There are a few different types of sugar, but white and brown sugars are the most used ones. Many people are comparing brown vs white sugar, who believe that brown sugar is better than white sugar because it supposedly contains more nutrients, but this belief is not based on scientific studies. What is true is that brown sugar is rich in molasses and water and tastes sweeter compared to other sugars.
But, is it possible to determine which of these sugars is better for your health?
Brown vs White Sugar
Raw sugar is produced from sugar canes and its brown appearance is the result of the high amount of molasses. In most cases, sugar manufacturers use a special bleaching method that eliminates molasses and this is how we get white sugar. The taste is the biggest difference between these two sugars. Because of the molasses in brown sugar, you can taste their specific flavor. Brown sugar is also a little bit sweeter and comes in a chunky and moist texture. On the other hand, white sugar is very dry and grainy.
Nutritional Values of Brown vs White Sugar
Most people today are convinced that brown sugar is healthier than white sugar and that’s why they use it whenever they can. But contrary to popular belief, the fact is that they are not very different at least when we talk about nutritional values. For example, brown sugar contains 97% sucrose while white sugar contains 99.9% sucrose. The remaining three percents of brown sugar consist of water and other substances.
If you take a teaspoon of white sugar you take 16 kilocalories. The same amount of brown sugar contains 17 kilocalories. So, if we look at these two parameters, these sugars are not much different. However, the molasses in brown sugar provide better nutritional value because they contain iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. However, you should not jump to conclusions because this doesn’t make brown sugar healthier than white sugar. The fact is that the nutrients we have mentioned are present in so small quantities that they don’t make any difference in your body and don’t affect your health.
Which one should we use – Brown or White Sugar?
There is no strict answer to this question because it depends on your taste and the cooking techniques you are using. This means that you can choose both versions of sugar. Some people may choose white sugar because it is pure while others may want to go for brown sugar because it’s richer. Keep in mind that if you want to choose the healthier version you should know that you can’t expect to gain benefits by using any of these sugars. You should try to limit the intake of sugar because high consumption can affect your health in a very negative way. In addition, increased intake of sugar can lead to certain diseases like diabetes for example.
Via Healthline