Is Brown Sugar Better than White Sugar? You Will be Surprised!

If you are a health conscious person, chances are that you take your diet very seriously. Everything you eat, or buy at the grocery store, is bought knowing the health benefits of each item. Every time you eat out, your portions are measured and choices deliberate. Chances are you have picked up many healthy habits along the way and make sure you abide by them all the time. Is giving up on white sugar and switching to brown sugar one of these 'healthy choices'? A lot has been said and written about the adverse effects of consuming white sugar on a regular basis. All this negative publicity has made it's darker cousin - brown sugar - look so much better in comparison. However, is there really a difference between the two and is brown sugar, in fact, a better alternative? Here's what you need to know.

Brown sugar Vs white sugar: What is the difference?

According to Clinical Nutritionist Dr. Rupali Datta, "Both white sugar and brown sugar are similar, nutritionally and also calorie-wise. The only difference lies in the flavour, colour and the process these both go through." Basically, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses and is considered as raw sugar majorly because it goes through lesser chemical processing as compared to white sugar.(Also read: 5 Types of Sugar that are Better Alternatives to Refined Sugar)

Mixing white sugar crystals with amounts of molasses results in a soft and lumpy brown sugar. Both white and brown sugars can be swapped in recipes considering they are almost similar in calories and nutritive value.Does the less processing makes brown sugar a better option?

According to Dr. Manisha Arora from Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, white sugar is pure carbohydrate that further adds fat in the body and causes other problems. Whereas brown sugar is also white sugar with molasses added to it, which makes it brown. Brown sugar has more liquid and has around 0.25 fewer calories per gram than white sugar. It has slightly less concentrated sweetness with its tiny bit of syrup. Brown sugar contains slightly more minerals than refined white sugar, but only because it contains molasses. Brown sugar contains 95 per cent sucrose and 5 per cent molasses, which adds a flavour and moistness but has no great nutritional benefits over white sugar. So brown sugar has equal health risk factors like white sugar and must not to be recommended for diabetic patients or to help in weight loss.
 

The verdict

Don't fall for gimmicks! While both may have gone through slightly different processes, it doesn't mean they are different; or that one is better than the other from a health perspective. So, even if you are adding brown sugar to your recipe, you are adding the same amount of calories that you would have added by including white sugar. Moderation is the key; consuming white sugar and brown sugar in less quantity will do no harm.