Sugar has been part of the human diet for thousands of years. To date, it is known to promote good health, but it also contributes to some medical problems.
Health experts have been debating over the proper use of sugar to enjoy its health benefits. And the competition occurs between two types of this natural ingredient.
Brown and white sugar are widely used across the world. Most of the time people pick one based on how sweet they want their drink or food to be. But which type of sugar is really good for you?
Brown Sugar vs. White Sugar
Both white and brown sugar came from either the sugarcane or sugar beet plant. But they have different properties.
Brown sugar is made with white sugar and molasses, a sugar-derived syrup that gives its darker color. Molasses also provides brown sugar with additional nutritional value.
The darker sugar contains less calories but more calcium, iron and potassium contents compared to white sugar. However, brown sugar has less vitamins or minerals, according to Healthline.
Unrefined brown sugar commonly retains most health benefits since it is undergoes less processing than white sugar. However, white sugar still dominates the kitchen.
Using brown sugar affects the color, flavor or texture of the food. It has properties that retain moisture, which could make baked goods softer yet denser.
Cookies made with white sugar get more air into the dough and rise to a greater extent, while cookies with brown sugar will be more moist and dense.
White sugar also offers a neutral flavor that makes it a versatile ingredient in baking since it is easy to mix to achieve the desired taste.
Taste and color are the main differences between white sugar and brown sugar. They are alsmost nutritionally similar.
Both products can be mixed to food depending on how you want it to taste or appear. But it is important to know that intake of all types of sugar should be limited to maintain good health. After all, sugar is known to contribute to the obesity epidemic and other diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
