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Is Sugar in the Raw Better for You Than White Sugar?

Mar 4, 2011 | By Matthew Busse
Is Sugar in the Raw Better for You Than White Sugar?
Photo Credit Sugar On Spoon image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com

Sugar, in one form or another, is regularly added to many foods and drinks. A common source of sugar is the sugar cane plant, which is crushed or pressed to extract sugar cane juice, from which sugar is made. Many different types of sugar are available, such as highly refined white sugar, brown sugar or turbinado sugar, which is sometimes called raw sugar. Although raw sugar is purported to be healthier that refined sugar, in reality, the health differences between the two are minimal.

Raw Versus Refined

During the sugar production process, sugar cane juice is evaporated to produce crystals of pure sugar. At this stage, after evaporation, sugar is technically raw, because it has not been refined at all. However, truly raw sugar contains many inedible impurities, and all sugar must be refined to some degree before it can be sold. Turbinado sugar, which is commonly called raw sugar, is refined less white table sugar, meaning more of the components of the sugar cane juice are left in it.

Nutrients

Turbinado sugar has a brown color because it contains trace amounts of minerals and nutrients that are removed during processing to produce refined white sugar. Turbinado sugar contains very small amounts of several minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. However, the amounts of these nutrients contained in a serving of turbinado sugar are so small that normal serving sizes are unlikely to make a significant contribution dietary intake of these nutrients. In fact, the nutritional label of one brand of turbinado sugar, Sugar in the Raw, states that raw sugar is not a significant source of calcium, iron, vitamin A or vitamin C.

Antioxidants

Raw sugar does have an advantage over refined sugar in terms of antioxidant levels. A study published in the January 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" found that raw cane sugar contained higher levels of antioxidants than refined sugar or corn syrup. The authors of the study conclude that switching from refined sugar to sugar sources with higher antioxidant levels could increase daily intake of antioxidants almost as much as a serving of berries or nuts.

Effect on Weight Gain

The question of whether or not refined sugar causes more weight gain than raw sugar has not been thoroughly researched at this time. A study in rats found that animals fed raw sugar did not show any significant difference in body composition or energy metabolism compared to animals fed refined sugar, according to an article published in the August 1985 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

References

Article reviewed by Jason Dean Last updated on: Mar 4, 2011

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