Resembling a long bamboo stick, sugar cane is one of the primary sources for sugar. It is a major agricultural product and is processed into sugar cane juice. Eventually it is purified and crystallized into table sugar, Plant Cultures states. Raw sugar is less processed than refined sugar and can sometimes be used interchangeably. Molasses is a byproduct of sugar purification and has other uses. Sugar is a common sweetener and preservative for foods, but it provides calories and carbohydrates that cannot be swept away by its sweet contribution to foods and desserts.
Beet Sugar Vs. Cane Sugar
Sugar Knowledge International, or SKIL, states that table sugar is derived from either beet sugar or sugar cane juice, and it is the same from both sources. Chemically, it is identified as sucrose, and pure sugar is virtually pure sucrose. The difference, SKIL says, is in the size of the crystals that are formed. Smaller granules dissolve better in water and may appear to make a food taste sweeter.
Processing
Sugar cane is harvested from tropical and sub-tropical climates and is crushed or extracted to obtain the juice. This juice is cleaned by being passed through slaked lime filters and then concentrated by heating. SKIL explains that the process of evaporation helps to boil off the water and results in a thickened sugary syrup. This syrup is further boiled off and is crystallized into raw sugar. The raw sugar is shipped to different countries for further refinement, which includes mixing with a more pure syrup, further filtration, more boiling, and more crystallization.
Raw Sugar versus Refined Sugar
As a result of the refining, nutrients that the cane juice possessed, primarily calcium, potassium, and vitamin B-2, are removed. World's Healthiest Foods points out that unrefined, evaporated cane juice products provide some riboflavin, but these nutrients are virtually absent in refined sugar. Refined sugar has a different nutritional value than raw sugar, and it is mostly pure carbohydrate. Raw sugar often tastes more like molasses, whereas refined sugar does not contribute a distinct flavor, The New York Times states.
Calories
Refined sugar, which is the commonly used form, is almost pure carbohydrate. According to Nutrition Data, one teaspoon, which equals roughly 4 g, provides 15 calories. While you probably do not eat sugar by the teaspoon, it is abundant in our food. One breakfast granola bar has 12 g sugar, accounting for 45 calories of its 200 calories, Nutrition Data shows. One 12-ounce generic cola provides 33 g sugar, or 132 calories of the 136 calories. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends just 32 grams of added sugars in a 2,000 calorie diet, so these items can quickly exceed your healthy intake.
Health Considerations
The New York Times cites several health considerations when evaluating the risks of consuming excess sugar. Dental carries, or cavities, are linked to increased sugar intake. Diabetes mellitus is linked to a high calorie, high sugar intake, but sugar does not appear to cause diabetes. Sugar intake has also been linked to childhood obesity rates. World's Healthiest Foods states that it has also been linked to colon cancer.
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