Sugar may vary depending on the origin of the product and its production process, most of the sugar consumed is sugar cane, but there are also products such as coconut sugar.
Sugar is a simple type of carbohydrate that should be avoided and consumed only in small amounts, preferably without using it in your daily diet.Excessive consumption can lead to problems such as weight gain, diabetes and inflammation in the body.
Here are 7 types of sugar and its features
Crystal sugar, like refined sugar, has large irregular, transparent or slightly yellow crystals that are easy to dissolve, during its manufacture chemicals are added to make it white and tasty, but as a result vitamins and minerals are lost.
Although most crystallized sugar is white, it is also possible to find it in various colors, being mainly used to decorate birthday cakes and sweets.To get pink, blue or orange sugar, for example, the industry adds artificial dyes when it is prepared.Discover 10 natural ways to replace sugar.
Iced sugar has very fine grains, so it is ideal to make more homogeneous preparations such as whipped cream, toppings and glazing, in addition to being used to decorate cakes and cakes, has the appearance of talcum powder or fine snow, is much more easily diluted than crystallized sugar and, when done, starch is added to the formula, so that very small grains do not come together.
Brown sugar is obtained from the cooking of sugar cane syrup, retaining much of its nutrients, such as iron, folic acid and calcium; unre refined, it also has larger, darker grains, which are not diluted as easily as refined sugar, and have a taste very similar to sugar cane.
Although this is one of the healthiest versions, it is also high in calories and should only be consumed in small amounts.
Similar to brown sugar, demerara differs by undergoing a slight purification and refinement process, but without the use of chemical additives.It also keeps the minerals present in cane sugar, dilutes more easily and has a milder flavor than brown sugar.
Light sugar is made from a mixture of refined sugar and artificial or natural sweeteners, which gives the end product more sweetness than regular sugar, but with fewer calories.However, its taste is a bit like the artificial taste of sweeteners and should not be used with diabetes either.
Organic sugar contains the same calories as regular sugar, but retains a small portion of the nutrients found in sugar cane. The main difference is that during the production of organic sugar no artificial ingredients, fertilizers, chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used at any stage.It also differs by not being refined, having a thicker and darker shape, as well as having a more expensive price.
Coconut sugar is obtained from coconut sap, not from coconut fruit, is a poorly processed food, without preservatives or subjected to refining processes such as regular sugar, has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, which allows not to alter too much blood sugar.
In addition, it contains minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, as well as vitamins of group B.
It is important to remember that since it is a simple carbohydrate, all types of sugar should be avoided in case of diabetes, in addition to being consumed only in small amounts to maintain a healthy and balanced weight.
See the calorie difference between sugar types and artificial sweeteners.