As an alternative to the usual white sugar, refined beetroot, other options are increasingly being offered: unrefined, caramel, cane product. Nutritionists continue to insist on the dangers of "sweet poison", and the food industry is quickly switching to advertising of various analogues aimed at replacing conventional refined sugar.

Cane sugar and regular sugar - what's the difference

Sucrose is a carbohydrate, an essential nutrient that serves as a source of energy so necessary for brain activity. White color and product obtained not only from beet, but also from reed plants. The brown color is due to the cleaning process without the recrystallization method (refining of raw materials), used in the processing of sugar beets. This is the first difference between cane sugar and ordinary beet sugar, but, in fact, they are the same.

What is brown sugar? During technological purification from sucrose of cane plants, molasses is released - black syrup. The result is the same granulated sugar, but with a slightly lower calorie content and a different composition of micronutrients. The body does not feel much difference from the consumed white or brown sugar product. The assumption that molasses contains more vitamins and trace elements than molasses is still being studied.

Real cane sugar

For the production of this type of food sucrose, the noble sugarcane plant (Saccharum officinarum or Saccharum spontaneum) is cultivated. Real cane sugar on our counters should be exclusively imported: the area where the cane grows are Australia, India, Brazil, Cuba. Product packaging should contain information about the place of plant growth and packaging. The color of the sugar varies from light to dark brown and depends on the region of cultivation and the concentration of molasses: the more molasses, the darker the shade.

The main types of brown sugar product:

• muscovado;
• turbinado;
• demerara.

Sugar Muscovado

Muscovado sugar (it can also be called Barbados sugar) is obtained by the method of first boiling the juice, it contains 10% molasses. Muscovado crystals are dark, sticky to the touch, and have a strong caramel smell. When they are added, the baked goods acquire a special honey color, the aroma of molasses and do not stale for a long time. Muscovado is also suitable for adding to coffee.

Sugar Turbinado

Turbinado sugar is partially refined, processed with steam (turbine), which is why it got its name. This is a high-quality bioproduct: no chemical elements are used for its production. Turbinado sugar crystals are dry, crumbly, from golden to brown color, depending on the processing time, are used for sweetening tea and coffee drinks, cocktails, for making salads, sauces.

Demerara cane sugar

In stores, this species is more common, made by Mistral from raw materials from the tropical island of Mauritius. These are brown-golden solid large crystals. Demerara cane sugar is ideal for tea, coffee, cocktails. Perfectly caramelized, revealing a rich taste and pleasant aroma in the process. This cane sugar does not dissolve well in the dough, but will look great as a sprinkle on baked goods.

Cane sugar - calories

"Sweet poison" consists of 88% sucrose. The calorie content of cane sugar and refined sugar does not fundamentally differ: 377 kcal versus 387 kcal per 100 g. This calorie content is 18% of the daily intake rate based on the use of 2000 kcal / day. Energy value in proportions of BJU: 0% proteins / 0% fats / 103% carbohydrates, that is, it contains a lot of carbohydrates and calories - it will not help you lose weight!

Cane sugar - benefits

From sucrose, you can get a lot of elements necessary for health. What is the difference between brown sugar and regular white sugar? First of all, the benefits of cane sugar are due to the presence of B vitamins, which are necessary for metabolic processes. In the West, it is used by vegetarians to replenish iron deficiency: it contains a lot of magnesium and iron, while in refined sugar there is no magnesium at all, and iron is several times less. An unprocessed sugar product retains the beneficial elements of molasses: sodium, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and is useful:

• those who are recommended "sweet diet" for liver problems;
• for pressure regulation;
• to normalize fat metabolism;
• to accelerate protein metabolism;
• to remove toxins from the body;
• for the nervous system;
• diabetics: there are no special differences in using it instead of refined sugar in diabetes, it is necessary to monitor the dose and kilocalories.

How to check the authenticity of cane sugar

The characteristic brown color, which can be dark brown to golden, does not guarantee authenticity. The shade depends on the concentration of molasses and the place where the plant grows. But molasses itself is used as a dye for refined products, so it is important to be able to distinguish a fake, so as not to buy caramel-colored beetroot refined. You can check the authenticity of cane sugar like this:

• dilute the syrup and add a drop of iodine; the resulting blue tint indicates a reaction to starch contained in a natural product;
• put the sugar bar in warm water; if the water changes color, you bought an imitation.

Cane sugar - benefits and harms

What is the difference between brown sugar and regular white sugar?

Many people believe that brown cane sugar is healthier than white sugar. Therefore, some people try to replace ordinary white sugar with brown, cane sugar for the sake of benefit.

It has become quite trendy. After all, brown sugar, of a beautiful shape, lying on a slot in an elegant sugar bowl, looks more attractive and refined. Such sugar has even become a kind of symbol of prosperity and sophistication ... It is served in expensive restaurants and hotels.

Let's take a closer look at how cane sugar still differs from ordinary sugar.

What do we know about brown and white sugar?

What is Cane Brown Sugar?

Brown cane sugar Is a product made from cane. Brown sugar has its own color due to the fact that it is not purified. Ideally, brown sugar should be unrefined.

Brown sugar contains both organic substances and plant sap, but their content is not great!

Real unrefined cane sugar sold in our country can only be imported. On the packaging it should be written where the cane grew from which this sugar was made, as well as where it was packaged. Cane sugar is brought to us, as a rule, from the countries of Latin America, Australia and the Pacific islands, for example, Mauritius.

Keep in mind that cane sugar can also be white, i.e. it is refined cane sugar.

What is White Sugar?

White sugar Is a refined product. Refining is an industrial process that removes impurities from natural raw materials.

Common white sugar refers to carbohydrates that are considered valuable nutrients to provide the body with the energy it needs.

Sugar is a disaccharide made up of glucose and fructose. Glucose quickly enters the bloodstream and provides energy for thoughts and muscles, while fructose is transformed through the liver.

Cane sugar can also be white.

Beetroot and refined cane sugar, in fact, are no different from each other!

What's healthier than unrefined cane sugar or regular white refined sugar?

In fact, there is a difference between these types of sugar, but it is not as significant as it might initially seem. Because, for example, the number of calories there and there is almost the same.

Brown sugar has 377 calories, and regular refined sugar has 387 calories.

Real cane sugar does have some beneficial micronutrients, but very few of them.

most brown cane sugar on the Russian market is regular white sugar colored with molasses or caramspruce

In addition, a significant part of the brown sugar sold in our country is the same white, simply tinted with caramel. The number of fakes is very high!

Moreover, not only dyed sugar from beets, but also from cane, ordinary refined cane sugar, can serve as a fake.

How white sugar is counterfeited to brown and why?

I make it very simple! Plain white sugar, just dyed brown. Fortunately, chemical food colors are rarely used for this.

The most popular ingredient used by manufacturers to brown refined sugar is cane syrup or molasses. This molasses makes it easier to hide the deception.

By itself, molasses even contains some beneficial trace elements, but they are not distributed inside the sugar crystal, as it should be, but are located on top and cover the refined refined sugar crystal.

Why is brown sugar counterfeited?

It's all about the price! The cost of real unrefined sugar is several times higher, which prompts many manufacturers to cheat.

In pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and special usefulness of the product, which, according to the expert of the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights, Roman Gaidashov, is rather arbitrary, the consumer is ready to shell out good money.

The cost of unrefined cane sugar is at least three times more expensive than usual. This is mainly due to the fact that it grows far away and it is not cheap to bring it to Russia.

Should I buy brown sugar instead of white?

Interestingly, in those countries where sugar cane is grown, brown unrefined sugar is quite inexpensive. No more expensive than regular granulated sugar in our stores. But we have a completely different price for it. Just like the price of mango, papaya and coconuts ...

It is important to know - How much sugar can you eat per day? Many nutritionists recommend eating no more than 30g of sugar per day. This is about 5 teaspoons.

Therefore, whether or not to buy such sugar is primarily a matter of financial cost rather than health benefits. Because this benefit, of course, is, but it does not exceed many times the benefits of ordinary white refined beet sugar.

Of course, cane sugar looks much more presentable than regular white cubes. Not to mention the fact that there is also candy sugar, sugar in briquettes, lump and many other types of sugar, which, in addition to taste, combine high visual and aesthetic properties.

Remember that sugar consumption rates do not depend on sugar color in any way!

But if your financial situation allows you to safely buy sugar for everyday use, which costs at least three times as much as usual, then this is great! Why not?

The only thing is that it is very important not to forget that consuming sugar, as well as excessively, is unhealthy and the color of sugar here absolutely does not matter.

Very often today, in the grocery departments of grocery stores, both large and very small, you can see not only the usual beet sugar for us, but also more rare - cane sugar. Which one is better to choose and why does the price differ significantly enough? Are there any differences between these types or "sugar - it is sugar in Africa"? Let's try to figure it out.

Cane sugar- a food product made from cane.
Beet (more correctly - beet) sugar- a food product made from a special type of beet.

Comparison of cane and beet sugar

What's the difference between cane sugar and beet sugar? The question is not entirely correct. If you put it in this way, then the answer will be: nothing. Having passed the maximum purification from impurities, refined cane sugar, like refined beet sugar, has a pure white color, absolutely the same taste and composition and does not differ at all from one another. It is this kind of sugar that is found in the diet of millions of families every day. It is possible to determine what kind of raw materials served as the basis for a given product only in a special laboratory, and even then the probability of success will not be too high, because both cane and refined beet sugar are about 99.9% composed of a substance called sucrose (which in colloquially called sugar). That is, they are simply identical.
If we are talking about an unrefined product, then the difference is present, and very noticeable. Let's start with the fact that the production of cane sugar is an older invention of mankind, it was known even before our era - in China, India, Egypt. Later, he was recognized in the Mediterranean countries, in America and, finally, in Russia, where in 1719, by the decree of Peter I, the first plant for producing sugar from cane was built. But the world learned about beet sugar only in the 19th century - thanks to the research of German scientists A. Marggraf and F.K. Akhard. In 1802, an enterprise for the production of refined sugar was opened in Germany.
Unrefined beet sugar is not very edible, since the initial product - raw, obtained after boiling the juice of the plant, has an unpleasant odor and a specific taste. On the other hand, unrefined cane sugar is highly prized due to its beautiful brownish color and pleasant caramel flavor. The brownish color of cane sugar is due to the admixture of molasses - black syrupy molasses, enveloping the crystals of the product. It contains a whole range of trace elements useful for human health, such as calcium, potassium, iron, chromium, copper, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as B vitamins and plant fibers. In refined beet sugar, these substances are either absent at all, or they are present in microscopic doses. But don't think that cane sugar is just an ideal low-calorie dietary food and consume it in excessive amounts. Indeed, in fact, brown sweetness has even slightly more calories than white refined sugar: 413 versus 409 per 100 grams. It is believed that the zesty taste of molasses makes cane sugar great for desserts and baked goods. It also perfectly complements the taste of tea and coffee.
Interestingly, a ton of cane produces more finished raw materials than sugar beets. Therefore, such a high (2-3 times more than for "usual" sugar) price for brown unrefined sweetness is not entirely justified. Perhaps this is due to the fashion for healthy eating and the positioning of cane sugar as an extremely healthy product.

TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between cane sugar and beet sugar is as follows:

Refined cane sugar is almost indistinguishable from its refined beetroot counterpart. But if we talk about unrefined cane sugar, then there is a difference, and very noticeable.
Brown cane sugar, white beet sugar.
Thanks to the molasses called molasses, cane sugar contains many trace elements and B vitamins, which are practically absent in beet sugar.
Cane sugar is more ancient: it was known to mankind even before our era, while beet sugar began to be produced only in the 19th century.
Cane sugar is edible both refined and unrefined, and beet sugar is edible exclusively in refined form.
Cane sugar is more expensive than beet sugar.
Cane sugar is slightly higher in calories than beet sugar.
Cane sugar has a more intense aroma and flavor than beet sugar.

You can find any sugar in the store now. And instant, and candy, and such that only with tea with a bite. Both white and brown ... By the way, you can't cook porridge with brown. Very expensive. But coffee or tea is another matter. The aroma of brown sugar promises to set off the taste of any drink ...

What sugar is sweeter, healthier, and how much can you eat?
Why is brown so expensive?
There are hobbyists who have tried half a dozen varieties of brown sugar. This one from Sweden brings out the flavor of the coffee well. And the one from England is perfect. Or vice versa. I personally tasted three varieties. I didn't catch any difference. Probably a real gourmet must have very sensitive taste buds ... or an overly tight wallet. Brown sugar is not produced in Russia. It is imported from Sweden and England. Sugar cane does not grow there either, but there are production facilities for processing raw sugar. This long transcontinental journey - from a cane plantation in Brazil to a Russian counter - explains only part of the high prices for brown sugar. The main reason, according to the manufacturers, is the expensive production. And small production volumes. Sugar cane is processed freshly cut within a day, which allows you to preserve natural trace elements and even vitamins in sugar. The manufacturer writes on the boxes: "Organic Brown Sugar". And it gets to every lover of a healthy lifestyle not in the eyebrow, but in the eye. Yet fashion is what actually dictates a high price. A fashionable product is always bought and sold at a higher price.

Is unrefined healthier than refined? In fact, people have been eating brown sugar since ancient times. The darker the sugar, the more organic impurities it contains from the plant sap. The whiter, the more thoroughly the sugar is refined. It's like vegetable oil. About 20 years ago, everyone firmly believed in the benefits of refined oil. It is more useful to fry on it - it does not smoke in a frying pan, does not poison with carcinogens, there is no smell. But today unrefined oil is already in vogue. Only in it are the most valuable biologically active substances preserved. So it is with sugar. 150 years ago, the Dutch ambassador begged the Russian emperor to lower duties on brown sugar imported from the Dutch colonies, since the Russians did not want to buy such sugar at an exorbitant price. But they willingly took white granulated sugar imported from Cuba. White sugar is the sweetest, purest! - was out of competition. Today, brown cane sugar from the Dutch colonies would be sold out with a bang. Brown means not purified from the so-called molasses. Yesterday, molasses was considered a waste of sugar production and went to the production of rum. Today we realized that molasses is terrifying as useful, because it contains a lot of trace elements: potassium, calcium, iron ... Such is the paradox. They have been killing for centuries to achieve the whiteness of sugar. But it turned out that the horse was not fed. A refined product is always less useful than one that is closer to nature, more natural.
What is the use of beet sugar?
Against the background of overseas brown, our white sugar, derived from beets, looks like a poor relative. However, he also has hefty advantages. Firstly, it also contains trace elements, it's just that somehow it's not customary for us to declare this on the label. There are not as many of them as in cane sugar, but still there. Secondly, sugar beet production also has molasses in waste. It has traditionally been used for the production of alcohol and for livestock feed - as a valuable nutrient. Still would! Indeed, in addition to sugar, beet juice contains pectins, proteins, useful organic acids - oxalic, malic, citric, as well as potassium, sodium, magnesium, cesium, iron ... However, beet sugar producers are somewhat behind the times. More precisely, from fashion. Remember, brown sugar was often sold during the Soviet era? If the factories could not cope with the production of first-class white sand - at 84 kopecks per kilogram, the second-rate yellow sand went on sale - at 78 kopecks. Today that yellow sugar would be worth much more - as a rich source of organic matter.
How much sugar should you eat?
The body needs sugar for normal metabolism. It provides living cells with energy. A hundred years ago, the British were the champions in eating sugar - 40 kg per capita per year. A resident of Russia at that time ate only 5 kilograms, and an Italian even less - 2.7 kg. Since then, sugar consumption in the world has grown steadily. And today the World Health Organization considers the norm of sugar consumption - harmless to health - 38 kg per year per person. Russian nutritionists recommend 30-35 kg. True, the strictest advocates of organic nutrition are healthier than ever! - insist on a minimum: 2 kg of pure refined sugar per year - and no more. The radicals believe that this is enough for the normal functioning of the brain. It is better not to argue with radicals, but how much of what there is - decide for yourself.
How to replace sugar?


Ever since humanity got carried away with the fight against obesity and artificial sugar substitutes were included in food, the controversy whether they are harmful to health or not has not stopped. This also applies to aspartame, the most widely used artificial sweetener today. In most countries, it is declared a safe food additive, but scientists are far from final clarity. Supporters and opponents, with varying success, get arguments "for" (there is no caries from aspartame!) And "against" (it is impossible to obtain a healthy organic product by chemical synthesis!). Meanwhile, it is more and more difficult to get away from aspartame: juices, sugary sodas, marshmallows, yoghurts, chewing gum - manufacturers add aspartame everywhere. In the food industry, xylitol is also used instead of sugar. The consumer can recognize the presence of artificial substitutes in the product by the attractive warning: "Manufactured without the use of sugar."
... By the way, if we talk about how to replace sugar, do not forget about honey. This natural sweetener is more diverse and valuable in composition - glucose, fructose, organic and mineral substances.

Adults and children love to eat sugar, it improves brain function and improves mood. In Russia and the CIS countries, they consumed mainly white sugar, but not so long ago, brown sugar was brought to our country. And many sweet tooths have since been interested in the question: cane sugar and ordinary sugar - what is the difference between them? And does it exist at all?

How is beet sugar obtained?

To get everyone's favorite beet sugar, people use sugar beet. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the German chemist Andreas Marggraf published his numerous observations on how sugar is extracted from sugar beets. The notes of the talented scientist have survived to our time.

The French commander Napoleon Bonaparte tried with all his might to improve the production of beet sugar in France in order not to buy sugar from Great Britain.

In 1802 Alexander Blankenagel opened the first white sugar factory in the Russian Empire. IA Maltsev, with the help of the Bobrinsky couple, improved the production of sugar in the Russian Empire. In 1897, more than two hundred sugar factories worked in the Russian state.

How is cane sugar made?

Sugar cane is used to make cane sugar. At the end of the fifteenth century, the navigator H. Columbus brought to about. Haiti sugar cane. Over time, sugarcane began to be grown in India and the United States. In the sixteenth century, a cane sugar factory began operating in Germany. But despite this, sugar for a long time remained an item of wealth and luxury.

It grows over several years. Sugar cane is harvested in two ways by hand or by agricultural machinery. The stems are cut into small pieces and transported to processing plants. At the plant, sugarcane stalks are finely chopped and juice is extracted with clean water.

First, the juice is subjected to maximum heating in order to destroy numerous enzymes. The resulting syrup is passed through several evaporators, after this procedure, all the water comes out. After the above procedure, sugar crystals begin to form. The crystals obtained have a brown tint and are completely ready for use.

What is cane sugar good for?

Cane sugar is 88% sucrose. But besides sucrose, brown sugar also contains at least useful material:

• Potassium- improves heart function and strengthens blood vessels, lowers blood pressure. Promotes the assimilation of proteins and fats. Cleans the intestines and removes accumulated toxins from the human body;
• Calcium- improves the condition of bones and tooth enamel. Promotes blood clotting and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the brain;
• Zinc- keeps skin youthful and makes hair thick and shiny;
• Copper- improves the human immune system;
• Phosphorus- improves the functioning of the brain and heart;
• Iron- strengthens blood vessels.

Brown sugar is extremely beneficial for the human body and must be included in your diet.

The harm of cane sugar

Unfortunately, sugar brings more disadvantages to our body than advantages. However, it should be remembered that sugar is harmful to the sweet tooth only if he uses it in large quantities.

And even eating brown sugar can lead to serious illnesses such as:

1. Diabetes;
2. Excess weight;
3. Atherosclerosis;
4. Allergic reaction.

If a person has diabetes, then he needs to try to completely eliminate sugar from his diet, or at least drastically reduce its amount. With pancreatitis, bronchial asthma and oncology, you should also limit the use of any sugar.

When shopping for cane sugar at the store, opt for transparent sugar. This way you can take a close look at its appearance. Carefully read the composition on the label, it should be written that sugar unrefined.

Very often, colored beet sugar is sold under the guise of cane sugar, of course, such a food product will not harm your body, but you will not get much benefit from this sugar. And pay for it like brown sugar, which is much more expensive than white sugar.

What are the benefits of beet sugar?

Our native white sugar also contains many useful substances. Beet sugar contains beneficial trace elements, but manufacturers often do not write about this on the packaging. After the beet sugar is made, molasses remains. And from molasses, livestock feed and alcohol are produced.

Beet juice contains not only sugar, but also a lot of other useful substances:

• Protein;
• Pectin;
• Oxalic acid;
• Malic acid;
• Citric acid;
• Potassium;
• Sodium;
• Magnesium;
• Cesium;
• Iron.

But it is worth noting that the manufacturers of white granulated sugar are behind the times. In Soviet times, yellow granulated sugar was sold. If the enterprises did not have time to produce white granulated sugar, the sellers put yellow sugar on store shelves. Nowadays, brown sugar would be more expensive than white granulated sugar, since it is enriched with organic elements.

The harm of beet sugar

Beet sugar is harmful to our body only if we eat in large quantities. Because granulated sugar, like any other food product, should be consumed in moderation.

Excessive consumption of beet sugar leads to dire consequences such as:

1. Decreased immunity;
2. Wrong metabolism;
3. Increased cholesterol;
4. Oncological diseases;
5. Destruction of tooth enamel;
6. Excess weight;
7. Allergic reaction.

Now you know the pros and cons of cane sugar and beet sugar. Now you can answer the question, "cane sugar and regular, what's the difference"? Each of them has beneficial and harmful properties. The main thing is not to consume them in large quantities. And which sugar to choose is up to you!

Video on the difference between cane sugar and regular sugar