Sugars and natural drinks · IFCT 2017
Sugarcane: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, fresh sugarcane juice gives 58 kcal, 12.8 g sugars, 150 mg potassium and 6.7 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. It has almost no protein, 0.2 g, ranking 243rd of 257 foods. Nutritionally it is sweet, cooling water with a little potassium and some B vitamins, so it is a treat on a hot day rather than a health drink.
About sugarcane
Every Indian summer brings the sugarcane crusher: a roadside machine that presses peeled canes, often with ginger, lemon and mint, into a frothy green-gold juice, served with black salt and ice. In Maharashtra these shops are called raswanti gruh, and in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh ganne ka ras is sold on every busy corner. IFCT 2017 records the juice as ganne ka ras in Hindi, usacha rasa in Marathi, sherdino ras in Gujarati, karumbu charu in Tamil, cheruku rasam in Telugu and kabbina halu in Kannada.
The cane itself is part of festivals. Whole stalks are tied to the doorway and chewed for Pongal and Sankranti, offered at Chhath on the ghats of Bihar, and pressed into jaggery in villages across the cane belt. In Uttar Pradesh, rasaval is rice cooked slowly in fresh cane juice.
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka grow most of India's sugarcane, which also feeds the sugar mills that make white sugar and the open pans that boil jaggery. The juice stalls are the one place most city families meet the cane itself, and their season runs from the end of winter until the monsoon.
What sugarcane brings to a meal
- 01
Light in energy for a sweet drink
Sugarcane juice has 58 kcal and 12.8 g sugars per 100 g. A tall glass from a stall, though, is several times 100 g, so the sugar adds up quickly.
- 02
Some vitamin C and folate
It carries 6.7 mg vitamin C and 45 micrograms of folate per 100 g, about 8 per cent and 15 per cent of a man's daily needs. Lemon squeezed in adds more vitamin C.
- 03
Potassium and B6
Juice gives 150 mg potassium and 0.4 mg vitamin B6 per 100 g; the B6 covers about 17 per cent of a man's requirement on paper.
- 04
Almost no protein or fat
With 0.2 g protein and 0.4 g fat per 100 g, the juice is almost entirely water and sugar, 85.5 g water in every 100 g.
Sugarcane nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 58 kcal | 3% | 3% |
| Protein | 0.2 g | 0% | 0% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 13.1 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 12.8 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.4 g | ||
| Water | 85.5 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.14 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.17 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 28 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 18 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 1.12 mg | 6% | 4% |
| Zinc | 0.14 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Magnesium | 13 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Phosphorus | 22 mg | ||
| Potassium | 150 mg | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.03 mg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 6.7 mg | 8% | 10% |
| Beta-carotene | 8 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.14 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4 mg | 17% | 21% |
| Folate (B9) | 45 µg | 15% | 20% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.02 mg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Sugarcane: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/sugars-and-drinks/sugarcane/
Where sugarcane sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 2 sugars and natural drinks and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In sugars and natural drinks | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 0.2 g | 3rd of 3 | 243rd of 243 |
| Dietary fibre | 0.6 g | 1st of 1 | 182nd of 182 |
| Iron | 1.12 mg | 2nd of 3 | 129th of 242 |
| Calcium | 18 mg | 3rd of 3 | 182nd of 242 |
| Zinc | 0.14 mg | 2nd of 3 | 216th of 243 |
| Magnesium | 13 mg | 3rd of 3 | 220th of 242 |
| Potassium | 150 mg | 3rd of 3 | 216th of 243 |
| Vitamin C | 6.7 mg | 1st of 2 | 98th of 130 |
How sugarcane is eaten
- Ganne ka ras: fresh juice pressed with ginger, lemon and mint, served with a pinch of black salt.
- Rasaval: rice simmered slowly in sugarcane juice until thick, a winter sweet in Uttar Pradesh.
- Sugarcane stalks: peeled and chewed fresh during Pongal and Makar Sankranti.
- Jaggery: the juice boiled down in iron pans until it sets, the most common use of the cane in villages.
- Cane juice popsicles or sorbet: fresh juice frozen with lemon at home for children in summer.
Before you plan around it
Hygiene matters more than nutrition here. Choose stalls where canes are washed, the machine is clean, and ice is made from safe water, or ask for no ice. Drink the juice at once: it darkens and starts to ferment within a short time. For anyone with diabetes, sugarcane juice is a sugary drink and raises blood sugar quickly, whatever its natural image. The vitamin B6 figure IFCT 2017 gives for juice looks high, so treat it with some caution. Children enjoy it, but it should not replace water or milk.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about sugarcane
Is sugarcane juice healthy?
Sugarcane juice is a natural, refreshing drink with 58 kcal and 12.8 g sugars per 100 g in IFCT 2017, plus a little potassium and vitamin C. It is still a sugary drink, so enjoy it occasionally from a clean stall rather than as a daily habit.
Can people with diabetes drink sugarcane juice?
It is best avoided or kept to a very small amount, because its sugar is absorbed quickly and raises blood sugar. People with diabetes should check with their doctor or dietitian before including it.
Is sugarcane juice good for jaundice?
Sugarcane juice is a traditional drink during recovery from jaundice in many Indian homes, mainly as a source of fluid and easy energy. It does not treat liver disease, and jaundice needs medical care. Unhygienic juice can itself spread infections such as hepatitis.
How many calories are in sugarcane juice?
IFCT 2017 lists 58 kcal per 100 g of sugarcane juice, almost all from 12.8 g sugars. A large stall glass holds several times that amount, so a serving can add up to a fair share of daily energy.
Related foods and tables
Jaggery
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Coconut water
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Lemon (juice)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Ginger
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Mint leaves
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
All sugars and natural drinks
3 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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