Recently, on the shelves of our stores you can find cane sugar. The harm and benefits of this product are not known to many, although more and more fans of healthy nutrition buy it. It is believed that it is less calorie and not so harmful. After all, sugar has long been called "white death" because of its ability to cause various diseases. Many try to abandon this product altogether, because they monitor their health. But doctors warn that the body needs glucose. It is very important for the functioning of the brain. Therefore, unrefined cane sugar is an important product on the table for those people who want to be healthy. Moreover, you can buy it at any supermarket.
What is brown sugar
How it differs from ordinary beetroot - few know. Refined white sugar is more affordable because its production is cheaper, and the sugar beets from which it is made grows everywhere. But in order for sugar to become usable, it is subjected to a complex process of cleaning and bleaching. That is why it is considered so harmful. And its brown variety is produced from sugarcane.
His native land is India, and already many hundreds of years ago, he became popular in Europe. This sweetness is obtained by boiling, and it does not need whitening at all. The brown mass has a pleasant smell of molasses and is ready for use without additional processing. But still, it costs more than regular sugar. The price of overseas sweets is more than 100 rubles per kilogram.
What is brown sugar good for?
Thanks to the gentle method of processing sugarcane, this sweet is not only tasty, but also healthy. It retains all the vitamins and minerals contained in the reed. What is different from ordinary cane sugar? Its harm and benefits are the subject of much debate. But it is proved that it has such advantages:
- contains fiber, B vitamins, zinc, potassium and iron;
- it has much less sucrose, but a lot of glucose, which is very useful for the brain;
- it has a beneficial effect on the activity of many organs, especially the liver and spleen;
- does not change the taste of dishes in which it is added.
Can this product be harmful?
Supporters of a healthy diet try to buy only it. They believe that cane sugar is best suited to maintain health and a beautiful figure . The harm and benefits of this product are in many cases exaggerated. After all, for example, its calorie content is not much lower than that of an ordinary one. Therefore, those who want to lose weight should also reduce the rate of consumed sweets, even if it is brown sugar. After all, even when consumed in large quantities, it contributes to obesity. This is because the glucose found in cane sugar immediately enters the bloodstream and gives the body energy. If a person does not spend it, then it is put off in reserve. Therefore, the opinion that cane sugar can be consumed in large quantities is incorrect. Like white, it can cause metabolic disorders, a disorder in the pancreas, a decrease in immunity, diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis.
What cane sugar is
Brown color gives it molasses. The larger it is, the darker the product. Therefore, some manufacturers who want to make money brown regular sugar. Its price is much higher, but there is no benefit - only harm.
Unrefined sugar is considered the best, as it retains more nutrients. It is he who is popular among fans of healthy eating. There are several types of brown sugar:
- Demerara variety is imported from South America. It is distinguished by sticky wet crystals of golden brown color. This sugar is the mildest in action and is considered the most useful.
- Muscovado variety has a pronounced caramel flavor. By consistency, it is moist and sticky, dark in color.
- Turbinado is a sugar with large, dry particles. By production, it is partially purified.
- Barbados black is valued the most. It has a very dark color and a moist, sticky consistency.
Why cane sugar is so popular
After this product was introduced to Russia several centuries ago, it was available only to the rich. And in recent years, he appeared on the shelves of our stores. But not everyone now knows what cane sugar is. Its harm and benefits are still the subject of controversy. But experienced chefs add only it to baking, because it gives pies and rolls a unique refined taste and aroma. Also, bartenders prefer to make cocktails and coffee only with cane sugar.
How to distinguish a fake
In order not to purchase ordinary tinted sugar, you need to know what to look for when buying:
- on the package must be indicated that it is unrefined;
- real cane sugar cannot be sold in the form of perfectly even briquettes or uniform sand, since all its crystals have different shapes;
- such sugar is produced only in South America, the USA or in Mauritius.