Is brown sugar healthier than white sugar? Differences
When a person plans to follow a balanced diet and above all healthy, one of the questions that tends to ask the most is what differences exist between white sugar and brown sugar, since the White sugar It is characterized by being a very present element in daily cooking in many countries as the sweetener of choice par excellence.
It is, for example, a sweetener widely used when drinking coffee with milk, milk alone, in many desserts, and even to sweeten tomato sauces.
However, what very few people know is that white sugar only contributes empty calories, so it is extremely rich in calories, and yet does not provide any nutritional value to our diet.
Bearing in mind that most of the brown sugar sold today is nothing more than refined white sugar to which molasses extract has been added, know the differences between white sugar and brown sugar as it is understood (the original, so to speak), you will surely opt for the latter according to the different nutritional values it provides.
What is white sugar? And the brown sugar?
White sugar is a product that is extracted from both sugar cane and sugar beet. For its preparation, it is subjected to a chemical purification process known by the name ofsulphitation.
But nevertheless, brown sugar consists of a mixture of white sugar with cane molasses. At this point we must differentiate between brown sugar in itself, with that considered as whole cane brown sugar, which directly is obtained from the juices of sugar cane.
The main difference is that the brown sugar is not subjected to a refining process, but is only crystallized and centrifuged, in which the white sugar crystals are mixed with molasses cane, thus enveloping each crystal.
Main differences between white sugar and brown sugar
The White sugar is characterized as the product extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet, which is then refined. It is considered as the purest sugar, precisely because it has around 99% sucrose and is the result of a refining process.
But nevertheless, brown sugar is obtained by the crystallization of the sugarcane game, but it is neither processed nor refined. Hence, it is popularly known as the whole sugar.
Although it is true that the refining process is a common practice in many foods (such as bread, rice or pasta), the truth is that this refining process eliminates most of the nutrients that brown sugar provides. its unrefined version (that is, the purest).
On the one hand, unrefined brown sugar provides B vitamins, as well as minerals such as potassium (320 mg.), Calcium (85 mg.), Sodium (40 mg.) And magnesium (23 mg.). As regards its caloric content, 100 grams of edible part contribute approximately 390 calories.
Although 100 grams of white sugar provide almost 400 calories (a figure close to that of brown sugar), the truth is that the main difference lies in its zero nutritional contribution.
Is brown sugar healthier than white sugar? They are the same?
Although it is true that, today, many people tend to consider brown sugar as a sweetening option more healthy than white sugar, mainly due to its content and nutritional contribution (in B vitamins, minerals such as iron or magnesium). ), since it tends to be a less processed sugar variety, the truth is that there are not really many differences.
It is true that, from a nutritional point of view, unrefined brown sugar provides minerals (potassium, iron, sodium, magnesium and calcium) and vitamins (mainly from group B), while at the same time white sugar only contributes empty calories(that is, it provides calories and no nutrients).
But this does not mean that brown sugar tends to be healthier than white sugar. On the contrary, it becomes a problem, because considering that it is healthier we end up adding it to our daily diet as a "healthy" option, when in fact it is only healthy in appearance: can not be considered as a source of these nutrients, since it is usually consumed in small quantities, and its sugar content is practically similar to white sugar.
That is, while white (or normal) sugar has between 99% to 100% sucrose, brown sugar has between 85% to 95%. Which translates into something very simple: there is no evidence that brown sugar is healthier than white sugar. This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesSugar Food
