Brown sugar is marketed and sold as a “healthier” alternative to white sugar. It is definitely priced higher compared to crystallized white sugar. A question arises, whether it is worth paying a higher price for brown sugar? Let us find out.
What Is Brown Sugar?
Both white and brown sugars are manufactured in the same way, except that to turn white sugar into brown, manufactures add some quantity of molasses to already processed white sugar.
To clarify further, molasses is a by-product of the sugar making process, in which sugarcane juice is transformed into white sugar crystals. White sugar is manufactured first, and then some of the molasses, which was separated earlier, is added back.
Is Brown Sugar Healthier?
Contrary to the claims on product packaging, nutrition-wise, brown sugar does not differ significantly from white sugar. You get almost the same number of calories from white or brown sugar.
The molasses present in brown sugar does contain some minerals but only in negligible quantities.
Let me show you are real life example. In one brand of brown sugar sold in India, the product packaging claims the presence of potassium, magnesium, and iron. But in each serving (5g) of that brown sugar, these minerals make up only between 0.02% and 0.08% of the recommended daily allowances of these minerals.
It is obvious that to get any health benefit from brown sugar, you will have to consume it in massive quantities, which will be otherwise harmful to your health.
To conclude, unless you like the taste of brown sugar, it will not be wise to spend extra money on buying brown sugar. I would rather use white sugar as a sweetener, and look for nutrition in the rest of the food I eat.
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