Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is by tradition an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content, but is now often produced by the addition of molasses to refined white sugar.
When sucrose is consumed from whole foods, it is considered a natural sugar. When sugars like brown sugar, molasses or sucrose are consumed from packaged foods and beverages to which they have been added during manufacturing or in home baking and cooking, they are considered added sugars.
From a nutrition perspective, there's no advantage to using white sugar over brown sugar or vice versa, the Sugar Association says: "Nutritionally speaking, all natural sugars have relatively comparable nutritional value with approximately 15 calories per teaspoon (4.2 g)."
Brown sugar, technically, is raw sugar with molasses added back at the end of the refining process to darken it and add the characteristic moisture and flavor we all recognize and love.
To tell you clearly, brown sugar is basically white (or unprocessed) sugar that still contain molasses (brown sugary syrup), giving it the brown colour. Unrefined brown sugar is the one that still has some molasses from the original process. Refined brown sugar is made by adding molasses to the refined white sugar.
However it is made, brown sugar is essentially incompletely purified sugar colored and flavored by other plant matter, which answers the first question.
Common artificial sweeteners include: Aspartame. Sucralose. Acesulfame K.
White sugar
They are extracted and refined from the natural sugars that occur in sugar cane and are 99.9% pure sucrose with no minerals.
Brown sugars are made by coating white sugar crystals in a molasses like syrup. The darker the sugar, the more molasses it contains, and the stronger the caramelised flavour will be. Brown sugar retains more moisture than white sugar, so it is loved in baking as the final product will stay fresher for longer.
Talking about sugar being good for health, then natural sugar or stevia is the best. They have many health benefits to offer apart from weight loss. It has all the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for your body.
Side Effects
Brown sugar when consumed in limited quantity is safe and well-tolerated by most healthy adults. However, if consumed in large amounts may increase the risk of weight gain, yeast infections and diabetes.
"Honey's advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn't affect your blood-sugar levels as much)," Dr. Dixon says. "It also contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, zinc, phenolic acids, and flavonoids."
Brown and white sugars both add sweetness to your bakes. But the molasses content of brown sugar makes it more suitable for goods that are supposed to be chewy and a little caramel-flavored. You can make your own brown sugar at home by mixing white sugar with molasses or maple syrup.
The sweetness level will be exactly the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods. You'll likely notice a more robust flavor and the color of the finished baked good may be darker as well. These alterations in color, flavor, and texture come from the way brown sugar is made.
Brown sugar is often used in baking for the flavor and moistness it adds to baked goods. The molasses in brown sugar also helps to prevent cookies and cakes from drying out. It generally makes baked goods softer and moister.
Overview. The Australian sugar industry produces raw and refined sugar from sugarcane. Around 95 per cent of sugar produced in Australia is grown in Queensland and about five per cent in northern New South Wales, along 2,100 km of coastline between Mossman in far north Queensland and Grafton in northern New South Wales ...
Origin. Brown sugar originated in the Caribbean during the 1700s. Afterwards, it came into popular use in England and the American colonies due to its low price and unique flavor and color, compared to white sugar.
Moreover, processed, high fructose corn syrup may be the worst type of sugar a person can consume. Some medical experts relate sugar to cocaine in the way it has addictive effects on the brain in humans and in animals and this notion is supported by research.
Coconut or palm sugar is a sweetener that is extracted from the sap present in the flower buds of the coconut palm tree. It is known as a natural sugar because it involves minimum processing and no chemicals are used.
Stevia was previously banned by the FDA due to earlier studies that suggested it may cause cancer. Fortunately, this was amended in 2008, which paved the way for food manufacturers to reintroduce this sweetener. Today, stevia is found in all types of foods and beverages.
Reasons Behind the Ban
One of the main reasons behind the restrictions on stevia in Europe is safety concerns. Some studies have suggested that certain stevia extracts may have potential health risks, such as reproductive and cardiovascular effects.
The healthiest alternative to sugar is whole fruits, followed by dried fruits, as they contain added nutrients and fiber. In comparison to table sugar, fruit juices, maple syrup, honey, and molasses are marginally healthier as they contain some vitamins and minerals.