Is it true that brown sugar is healthier than white sugar?

The benefits of brown - or cane - sugar are written on websitesdedicated to healthy nutrition, eco products, style life, cooking. Some sellers of this sugar claimthat it contains 1.5 times less calories than regular white, which means you can eat it Can even on a diet. Other convince buyers that brown sugar strengthens teeth. They write about the benefits of cane sugar and bloggers on "Yandex.Zene".

The most common type in Russia Sahara - refined (that is, peeled) beetroot. As the name implies, it is made from sugar beets: the juice is extracted, purified from impurities (they give it an unpleasant taste and smell), then heated to a thick syrup and crystallized to the state of sand. About the same produce and cane sugar. However, unlike beet, cane cane does not need to be peeled and can be eaten unrefined - its impurities are pleasant to the taste. They give it its characteristic golden color. Refined cane sugar is the same white color as beet sugar, and in general is practically no different from it. Therefore, all statements about the benefits of cane sugar apply only to its unrefined variety.

The opinion about the greater benefits of cane sugar arose precisely because it went through fewer stages of processing and is therefore more natural. And indeed, in brown sugar contained significantly more vitamins, as well as micro- and macroelements. For example, 83 mg calcium per 100 grams vs. everything 1 mg in white. But only if you consume sugar in recommended nutritionists, the concentration of nutrients will still be so small that the body will not notice the difference at all. Yes, daily allowance norm the same calcium for an adult is 1000 mg. To gain it from sugar - even brown - you need to eat more than a kilogram of it. With a recommended maximum of 50 grams. As you can see, sugar - no matter what color it is - is clearly not a product that is worth consuming for its beneficial substances.

And by the way, there is no higher calcium content in cane sugar no effect on dental health: the risk of developing caries in people who consume cane sugar, such the same as those who prefer white.

If we talk about calorie content, then the differences are minimal: in cane sugar - 375 kilocalories per 100 grams, in regular refined - 385. It is unlikely that a difference of 10 kcal allows us to consider brown sugar a more dietary product.

Excessive consumption of cane sugar may cause cardiovascular diseases, obesity, even cancer - in this he is no better than his white brother. Its exactly the same necessary limit to people with diabetes (both white and brown sugars consist almost entirely of sucrose and have the same glycemic index). And we already wrote that sugar is addictive. Unfortunately, unrefined cane is no exception.

However, there is a difference between these types of sugar - in their organoleptic properties. The taste of white and brown sugar is indeed slightly different: the first is sweeter and has a burnt sugar aftertaste, while the second has a softer sweetness, a fruity aroma and a sweet aftertaste. Accordingly, different types of sugar have slightly different effects on the taste of the food to which they are added. The appearance of the final product, for example, meringue, depends on the color of the sugar - it is better to use white sweeteners.

The type of sugar may also affect texture product - especially for baked goods. Brown sugar retains moisture; if you add it to cookies, they will turn out moister and dense, while with white sugar they will be fluffy and dry.

Cane does not grow in Russia, but cane sugar is sold and is quite expensive. Because of this, in the supermarket you can run into fake: regular beet refined sugar, tinted molasses or even some other unknown dyes, perhaps not the most useful. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to buy sugar produced in the regions where cane grows. The packaging should say “unrefined cane sugar” (because sometimes it is refined and then tinted back). And the sugar itself should have a caramel aroma, which refined sugar does not have.

Thus, there is no significant difference between brown and white sugar in terms of health effects. Unrefined cane sugar contains more vitamins and other beneficial substances, but still not enough to bring any benefit to the body. But they are harmful in exactly the same way: abuse of sugar of any color leads to obesity, caries, cardiovascular and other diseases. So it makes sense to overpay for more expensive cane sugar only if you like its taste better. He has no other significant advantages over white.