Sugarcane juice is extracted from sugar cane stalks. It is mostly sold by roadside vendors where they obtain the juice from sugarcane stalks by using a machine. It is a very popular drink during the summer season as it refreshes, hydrates, and energizes the body.
One glass of sugarcane juice that is about 250 ml contains about 70 to 75% of water, 15% carbohydrate in form of sucrose, and 10 to 15% fiber. It is also a rich source of antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic groups. It also provides electrolytes like potassium in a good amount.
Due to high water and sugar including antioxidants and potassium content, it provides energy, nutrition, and hydration to the body and is popular among people and athletes.
Many people commonly ask the below questions.
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Is sugarcane juice safe for covid-19 positive patients?
They also ask, are there any health issues related to its consumption? Let’s discuss these queries in this article.
As described above, sugar cane juice is a good source of sugar, water, and nutrients. So it is capable of providing energy and hydration to your body.
In covid-19 positive patient, the doctor always suggests drinking more water or liquid. In this situation, sugarcane juice serves you very well.
But the main issue is, from where you get the juice. Means roadside vendors who are selling sugarcane juice don’t maintain proper hygienic conditions. They properly don’t wash their hands and sugarcane stalks are kept openly. That’s why bugs and bees always lay eggs or infectious agents on it. Therefore, if sugarcane stalks are not properly washed or cleaned before obtaining juice from them, it may cause certain health issues. It may cause infections like leptospirosis, Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, gastroenteritis, salmonella infection, etc.
So ensure the hygienic condition of sugarcane juice before consuming it. If it is prepared in unhygienic conditions, it is better to avoid drinking it. Otherwise, coronavirus-positive patients can drink sugarcane juice.
What are instructions for safe food handling to a vendor selling sugarcane juice at the roadside?
Utmost hygienic care should be taken to prevent a possible infection from unhygienic sugarcane juice extraction. Here are few instructions for vendors at a roadside selling the juice.
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Wash hands properly with soap and water before handling sugarcane stalks.
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Clean and wash sugarcane stalks before extracting the juice.
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Keep extracting machine hygienic and away from bees and bugs. Wash the machine with clean water regularly.
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Always use a disposable glass to serve the sugarcane juice. If you use the same glass, wash it properly before serving the juice.
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Consume only fresh sugarcane juice. Keeping the juice for few hours may lose its taste and becomes dark in color.
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I personally suggest that eat sugarcane stalks directly after cleaning and washing them properly instead of drinking its juice. This will prevent you from possible infections. Chewing sugarcane stalks properly helps in the digestion of juice in the mouth and makes your mastication muscles strong.
Sugarcane Juice FAQs
Which alcohol is found in sugarcane juice?
You can obtain ethanol by fermenting sugarcane and its juice. Yeast is used to ferment sugarcane.
How much potassium is in one glass of sugarcane juice?
100 grams of sugarcane juice have around 360 milligrams of potassium. Usually, 100 grams equal 100 ml. Therefore, one glass of about 250 ml contains about 800 milligrams of potassium. It is a good amount.
What are the health issues of drinking sugarcane juice?
Most of the health issues of drinking sugarcane juice are arises due to the unhygienic conditions in which it is prepared. Drinking unhygienic sugarcane juice may transmit diseases like leptospirosis, gastroenteritis, salmonella, Trypanosoma cruzi, Chaga’s disease, etc.
Egyptians may have health risks due to contamination with aflatoxin B1, fumonisin B1, or mycotoxin.
There is also a spike in blood sugar levels after drinking sugarcane juice. So diabetic people should avoid a large quantity of juice.
Is it safe to drink sugarcane juice for a diabetic person?
Sugarcane juice contains about 9.1 grams of carbohydrates in 100 grams of juice. It is mainly in sucrose form and this is a high amount of sugar.
Although the glycemic index (GI) of sugarcane juice is low, its glycemic load (GL) is high. So it can increase blood sugar levels for a diabetic person. Therefore, a person with diabetes should avoid sugarcane juice or avoid consuming a large quantity of juice.