White, coconut, muscovado – which one is less harmful. A complete guide to sugar

President of the Association of Nutritionists and Health Coaches (ANCH)

To eat sugar or not to eat sugar? This question does not lose its relevance. If there is, then in what quantity and what kind of sugar, because the choice of types of sugar is increasing, and experts disagree. I offer my view on this situation and share my “sugar guide” with readers.

Sugar has been known to mankind for more than 2500 years, and its consumption is only growing. According to Rosstat, the average Russian eats more than 30 kilograms of sugar a year, which exceeds the maximum permissible norm four times.

Excess sugar in the body is dangerous to health and leads to a number of problems:

• overweight;
• risk of developing diabetes mellitus;
• vascular problems due to the glycation process, which is triggered by chronically high blood sugar levels;
• decreased immunity due to glycation of albumin protein;
• skin deterioration (acne, inflammation, wrinkles) due to collagen destruction caused by glycation;
• poor protein digestion and reduced nutritional value;
• insulin resistance;
• emotional instability.

Sugar is not only the familiar powdered additive, but also other substances that have a similar molecular composition. Either type of sugar is a fast carbohydrate that instantly raises blood sugar levels.

There are two common types of sugar: traditional sugar (50% glucose and 50% fructose, can be beet, cane, maple, palm, coconut, sorghum) and high-fructose corn syrup (55% fructose and 45% glucose).

You can also find sugar under other names and forms on the market and in foods:

• honey;
• agave syrup, topinambur syrup, maple syrup;
• coconut, date, grape;
• fruit juice and concentrate;
• golden (or yellow) sugar;
• barley malt, dextrin and dextrose, lactose, maltodextrin, maltose, rice syrup, and a couple dozen other less popular names.

All sugars contain glucose, fructose, or other simple carbohydrates in varying ratios. Some of the natural sugars have one or another set of micronutrients in their composition, but remain fast carbohydrates.

Glucose, the main supplier of which is sugar, is an effective source of energy, necessary for the work of muscle, circulatory and other body systems. At the same time, excess glucose can cause various diseases, including diabetes and hepatosis of the liver.

The World Health Organization recommends limiting daily sugar intake to 5% of total calories consumed, which is about six teaspoons of sugar (30 g).

Fructose, which is a component of sugar, can cause liver dysfunction, and glucose can break down DNA and protein cell structures. Therefore, you need to watch the amount of sugar in your diet to avoid health problems.

Sugar guide: classic sugar vs. coconut and muscovado sugar

Sugar was first made from the sweet juice of sugar cane, and soon they learned how to extract it from sugar beets. Today, both types of sugar are popular and used in the food industry.

Familiar white sugar

Classic white sugar is made from sugar beets. After a series of chemical and mechanical processes with the ripe vegetable, table sugar is obtained.

Refined sugar undergoes many stages of sucrose purification from “non-sugars” and crystallization. As a result of these processes, white sugar is completely devoid of minerals and vitamins, so it gives the body only a fast carbohydrate.

Refined sugar is the most accessible type, which is used everywhere: in cooking at home and in catering establishments, in the production of a huge list of products (baked goods, chocolate, bread, yogurt, fruit and even sausages).

Unrefined sugar is made with fewer processing steps. The brown color and distinctive flavor are produced by molasses molasses. Brown sugar (usually obtained from sugar cane) may contain single percentages (1-3%) of mineral salts – affecting the taste, but not changing the chemical composition of molecules, so it does not give more benefit to the body than ordinary sugar.

Coconut sugar

In a separate category should be attributed to coconut sugar – it is obtained from coconut. Due to the presence of a small amount of fats and fiber in its composition, the speed of its digestion is lower, and the glycemic index of such sugar is 30-40% lower than that of conventional sugar, and is only 35 units.

Coconut sugar in moderate amounts is a safer alternative to white sugar derived from beets or sugar cane.

It is also a high-calorie product, but unlike regular sugar, coconut sugar contains B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, iron, and minerals. Coconut sugar has a positive effect on fat metabolism, promotes fat burning and improves the cardiovascular system due to the production of glucagon.

However, the high insulin index does not allow its use in diabetes.

Muscovado

Muscovado is a variant of unrefined cane sugar. It is made by extracting the juice from sugar cane, adding lime, evaporating the liquid and then cooling it to form sugar crystals.

The molasses remains in the sugar, gives it a dark brown color and has the texture of wet sand. Muscovado sugar, like regular sugar, has the same nutritional composition, calorie content and is almost 100% carbohydrates.

But muscovado has magnesium, potassium or calcium and iron due to the molasses content. Although muscovado is a less processed sugar, it is still an added sugar, although it is considered whole. The molasses gives it a distinct caramel flavor.

The molasses molasses found in muscovado also contains some antioxidants, including gallic acid and other polyphenols, which help prevent cell damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.

Free radical damage is linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, so eating foods containing antioxidants is good for your health.

While these few minerals and antioxidants make muscovado a little more nutritious than refined white sugar, it is still sugar and should be limited.

Conclusions

The food market offers alternatives to white sugar: new sugars, sweeteners, and sweeteners. But all sugars are still sugars, and the main condition for safe consumption of such substances and products with their addition is moderation. Fascination with chemical sweeteners and sweeteners is harmful to health in general and to the liver in particular.

Attempts to replace sugar with the healthiest analogs often lead to overeating, because a person is sure that healthy sugar can be eaten more than simple sugar.

I recommend adhering to a simple dietary culture regarding sugar:

• drink tea and coffee without it added;
• add fiber-rich fruits to your diet as a source of glucose. Thanks to pectin and fiber, sugars from fruits are absorbed slowly and don’t create a spike in blood glucose. But don’t forget about moderation – excessive consumption of fruit and fructose sweets increases the negative effects of glycation, can provoke nephropathy (kidney damage), worsen diabetes, and provoke obesity;
• limit the proportion of store-bought sweets and baked goods in your diet;
• prepare homemade desserts, and replace candies with plenty of sugar and trans fats with natural chocolate;
• refuse “liquid” sugar – sweet sodas, coffee with additives, cocoa, etc…;
• eat desserts and sweets only after the main meal.