Is using brown sugar really better than white sugar?

Natural sugars are found in many foods.foodThis includes fruits, vegetables, milk, grains, and nuts. This natural sugar can be extracted to produce refined sugar, which is now widely used in food processing.

Commonly usedsugarcaneThe most common way to extract sugar is by using sugar beets or palm sugar, however, in some countries, people also use sugar beets or palm sugar.

Currently, the market offers many types of sugar with different colors. Many people believe that white sugar is better than brown or red sugar because impurities that are harmful to the body have been removed. However, there is also the view that brown sugar is better for the body because it retains more natural nutrients.

Brown sugar. (Illustrative image)

Regarding further information about sugar, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh - former lecturer at the Institute of Biotechnology and Food (Hanoi University of Science and Technology), said that there are two ways to produce sugar.

White sugar (refined sugar) undergoes a very high refining process, so all the vitamins, minerals, etc., present in sugarcane are removed, leaving only sucrose. Therefore, white sugar is 99.8% sucrose.

Brown and red sugars are usually refined manually. Therefore, brown and red sugars still retain some of the original vitamins and minerals found in sugarcane. However, the amount of minerals or vitamins remaining after the refining process is very small. Brown sugar contains about 85-90% sucrose and about 10% other substances.

The most noticeable difference between white and brown sugar is that brown sugar has slightly higher levels of calcium, iron, and potassium. However, the amount of these minerals in brown sugar is negligible. Additionally, brown sugar contains slightly fewer calories than white sugar, but the difference is minimal.

Associate Professor Thinh stated: "From a nutritional standpoint, white sugar, brown sugar, red sugar, molasses (products from sugarcane)... are all sucrose. Therefore, regardless of the color of the sugar, its essence remains the same and does not change."

White sugar. (Illustrative image)

Because molasses is refined manually, its sucrose content is lower than that of granulated sugar (white or brown). Therefore, consuming molasses is better than consuming refined sugar because it retains some of the vitamins and minerals found in sugarcane.

There are many different types of sugarcane molasses. People should note that the molasses that seeps out during the sugar refining process (also known as molasses) should be discarded and not consumed as it can be toxic.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh stated that scientists are currently strongly advising against consuming excessive amounts of sucrose. When consumed, both white and brown sugars are metabolized into simple sugars through the same process. Although both white and brown sugars are made from natural ingredients, consuming too much of them is detrimental to health.

This Associate Professor explained that sugar was scarce in the past, but nowadays, many types of food, especially processed foods, contain a lot of sugar. Sugar makes food more appealing with its color and flavor, and it also helps to preserve and extend the shelf life of food.

Foods high in sugar include: sugar, honey, candies, soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices, sweetened liquid and powdered milk, sweetened instant coffee, etc.

Consuming too much sugar is a major cause of overweight, obesity, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Overweight and obese individuals should limit their sugar intake. Even healthy people should limit sugary foods and sweets, and instead drink fresh fruit juices with little or no sugar, and unsweetened milk.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung, Head of the Adult Nutrition Examination and Counseling Department (National Institute of Nutrition), also stated that current recommendations suggest that an average woman should not consume more than 25g of sugar per day through food, while men should not consume more than 38g of sugar per day.

One issue doctors warn about is that children who consume a lot of products high in sugar (such as cakes, candies, milk tea, soft drinks, etc.) are at increased risk of being overweight or obese, especially in children who are inactive, which can accelerate the process of puberty.

In addition, consuming too much sugar increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and negatively impacts oral health. Fructose is metabolized in the liver, and studies show that high sugar intake leads to an increased risk of fatty liver disease.

To control sugar intake, experts suggest that people limit their consumption of sweets, especially by choosing artificial sweeteners, which, although sweet, are low in calories, thus reducing overall sugar intake.