Cravings for sweets can never stop. Whether it is a chilled summer drink or a yummy hot brownie. But have you ever thought about what are you taking inside your body while eating so much sugar? Or putting it in another way. But what’s the fact, is sugar healthy for you? Well, if yes then which sugar is good for health?
Then of course you will get an answer, oh healthy! then surely it is brown sugar. But hello! there is a big NO to it.
Well, there are several myths about certain types of sugars that people think are really healthy and a good substitute for white sugars. However, people are wrong here, as sugar in any form is sugar and is unhealthy, whether it is white sugar or brown sugar. Below you will get to know which is the best substitute for sugar and which type of sugar is good for your health.

Natural Sugar vs Added Sugar? Which Sugar Is Good For Health?

Time to know which sugar is good for health, which one is better, natural sugar or added sugar!

• Natural sugar is found in unprocessed foods like fructose in bananas, and berries, or lactose in skim milk. Whereas, added sugar is found in doughnuts, sodas, cakes, or added by you.
• Lactose in milk gives you energy and protein keeping you full for a longer period. While you will not get the same in soda.
• Natural sugar has more minerals, is less in calories, and is high in water content. While added sugar does not contain many nutrients and can lead to high blood sugar levels.
• Natural sugar is rich in fiber and contains many nutrients that are beneficial for the body but added sugar is the opposite to it.
• Moreover, natural sugar is less in calories preventing you from gaining weight. And added sugar can, therefore, result in weight gain and obesity.

Which Sugar Is Healthier?

Talking about sugar being good for health, then natural sugar or stevia is the best. They have many health benefits to offer apart from weight loss. It has all the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for your body. While stevia is also known to be the best sugar for weight loss.
However, you can prepare natural sugar from raisins or dates. Below are the recipes for the natural sweetener along with their benefits.

1. Raisins- The Natural Sweetener

A raisin is a grape in a dry form and is produced in many regions of the world. People eat them either raw or use in cooking, baking, and brewing. So, the first best answer for which sugar is good for health is raisins.

How To Use Raisin As A Sugar Substitute?

Adding raisins to any recipe is such an easy task. You can even add raisins without even chopping. However, here is a quick method to use raisins as a sugar substitute.

Ingredients:

• Raisins
• Water

Method:

• Firstly take some raisins and add them to a blender along with some water.
• Secondly, blend well. Your raisin sweetener is ready.

Raisins Benefits

• Raisins are rich in nutrients, minerals, energy, fiber, minerals, and vitamins that are all essential for the body.
• They are full of natural sugar and their consumption keeps you away from the sweet cravings, aiding in weight loss.
• They are also rich in iron and B complex, which help prevent your body from anemia.
• Soaked raisins act as natural laxatives helping in constipation and regulating bowel movements keeping the digestive system healthy.
• Being rich in potassium, raisins balance the salt content in the body and regulates blood pressure.

2. Dates: Natural Sweetener

A date is a stone fruit that has a single seed surrounded by fleshy fruit. They are, however, grown on date palm trees like coconuts. Dates can be the best option to rely on for sweetness. Dates can be used in powdered or in syrup form.

How To Make Date Syrup?

It is easy and quick.
Ingredients:

• Dates
• Water

Method:

• Firstly, deseed the dates and put them in a blender with the required amount of water.
• Secondly, blend it well. Your date syrup is ready.

Benefits Of Dates

• Dates prevent constipation and regulate blood pressure as they are rich in fiber.
• They prevent you from chronic diseases, heart diseases, cancer and diabetes due to the presence of many antioxidants.
• Moreover, they reduce inflammation and the formation of plaques in the brain.
• Dates when consumed in the last weeks of pregnancy, help promote and ease natural labour for pregnant women.
• They also promote bone health and aid in blood sugar control.

3. Stevia

Stevia is, however, another best and closest option for a healthy sugar substitute. It is made from the leaves of the stevia plant and has no carbohydrates, calories, or artificial ingredients.

Benefits Of Stevia

• Stevia has zero calories or carbohydrates and does not affect blood glucose or insulin response.
• It helps in weight loss as well, as it is all natural and has no harmful ingredients making it all healthy.
• Moreover, it prevents you from cancers like pancreatic cancer as it contains sterols and antioxidants like kaempferol.
• It helps control blood pressure as it has glycosides that dilate the blood vessels.
• Stevia is the best to add to the meals ever for the children as it does not lead to obesity, keeping the children healthy.

Top 8 Foods With Hidden Sugar

You are working out properly, eating healthy, have left sugar, and doing everything right. But still struggling to lose weight. Why, is it so? The answer is hidden sugar in foods that you would not imagine. In this video, Dietitian Mac Singh is sharing some of the foods/snacks that have hidden sugar that might be causing this.

Common Sugars To Avoid

People mainly rely on white sugar, some also use brown sugar, and if some anyhow know these are not the healthy options then they chose jaggery. But the question is are they good-to-go options? Let’s find out which sugar is good for health among them.

1. White Sugar
2. Brown Sugar
3. Jaggery

1. White Sugar

White sugar is the most common type of sugar and is also known as table sugar, granulated sugar, or regular sugar. It is made of beet sugar or cane sugar by undergoing a refining process.

White Sugar Side Effects

• Consumption of white sugar increases the risk of gain in weight and leads to visceral fat accumulation.
• Also, it might lead to heart diseases, high blood pressure, and inflammation
• A diet high in sugar increases the secretion of androgen, oil production, and inflammation resulting in the development of acne.
• It might result in obesity and resistance to insulin both of which are the factors causing type 2 diabetes.
• Intake of too much sugar can also lead to depression in both men and women.

Types Of White Sugar

• Granulated sugar, is usually used in sugar bowls for hot drinks or baking.
• Superfine or caster sugar is a type of sugar that has crystals in a very small size helpful in preparing desserts or puddings.
• Confectioners or powdered sugar are made by grinding the sugar often used in sweets, icing, and whipping cream.
• Fruit sugar is in the form of uniform crystals. People mostly use it for dry mixes, pudding desserts, and powdered drinks.

2. Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is brown and is a sucrose sugar product. It is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar and consists of sugar crystals and is made by adding molasses to refined white sugar. No, it is not healthy because of the below reasons.

Brown Sugar Side Effects

• Brown sugar is a temporary immunity booster that lasts between 30-60 minutes before crashing.
• This might lead to fatty liver disease causing harm to your liver.
• It is prone to heart diseases and other severe chronic diseases.
• Moreover, it isn’t good for people with diabetes as it leads to high blood sugar levels.
• Also, consuming brown sugar can aid in weight gain and obesity.

Types Of Brown Sugar

• Brown sugars tend to clump because they contain more moisture than white sugar. This makes it helpful in recipes requiring a moist and chewy texture.
• Light brown sugar is the type used mostly for baked goods and sauces.
• Dark brown sugar has a dark brown colour and the molasses flavour makes it suitable for gingerbread recipes, baked beans, and barbecued foods.
• Muscovado sugar is used in recipes that require a strong molasses flavour and are a little coarser and stickier than regular brown sugar.
• Turbinado sugar is blond in colour and has a mild flavour. They have larger crystals than brown sugars and are more suited for toppings.

3. Jaggery

Jaggery is a traditional sugar that you will commonly see in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is often a palm sap without separating the molasses and crystals. It, however, varies from golden brown to dark brown.

Side Effects Of Jaggery

Jaggery is not good for health. It has many side effects, a few of which are mentioned below.

• In 100g of jaggery, there are 385 calories so consuming it might lead to a gain in weight.
• Jaggery is ultimately sweet so it also can increase blood sugar levels.
• Moreover, it can increase the risk of intestinal parasites and worms as it is prepared in unhygienic conditions.
• Consuming fresh Jaggery can however lead to diarrhoea and constipation.
• It contains sucrose, which might lead to omega 3 fatty acids causing inflammation.

White Sugar vs Brown Sugar? Which Sugar Is Good For Health?

Let us read how white sugar is different from brown sugar. Or are they really even different?

• Well, there is no big difference between white sugar and brown sugar. Both run on the same track of being unhealthy. However, the only difference is in the colour and their taste.
• Both the sugars have molasses which is a dark, sweet, viscous by-product of the processing of sugar beets and sugar cane. Whereas brown sugar consists of molasses that give this sugar brown colour, flavour, and moisture.
• The calories in 1 tsp of white sugar are 12 while the same is the case in brown sugar.
• However, brown sugar contains minerals, calcium, potassium, and iron more than white sugar. But in a very less amount offering no health benefits.

Frequently Answered Questions

Q. Which Sugar Is Good For Health?

Ans. Any Natural sugar is good for health, like- the sweetener made of raisins and dates. They help in weight loss and provide your body with essential nutrients as well.

Q. Which Sugar Is Best For Weight Loss?

Ans. However, consuming natural sugar is the best option. But even stevia is bad to opt for. It has zero sugar and is made of plant compounds.

Q. Which Sugar Is Good For Weight Loss?

Ans. For weight loss, the consumption of that sugar is important because it is low in calories. Therefore, stevia and natural sugars are the perfect choices.

Fun Fact

A perfect breakfast, makes the whole day go healthy. So, what do you eat to make your day?
Perfect? Well, try Fitelo’s yummy recipe of moong daal ka chilla which will make your mouth water and will keep you full for a longer period aiding in weight loss. It is full of health benefits and an easy recipe to make.

Bottomline

So, what do you think about which sugar is good for health? Which sugar would you choose now? Fitelo tells about how so-called sugars are unhealthy. However, the best option is to choose stevia or make natural sweeteners. These have no added sugar and provide your body with all essential vitamins, minerals, nutrients and other health benefits. White or brown sugar is harmful to your body and might lead to a gain in weight as well. Therefore, now is the time to choose wisely and eat healthily.

Contact Us Today

Your search to find the right guidance to be a part of all those fat-to-fit stories ends here. So, contact us today if you are looking for a diet plan with cheat meals. Also, we will discuss how we can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Disclaimer

This blog post was written to help you to make healthy and better food choices altogether. So, be aware and take care. The important thing to consider is your own health before starting a diet that is restrictive. Always seek advice from a doctor/dietitian before starting if you have any concerns.
Eat Healthy, Live Healthy. Enjoy a long happy life.