Sugar, Its Types. White Sugar, Sugar Crystals or Cubes

Is sugar good for your body? Is there is any difference in white sugar, sugar crystals or cubes? Read the following.
Diabetes, the Vitamin & Mineral Connection

Why you should Avoid Sugars?

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate like all other refined foods and should be avoided. All types of sugars are only “empty” calories, have no nutrition value, raise the insulin levels rapidly, and damage the blood sugar balance. The raised insulin levels make fat to be stored in the body.

Note that all sugars are the same, white or brown or crystals or cubes, so far as the blood sugar is concerned. Brown sugar is as bad as white sugar. Even sugar substitutes are damaging, as they are chemicals.

A can of soft drink can contain about 8 teaspoon of sugar! The diet varieties contain chemical sweeteners. We don't know what these chemicals are doing to our body. The sweeteners slow down the digestive process and increase the appetite. The American cancer Society has reported that people who regularly use artificial sugars tend to gain weight. If a label says “no added sugar" or "sugar free”, that does not mean that it does not contain sugar of any kind! They may be using different forms of sugars, viz., Sucrose, Fructose, Glucose, Dextrose, Lactose, and Maltose. Remember the –ose at the end of each word.

Fructose present in fruits is also a simple carbohydrate but in the presence of fruit fiber it is not bad because the fibers slow down the digestion rate. The pure fruit juice does not contain any fibers so it may also cause rapid rise of blood sugar level. You should therefore dilute the fruit juice in water to reduce its concentration. It is better to make fruit juice at home and leave some fibers in it. However, you should choose low glycemic index fruits and and glycemic load fruits.

It is always better to use natural sugar substitutes like stevia or maple syrup.

Note the sugar contents of some popular drinks given below. Do you know that a can (12 ounce) of non-diet drink contains at least 40 grams (10 teaspoons) of sugar giving you from 140 to 180 calories!

Sugars Content of Non-Diet Soft Drinks gram per 360 ml (12 fl. oz )	Sugars gram
Minute Maid Orange Soda	48
Mountain Dew	46
Pepsi	41
Dr Pepper	40
Coca-Cola Classic	39
7Up	39
Sprite	38

Sugars Substitutes

1. Barley Malt Syrup
   What is this?
   Sprouted barley. 65% maltose, 30% complex carbohydrate, 3% protein. Strong flavor, dark brown, thick and sticky. Sweetness 50% of white sugar. Store refrigerated.
   Where it can be used?
   cookies and cakes .
2. Blackstrap Molasses
   What is this?
   70% sucrose. It is a source of iron, magnesium, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and chromium. Very strong flavor.
   Where it can be used?Where it can be used?
   Excellent sweetener for breads, cookies, cakes and pies.
3. Brown Rice Syrup
   What is this?
   Brown rice and various enzymes. 50% maltose and 35% complex carbohydrate. Butterscotch flavor. Sweetness 50% of white sugar.
   Where it can be used?
   Use this if you want to make very crisp or hard cookies, crisps, granola and pies.
4. Honey
   What is this?
   Extracted from flower nectar by bees. Fructose, glucose, sucrose. 30 - 60% more sweet than white sugar.Where it can be used?
   All baked goods, drinks, desserts, etc. Not safe for children under age 2, as it can transmit botulism.
5. Maple Syrup
   What is this?
   From sap of maple tree. 60% sucrose plus invert sugars; dark brown with maple flavor, high in calcium and potassium
   .Where it can be used?
   All baked goods
6. Maple Syrup Granules (known as Maple Sugar)
   What is this?
   Dehydrated maple syrup from maple tree. 93% sucrose, 1 - 3% invert sugars. Light brown granules with maple flavor.Where it can be used?
   All baked goods, desserts, drinks, etc.
7. Mixed Fruit Juice Concentrate
   What is this?
   Fruit juice. Sucrose and some natural fructose.
   Where it can be used?
   Use in all baked goods, drinks and desserts
8. Stevia
   What is this?
   A perennial shrub whose leaves are 10-300 times sweeter than white sugar depending on its quality and with 0 calories.
   Where it can be used?
   In all recipes. It makes sugar free cookies.