Brown sugar enjoys a reputation for quality compared to white sugar. But what is it really? Is there a nutritional difference between the two? Answers with Angélique Houlbert, dietician nutritionist.
the Brown sugar has always enjoyed an excellent nutritional reputation. It is blessed with various virtues, and it would contain interesting elements for health, such as minerals for example. It often happens that we recommend replacing white sugar with caramel-colored one.
White sugar or brown sugar: no nutritional value
Yet this idea is not based on anything solid. In France, more than 90% of the sugar sold is white. It comes from beet sugar, which are white sugar beets. The manufacturing method consists of extracting the sweet juice from these plants. It is then diffused in hot water, then filtered, evaporated, crystallized and dried. “It is devoid of vitamins, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants and contains 4 calories per gram. A lump of sugar contains 24 calories, but without any interesting nutritional elements. These are called empty calories,” specifies Angélique Houlbert.
There is another type of sweetening product from sugar cane. This contains pigments that color and flavor the small squares that are commercially available under the name “brown sugar” or “cane sugar” or brown sugar. This brown sugar with hints of vanilla or cinnamon is colored blond or red. It is often confused with the vergeoise, which is a beet sugar. Its particular tones result from cooking and partial caramelization. Other sugars have a dark brown appearance: this is the case with Rapadura or Muscovado, often sold in organic stores or health food departments.
A question of taste and quantity
The only difference with white sugar is that their taste is more pronounced. This means that less is used in recipes. “From a nutritional point of view, there is no difference. The number of calories between the two types of sugar is almost the same. In colored sugars there are more minerals. But really very little. This amount will not make a big difference to your body. There is therefore no real advantage to using one rather than the other if not the quantity since the brown has more taste. Other than that, it’s the same. We takes so much weight and we disturb our blood sugar as much with these two sugars if we consume it in excess “, warns the specialist. It is therefore no longer worth hesitating in the supermarket shelves between red or white sugars. The difference remains totally negligible.
Thanks to Angélique Houbert Dietician Nutritionist Author of “The good choice at the supermarket”, Editions Thierry Souccar.
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