Are you someone who always have doubts between white sugar and brown sugar? Most of them believe that brown sugar is a much healthier version of sugar. Unfortunately, brown sugar, whether raw or refined, has little to elevate it over white sugar in the health department.
Brown sugar’s main differentiating factors include its appearance, a molasses flavor, and slightly more minerals.
What is Brown Sugar?
Brown sugar is simply white sugar mixed with molasses. Therefore, brown sugar can hold its shape like wet sand, while white sugar cannot. Raw sugar is also generally brown in color, and forms when the juice of sugar cane evaporates. However, many people refer to brown sugar as granulated white sugar with molasses added to it.
What is White Sugar?
White sugar is sucrose that has had all the molasses removed. White sugar is about 99% sucrose. Sucrose is naturally white, so there is no bleaching to make it look white. White sugar is just plain sweet, with no other flavors.
Which one is healthier?
There are no significant differences between brown and white sugars. According to the USDA, one teaspoon of brown sugar contains roughly 17.5 calories and the same amount of white sugar has about 16.3 calories.
While the two are nearly equivalent in nutrition, there is a marginal difference. Because brown sugar contains molasses, it’s a little bit richer in three minerals: calcium, iron, and potassium. However, it’s not a good source of either mineral because it comprises such insignificant amounts of each.
Calorie Content:
Brown sugar and white sugar both contain about the same number of calories per serving. A teaspoon of packed brown sugar provides 17 calories and 1 teaspoon of white sugar contains 16 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database.
In baked products, brown sugar is used to create a richer taste, but its moistness may affect the appearance of the finished product. Marinades are also made using brown sugar, but is not a good substitute for some white-sugar recipes, such as for sauce. White sugar sometimes can be substituted for brown sugar, and the same for brown sugar for white sugar, but they are not always interchangeable.
