Is Brown Sugar Bad for You?

Who doesn’t love to eat sugar even after knowing that sugar is not so good for our health? Sugar is like an everyday companion in our life but eating an excessive amount regularly can give rise to many health issues.

Nowadays, many people are preferring the variety named Brown sugar depending on its nutritional value. But is brown sugar healthy in coffee or is it can be really good for you are the burning questions to get answers before giving it a try.

So, let’s learn about the varieties of sugar available and why brown sugar is on the priority list among them. I will help you in finding out all your queries regarding – Is brown sugar bad for you or not? Find it out through this in-depth article on brown sugar.

Table of Content

What are the Types of Sugar?

Sugar is a form of carbohydrate. So if we divide it according to the origin then we will find glucose, fructose, sucrose, and lactose . Fructose is known as fruit sugar, sucrose as table sugar, and lactose is known as dairy sugar.

In another way, sugar can be divided into white sugar, brown sugar, and liquid sugar. White sugar is the regular white sugar crystal we often use for cooking. Besides, Brown sugar is quite similar to white sugar as it is made of mixing white sugar with other materials but its color is brown. Then, Liquid sugar is mainly the solution or syrup of sugar that can be made from both white and brown sugars.

These three types can be divided into many more types and in this way, sugar has numerous types. But white and brown sugar are the most common and popular types of sugar and you should know which one is better and why.

Is Brown Sugar Better?

Is brown sugar better than white sugar is the most asked sugar-related question nowadays. Many people state that if you are choosing between white and brown sugar then choose brown sugar. Even some people following a diet prefer a small amount of brown sugar when needed. Now time to find out –is brown sugar good for weight loss or is it better than white sugar?

Despite having many similarities white and brown sugar are different in nutrition values, chemical processes. White sugar is the regular sugar and brown sugar is manufactured in a little different way. Brown sugar has a higher nutritional value and while talking about brown sugar vs white sugar sweetness, brown sugar is less sweet.

Again if we compare brown sugar vs white sugar in baking, brown sugar is the winner due to its capability to make the baked products softer and moisture. All these factors make brown sugar more attractive to people who want to rebalance their diet and remain a little more healthy.

But if we come to brown sugar vs jaggery comparison then brown sugar will remain backward as jaggery is fully unrefined and natural. However, brown sugar is always the winner when we compare it with white sugar. So let’s learn more about brown sugar including the making process, benefits, side effects, and many more.

How is Brown Sugar Made?

First, let me tell you about the brown sugar ingredients which are not many. Completely refined white sugar crystals are masked by adding sugarcane molasses to make brown sugar. So it’s a quite simple process to execute and only two ingredients are enough.

Molasses are often obtained from sugar cane as most people prefer this flavor.

Now come to the types of brown sugar and what are the differences in their manufacturing. Brown sugar is divided into dark brown sugar and light brown sugar and the only difference between them is in the amount of molasses.

The more the amount of molasses added the darker the color will be so it is clear that dark brown sugar has a larger amount of molasses added to it. Dark brown sugar contains 6.5% of molasses with sugar crystals whereas light brown sugar contains only 3.5%.

The thing you will love the most is that you can easily make brown sugar at home if the ingredients are available. To make light brown sugar in minutes, just take one tablespoon of granulated sugar and one tablespoon of molasses and then mix them well. The procedure is the same for dark brown sugar but the amount of molasses should be two tablespoons. This is how you can quickly make brown sugar while baking if you have no time to go to the grocery.

Moreover, natural brown sugar which is also known as raw sugar or whole cane sugar can be obtained from partially evaporated sugar cane juice. In this case, there remains a small amount of molasses in the sugar.

Nutritional Value of Brown Sugar

As the main thing that keeps brown sugar superior to other varieties is its high nutritional value than others. This nutritional value increases due to the presence of molasses in manufacturing. Like all the varieties of sugar, brown sugar also provides carbohydrates mainly but it also provides a small number of minerals as well.

Below here I am going to give you a view of the nutrition facts related to brown sugar.

Carbohydrate

One teaspoon of brown sugar contributes 17.5 calories approximately researched by USDA. Maximum calories from brown sugar come from carbs as it provides a huge amount of carbohydrates. Sugar is a huge source of carbohydrates and we all know that. This can be the only reason –why is brown sugar not good for you.

But carbohydrates help in providing energy in the form of glucose to the brain and the whole body. So if you can avoid taking an excessive amount of brown sugar in your diet it can be proved healthy for you.

Fat and Protein

As per research brown sugar doesn’t provide any fat or fatty acid on consumption even in high amounts. If the measurement is done for 1 cup of brown sugar then the amount of protein will be only 0.2 or 0.3 g which is very minor. That means when you take brown sugar in a larger quantity a little protein will contribute to your calories.

Vitamins and Minerals

When you take only a little amount like 1 teaspoon brown sugar there will be no significant vitamins or minerals present except 1.3mg sodium. But if the amount is increased to one cup there will be 180 mg calcium and other minerals like magnesium, selenium, iron, potassium, manganese in smaller amounts.

Benefits of Brown Sugar

Before claiming anything good or bad you must know all the benefits and drawbacks. In the case of brown sugar, it is not exceptional so now time to know the advantages of brown sugar in this segment.

Provides a small number of vitamins and minerals which makes it better than white sugar.
Improves the taste of any food.
Kids often deny foods that have no sweetness so brown sugar can be added to their foods to keep them nourished.
People who often face hypoglycemic conditions can take brown sugar in their diet. Brown sugar is a great solution for solving low blood sugar.
Low blood sugar causes anxiety so brown sugar can work incredibly for removing anxiety.
It can be used in small amounts even if you are following a diet because brown sugar helps in preventing obesity.
Being moist helps in making softer and moisture baking items.
People who prefer less sweet can use brown sugar in their day to day life as it is less sweet than white sugar.
As molasses contain a little potassium so brown sugar is good for easing menstrual cramps.
Free of chemicals so there are very few chances of facing any harmful side effects.
Brown sugar has some antiseptic quality as well. So if you have any cuts or bruises you can press brown sugar there immediately to get some relief.
Good for skin so it can be used widely in skincare.
It is also considered good for your digestive system.
Surprisingly, brown sugar has medicinal use in treating cold and preventing asthma.
Brown sugar works quite great for pregnant women in recovering very fast after delivery.
Boosts up your energy level by supplying energy to your whole body.

Why is Brown Sugar Costly?

If we compare the price of white sugar and brown sugar you will find white sugar quite cheaper than brown sugar. For example, 2lbs light brown sugar costs about $2.89, and 3lbs dark brown sugar costs about $6.36 for 3lbs whereas normal white sugar costs only $1.65.

Therefore, you might be thinking why is brown sugar costly? The reason is brown sugar is mainly made of mixing white sugar with molasses in a well-balanced ratio. As there is an extra ingredient with white sugar the price is also high.

Then there is a big difference between the price of dark brown sugar and light brown sugar. It is also clear because dark sugar contains more amounts of molasses so the price is higher than the light brown sugar. If brown sugar vs jaggery comparison is done jaggery will be a better option at a lower price.

Side Effects of Brown Sugar

We all know that consuming excessive amounts of sugar for a long period can give rise to many health issues. Being a variety of sugar, brown sugar has some negative side effects you can face.

Whenever we hear the name of any sweet first thing that comes to our mind is type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Brown sugar also increases the risk of diabetes and heart diseases if taken excessively. You might have got the answer to is brown sugar good for diabetics.

Well, these are considered advanced effects of brown sugar due to prolonged use in excess quantity, and below here you will find some possible side effects you can face.

Spike in blood sugar level.
Increase in blood pressure or heart rate.
Increased fat storage and insulin secretion.
Hyperactivity and inflammation.

Conclusion

When talking about only sugar and its effects we all know that excessive intake of carbs can lead to many health problems. In that case, brown sugar can be bad for you if you can’t control its intake. But when we compare it with other varieties of sugar then brown sugar is definitely the better choice.

Now you are aware of all the brown sugar benefits and side effects so you can easily come to a conclusion regarding brown sugar. It is good to avoid any kind of sugary diets if you want to live a healthier and disease-free life. But if the taste of foods is important to you you can use brown sugar in limited amounts.

Lastly, all I have to say is think of your health condition and read this whole article well and then decide whether brown sugar is bad or good for you.

The FAQs About Brown Sugar

Q. Is brown sugar good for diet?

Well, if you do not want to give up eating sugar even though you are following a diet then brown sugar will be a good option. But you have to intake limited brown sugar to avoid the negative effects. Furthermore, it is less sweet than white sugar so it can be good for a diet in a limited dose.

Q. What is the healthiest type of sugar?

Honey and raw sugar can be considered healthier than other types of sugar. But if you talk about only the most common types that are white and brown sugar then brown sugar is the healthier one.

Q. Is brown sugar better to eat than white sugar?

Brown sugar is overall better than white sugar due to the presence of minerals and other nutrients. But in the case of taste, white sugar is sweeter than brown sugar.

Q. Why is brown sugar better for you?

Brown sugar contains molasses which provide some nutrients that are beneficial for us. Besides, brown sugar has many advantages for which it can be considered better for you and all the advantages are mentioned in the above article.

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