my opinion.

It's pretty easy to consume a LOT of sugar by drinking it. Many people put a LOT of sugar in their coffee, my husband is one of them. We go through sugar like gangbusters and the only thing he puts it in is his morning coffee. But it is every morning. I drink coffee too, but I drink it without sugar in the coffee, along with eating something sweet. Same amount of sugar. But my husband chastises me for EATING sweets, while he drinks them every morning. Two cups of coffee, two tsp. of sugar in each, 4 tsp. sugar per day. No matter. I should try and drink AND eat less sugar. The refined stuff, due to being concentrated, is much easier to over-indulge on. Maple syrup is hard earned sucrose, quite expensive. We mostly use it on occasional pancake or waffle splurges.

I have seen maple flavored coffee. Of course maple flavoring is not real maple. I don't know if it would taste good or not. In general, I don't like most flavored coffees. They either taste fake or too sweet to me. Of course YMMV.

I must not have much of a sweet tooth :-) Don't care for candy, I dislike sweetened hot beverages and I rarely put sugar on anything......the odd teaspoon of demerara sugar on hot oatmeal. And I do admit an indulgence of dipping fresh strawberries in sour cream and then the demerara :-)

I never use syrup. It is far too sweet for my tastes and makes whatever you pour it over soggy, so a double whammy NO in my book! I do use sugar when I bake but that's about it.

I will admit to going through a lot of granulated sugar but that's because I have a year round herd of hummingbirds I feed and boy, can they go through the stuff!!

Yes, sugar is sugar. Some are less processed/traveled. Those that choose honey, maple syrup, organic coconut palm...are often, not always, more likely to shop local farmers markets and support local farmers. More concerned about organic. Less likely to purchase processed foods. More flavor means using often 1/4 the amount than white sugars/corn syrup.

I only tap 5 of my maples out of 200. The big ones. Three taps on one and two on the others. We only have the time for a half gallon and that is plenty. Six gallons half reduced are in the freezer. I'll use those to lightly sweeten rhubarb juice.

Coconut palm sugar is so fragrant of caramel and nutty. I used probably two cups all last year. A 1/4 cup on a pork shoulder makes a gorgeous bark. A Tbsp on a sugarless cornflour cake makes a crust like the crust on a creme brûlée when baked.

We like our coffee black.

Tried some maple syrup in my morning coffee. To me, it added a pleasant caramel flavor. However, not being as concentrated, you need to use about 1/2 TBLSP to get the same level of sweetness as 1 tsp. sugar. So same amount of sucrose. If you use less, then proportionally less sucrose.