Sugarcane juice is a refreshing and nutritious drink, widely enjoyed for its natural sweetness and health benefits. Often sold by street vendors in many tropical countries, it has gained popularity for its unique flavor and nutrient-rich profile.
Scientifically known as Saccharum officinarum Linn, sugarcane is an important perennial grass from the Poaceae family, native to tropical regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
It is widely cultivated around the world for its high-yielding products, valued for both their economic and medicinal benefits.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the numerous benefits of sugarcane juice and why it could be a great addition to your diet.
What is Sugarcane Juice?
Sugarcane juice is a sweet, refreshing drink extracted from the stalks of the sugarcane plant, commonly enjoyed in tropical regions.
Sugarcane juice is also rich in antioxidants, including phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which help combat oxidative stress.
Known for its hydrating and liver-supporting properties, sugarcane juice is both a delicious and health-promoting beverage.
Health Benefits
These are the sugarcane juice benefits for health.
1. Rich in Antioxidants
Sugarcane juice is a powerhouse of antioxidants, making it a refreshing and beneficial addition to a healthy diet.
These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals generated during physical activities, reducing oxidative stress and protecting your cells from damage.
Sugarcane juice contains a rich blend of phytochemicals, including phenolics, sterols, terpenoids, lignans, and policosanols.
Some of the key phenolic acids found in sugarcane include gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, and ferulic acid (1, 11).
It also contains flavonoids such as quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, catechin, and epicatechin, with myricetin present in smaller amounts (1, 11)
Interestingly, the flavonoid content in sugarcane juice is comparable to that in orange juice and black tea—two well-known antioxidant-rich beverages.
Even resveratrol, a polyphenol usually found in small amounts in fruits, has been detected in moderate levels in certain sugarcane varieties.
By regularly enjoying fresh sugarcane juice, you’re giving your body a natural source of antioxidants that work from within to protect and revitalize your health.
2. May Boost Energy Levels
Packed with natural sugars, sugarcane juice is an instant energy booster.
Sugarcane juice contains high levels of simple sugars like glucose, fructose, and sucrose, which the body quickly absorbs for an instant energy lift.
Along with natural sugars, the electrolytes in sugarcane juice, like calcium, sodium, and potassium, help boost energy by supporting recovery and improving metabolism after intense activity.
These natural electrolytes are effective in restoring essential nutrients lost by the body, making sugarcane juice a great choice for post-exercise recovery.
Additionally, GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), found in some plant-based foods like sugarcane, which increases when fermented, offers several exercise-related benefits, including supporting muscle growth after exercise, helping manage heart rhythm, regulating blood pressure and cholesterol, and improving liver function.
Given these health and performance benefits, adding probiotics to red sugarcane juice makes sense as it could create a functional drink that’s a healthier alternative to regular probiotic beverages, suitable for both everyday drinkers and active individuals.
3. May Support Digestive Health
Sugarcane juice is rich in natural digestive enzymes that may help improve digestion and keep the gut healthy. Its potassium content helps balance pH levels in the stomach, promoting a well-functioning digestive system.
With a pH of 5.29-5.39, sugarcane juice is gentle on the stomach, avoiding issues like dental erosion or acid reflux, which are common with acidic energy drinks. Drinking a glass of sugarcane juice an hour after meals can also ease bloating and other digestive discomforts.
Furthermore, fortifying sugarcane juice with probiotics, such as Lactobacillus, can further boost gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.
Beyond digestive benefits, probiotic-rich sugarcane juice may support brain health via the gut-brain axis, reduce sugar content, produce bioactive compounds, and offer even more health advantages.
However, drinking too much sugarcane juice may cause digestive discomfort.
4. May Provide Anti-Ageing Benefits to the Skin
Sugarcane straw extract contains a high amount of phenolic compounds, such as hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic, flavones, and organic acids. These compounds give the extract strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making it a useful addition to your skincare routine.
These antioxidants reduce oxidative stress by neutralizing harmful free radicals, which are responsible for skin aging and damage.
Cellular studies found that sugarcane straw extract effectively blocked key enzymes responsible for skin aging. It reduced elastase activity by 55% (elastase breaks down elastin), collagenase activity by 25% (collagenase breaks down collagen), and tyrosinase activity by 47% (tyrosinase is involved in melanin production). The extract also boosted the skin’s natural production of hyaluronic acid, which helps keep the skin hydrated. These benefits were achieved at safe, non-toxic levels.
Additionally, the extract reduced inflammation caused by urban pollution, lowering levels of two inflammatory markers.
However, most of its beneficial compounds stayed on the skin’s surface, showing it has limited ability to penetrate deeper layers.
While sugarcane straw extract shows anti-aging potential, more research is needed to help it reach deeper skin layers for even better results.
Similar results were found in other cellular studies using a polyphenol rich sugarcane concentrate (Officinol™), which showed enhanced telomerase activity, protects from UV radiation, inhibited tyrosinase activity, melanin production, elastase activity.
Additionally, a small-scale clinical study involving 10 participants applied a 5% (w/w) Officinol™ cosmetic gel to their faces for 12 weeks. Biophysical measurements were taken to assess anti-aging effects. The study found a 17% reduction in skin roughness at 8 weeks and a 20% reduction at 12 weeks. Wrinkle depth decreased by 20% at 12 weeks, and the pigmented area of sun spots was reduced by 2% at 12 weeks.
However, these findings are limited to cellular and small, preliminary human studies, more studies involving higher number of participants is required to further verify these findings.
5. May Boost Immunity
With a high concentration of antioxidants, sugarcane juice strengthens the immune system, helping to prevent infections.
A 2024 review of studies on various farm animals shows that adding sugarcane extracts or juice to their feed may boost immunity, likely due to its bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.
Gut microbiome also plays a significant role in immune function.
Two studies found that feeding pigs a mixture of sugarcane polyphenols and sugarcane fiber increased good bacteria and reduced harmful bacteria in their gut, which may strengthen immune function.
During flu season or times of high stress, a glass of sugarcane juice may help boost your body’s defenses.
6. May Help with Diabetes Management
Sugarcane juice, rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, may support better blood sugar management.
Computer-based studies suggest that probiotics like Lactobacillus, isolated from fermented sugarcane juice, may help control blood sugar by inhibiting enzymes such as alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase—both involved in glucose metabolism.
In one study focused on the stability and anti-diabetic effects of sugarcane juice, researchers extended its shelf life to 7 days and found that doses of 5.6 mg/20 g, 11.2 mg/20 g, and 16.8 mg/20 g produced significant blood sugar-lowering effects in diabetes-induced mice. These benefits were linked to sugarcane juice’s ability to reduce oxidative stress—a key factor in diabetes.
Interestingly, another study comparing sugarcane juice with cyclamate (an artificial sweetener) found that while sugarcane juice caused a slight rise in blood glucose, cyclamate led to a much higher spike. Though sugarcane juice didn’t lower blood sugar, its impact was notably milder than that of the artificial sweetener.
A clinical study also found that adding polyphenol-rich sugarcane extract to sucrose may reduce post-meal (postprandial) blood glucose levels in a dose-dependent way, with doses containing 19–32 mg/100 g of polyphenols showing positive effects. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Despite its potential benefits, sugarcane juice is naturally high in sugars and can raise blood sugar if consumed in excess.
If you have diabetes or blood sugar concerns, always consult your healthcare provider before including sugarcane juice in your diet, as individual responses may vary.
7. May Aid in Weight Loss
While sweet, sugarcane juice is low in calories and fat, but high in antioxidants.
In an animal study, mice were fed a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with supplements of 0%, 2% or 4% polyphenol-rich sugarcane extract (PRSE) for twelve weeks. In the results, mice fed with 4% PRSE had lower body weight and fat compared to the control group.
This effect was linked to reduced carbohydrate absorption, while other factors like food intake and energy use did not significantly differ.
While promising, clinical trials are needed to confirm these results.
Tips for Consuming Sugarcane Juice
- Fresh is Best: Freshly extracted sugarcane juice is more nutritious and tastes better than bottled versions.
- Limit Additives: Avoid adding excessive sugar or artificial flavors to keep it healthy.
- Moderation is Key: Although sugarcane juice has numerous benefits, moderation is essential due to its natural sugar content.
Potential Health Risks
While sugarcane juice offers many benefits, there are some potential health risks associated with its consumption:
- Raw sugarcane can sometimes carry diseases, such as Leptospirosis.
- In Brazil, sugarcane juice has been associated with cases of Chagas disease, as improperly cleaned sugarcane may contain traces of Trypanosoma cruzi, the pathogen responsible for the disease, left by infected insects.
- Additionally, consuming sugarcane juice in Egypt could pose health risks due to potential contamination with mycotoxins like aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1.
In Closing
Sugarcane juice is more than just a refreshing drink – it’s packed with nutrients that offer a variety of health benefits, from boosting energy and immunity to enhancing skin health.
Additionally, sugarcane juice has been used traditionally to treat kidney stones, jaundice and liver-related diseases. However, there is limited scientific evidence supporting these claims.
Adding a glass of sugarcane juice to your diet can be a simple way to enhance overall wellness. Just remember to consume it in moderation and choose fresh juice for the best results.
Note that some benefits mentioned above apply to fermented sugarcane juice, which may have mild alcoholic properties if allowed to ferment naturally. This version of the juice can also be beneficial, provided it’s consumed in moderation.
Whether you’re looking to support digestion, strengthen immunity, or enjoy healthier skin, sugarcane juice is a powerful, natural choice.
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