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Drinking a glass of sugarcane juice could save your liver
Although sugarcane juice is very nutritious, the process of eating cane can be laborious, putting off some people. photo by Dominic Bukenya.
What you need to know:
Sugarcane is a cheap and healthy option for quenching thirst, getting important nutrients and removing toxins from your body, as Gillian Nantume discovered.
There is a myth doing the rounds that sugary soft drinks, such as soda, can refresh the body after extreme excursions such as running.
The excessive sweating caused by running and other aerobics can leave the body dehydrated and in need of rejuvenation.
Sodas are cheap, and they give something akin to an instant boost of energy. However, soda has no nutritional value.
According to the medical journal Diabetologia, which is the official journal of the European Association of the Study of Diabetes, drinking one can of soda per day can raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 22 per cent.
One can of soda (350 ml bottle) is said to contain 10 teaspoons of refined sugar, 160 calories, 30-55 mg of caffeine, and filtered water.
With the knowledge of these risks, health-conscious people are on the lookout for fresh fruit juices to snack on.
Sugarcane juice is increasingly becoming an option.
David Kisitu, general manager, SND Health Living Limited, makers of fresh sugarcane juice says that previously, the process of eating sugarcane was tiring, putting off many people.
“You would have to spend at least 30 minutes washing, peeling, and chewing it. Some people have broken their teeth while biting the cane; others have abrasions on their tongues and painful jaws.”
Nutrients found in sugarcane
Freshly extracted sugarcane juice contains live enzymes and nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body.
“The sugars in the juice are natural and contain minerals that are good for nourishing the body and fighting disease,” says Jamiru Mpiima, a nutritionist-dietician.
“Sugarcane contains sugars such as sucrose. It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium and contains iron and vitamins,” he adds.
A glass of sugarcane juice can neutralise the effects of a drinking spree on your liver. Courtesy photo
Rehydrating the body
“Sugarcane juice provides an instant energy boost for people who have been doing physical exercises or who wake up feeling weak,” says Kisitu.
Excessive sweating and loss of body fluids through vomiting and diarrhoea can lead to an electrolyte imbalance in the body.
Electrolytes are essential nutrients that maintain fluid balance in the body. Packed with iron and potassium, sugarcane juice can be the perfect drink to replace the lost electrolytes and water.
Toxin removal
Sugarcanes have antioxidant agents, which fight the buildup of toxins in the body.
“The juice, being natural, is free of toxins,” Kisitu adds. “This helps to ease the load of work on the kidneys and the liver,” he adds.
According to John Shi, Chi-Tang Ho, and Fereidan Shahidi, in their book, Asian Functional Foods, published in 2005, sugarcane juice helps to protect the liver from damage and acts as a palliative to a damaged liver.
A glass of the juice every day can minimise the damage that an alcohol drinking spree could have on your liver.
When it comes to the digestion process, the potassium in sugarcane acts as an agent to speed up the process and protects the stomach from infections.
Fighting disease
According to a study published in the Journal of Phytochemistry in 2015 – Phytochemical profile of sugarcane and its potential health aspects – the nutrients present in sugarcane juice are highly effective in stopping the production and spread of cancer cells.
The study found that the juice was effective in preventing the onset and spread of prostate and breast cancer.
For the diabetic, sugarcane juice may be a healthy option to other drinks.
According to Mpiima, the juice does not decrease the sugar levels but it does not increase them either.
“The diabetic gets the essential among of sugar but in a safe way,” he explains.
Kisitu adds that, “My mother is diabetic and every time her blood sugar levels are low, instead of buying glucose from the shop and mixing it with water, I give her this natural juice and she stabilises.”
The nutritionist adds that the high concentration of potassium in sugarcane juice helps in controlling blood pressure.
“A salty diet leads to high concentrations of sodium in the body. People with high blood pressure are advised to reduce on their salt intake. When the sodium is low, natural sources of potassium can stabilise their blood pressure.”
So the next time you feel thirsty, before reaching out for that bottle of soda, think about what you are losing by not opting for fresh and natural sugarcane juice.
