sugar questions

jodi · #1 (**permalink**) 02-16-2007, 11:58 AM

Not entirely too frugally related...but I am looking for information on sugars, i.e. white, brown, honey, syrup, etc., in regards to the "best" and "worst" for you. I know this is somewhat subjective...but for me, I want to stay away from white sugar as much as possible. But is honey really any better for you, as some claim? I am having trouble finding this information online, so if anyone knows where to point me, I would appreciate it

I guess it is money-related as some sugars cost more than others, and there's no point in me paying more if I'm not getting any benefits!

Broken Arrow · #2 (**permalink**) 02-16-2007, 12:17 PM

It may not be what you're looking for, but I found this article useful.

jodi · #3 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 07:06 AM

Thanks!

PetMom · #4 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 12:21 PM

I got into the honey habit this past year. I researched that raw, darker honey has some antioxidants.

I paid high dollar for this, but I found that I really did use less for sweetening. I even used it in any baking I might have done too.
It really is good in homemade bread recipes.

Now I go with the regular honey in the bear container at Wal Mart - much cheaper.

I also use white sugar as sparingly as possible and use only sugar cubes so that I know how little I am using.

This was the best compromise I found for the sugar category of my budget.

tinapbeana · #5 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 12:36 PM

you might want to consider keeping molasses on hand. unlike most other sweeteners, it has significant nutritional value, including 20% RDA for manganese, 15% for copper and iron, and about 10% for calcium, potassium, and magnesium. a true super sweetener! cane juice and maple syrup also offer vitamin B2 and manganese, respectively, whereas honey typically has no appreciable nutrient content.

molasses http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...spice&dbid=118
cane juice http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...spice&dbid=120
maple syrup http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...spice&dbid=115
honey http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...dspice&dbid=96

poundwise · #6 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 12:49 PM

Not to go all 'natural foods' on you or anything but you may want to check out agave nectar. It is natural, low-glycemic, and sweet. It is similar to honey though not as thick. It is great for sweetening coffee or tea and cooking too. I really like it both in terms of health and taste. I jokingly call it the food of the gods because it tastes so pure and amazing.

http://www.madhavahoney.com/agave.htm

LuxLiving · #7 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 01:11 PM

I also tried the Stevia stuff...not for me as it is a might too bitter. I just buy inexpensive local honey anymore (local=good for FrugalSon's allergies).

I buy the cheapest white sugar I can...the last I bought was .28 a lb. at the scratch n' dent store in 2 lb. (coffee vending machine dispenser size) sacks. I bought all that I could fit in the truck that day! Which was right after Hurricane Katrina and I've still got tons left! (well, not tons - but LOADS!)

I was going to mention molasses but tinap beat me to it! She's quick, that gal!!

kealina · #8 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 07:55 PM

[quote=tinapbeana]you might want to consider keeping molasses on hand. unlike most other sweeteners, it has significant nutritional value, including 20% RDA for manganese, 15% for copper and iron, and about 10% for calcium, potassium, and magnesium. a true super sweetener! cane juice and maple syrup also offer vitamin B2 and manganese, respectively, whereas honey typically has no appreciable nutrient content.
QUOTE]

we simply use whatever we have on hand which is usually white/brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup so i can't really help you there...i think i remember hearing that both white and brown sugar are refined and one doesn't have health benefits over the other. That's all i know...

tina, your mention of cane juice made me salivate...
living in hawaii, we're lucky enough to be able to actually enjoy sugar cane as is... when i was a kid my mom would buy a stalk, peel away the outside, cut the inside into small chunks, chill it and then we would all chew the juice out of the sugar cane before spitting the fibrous part into the trash... it was so fresh and delicious...
also, when we were visiting vietnam they actually sell pure sugar cane juice as a drink... they take a stalk and run it thru a press which smashes out the juice... add a piece of ice to the drink and voila, sugar cane juice...
then i followed the link and found that wasn't what you were talking about at all... hahaha. go figure huh?

ozzy gurl · #9 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 09:22 PM

If it is natural, it is good for you. White sugar is like putting poison into your body. I'm not trying to be all health nutty...I love ice cream and cookies, but you should steer for more natural options as often as possible.

cschin4 · #10 (**permalink**) 02-18-2007, 11:00 AM

I personally don't see anything wrong with white sugar.

poundwise · #11 (**permalink**) 02-18-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cschin4

I personally don't see anything wrong with white sugar.

Well, the first step most often stated for controlling or reversing type-2 diabetes, or pulling back from the brink of it, is to eliminate refined sugars or grains (white flour).

The body converts refined white sugar (which is something that does not occur naturally in the environment) into blood sugar very rapidly. This, in turn, causes a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. It is this factor, and the body's responses to it, that can cause, or contribute to, obesity, suppression of the immune system, and ultimately, type-2 diabetes.

Refined white sugar is also has been shown to suppress the release of growth hormone in the pituitary gland (contributing to the immune suppression) and also depletes the body of potassium and magnesium, which are vital to the cardiac system.

This is why some people look for other alternatives.

I am not a "health nut" myself. Sometimes, I would be more of one if I could afford to be. However, even then, I do try to eliminate two things: high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils. In addition, we do not use refined white sugar in cooking or sweetening anything we make at home and limit our consumption of it to a few treats here and there, like ice cream or dessert when dining out or birthday cake with friends.

threebeansalad · #12 (**permalink**) 02-18-2007, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Not entirely too frugally related...but I am looking for information on sugars, i.e. white, brown, honey, syrup, etc., in regards to the "best" and "worst" for you.

This thread seems to be going in a few different directions, but to answer Jodi's orignal question it's fair to consider the 4 sweeteners you mentioned as equals. Honey has a higher percentage of fructose, so for a diabetic it may be a better choice since it raises blood sugar more gradually. With that said, honey is still 100% carbohydrate, and diabetics still need to use it in moderation.

For people without diabetes, I wouldn't worry about using one more than the others. All 4 are 100% carbohydrate and low in nutrients other than energy. All 4 should be used in moderation. Yes, there are some minor differences, but not enough to make a major impact on your health. Furthermore, all 4 have different consistancies and flavor profiles. It's not reasonable to replace all of the brown / white sugar in your diet with honey. I'm a registered dietitian, by the way.

Also, I need to pipe in that being labelled as "All Natural" DOES NOT make something "good for you". White sugar is 100% natural. Technically, high fructose corn syrup is, too. It is 100% derived from corn.

tinapbeana · #13 (**permalink**) 02-18-2007, 02:26 PM

well, when it comes to food in general, i typically try to get the most 'nutritional bang' for my 'caloric buck', as it were.

in this case, molasses, cane juice, and maple syrup are the only common sweeteners that offer some sort of nutritional value along with their carbohydrate calories, as opposed to honey and sugar (white, brown, or raw), which are essentially devoid of nutritients.

jodi · #14 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 12:30 PM

[quote=threebeansalad]This thread seems to be going in a few different directions, but to answer Jodi's orignal question it's fair to consider the 4 sweeteners you mentioned as equals. Honey has a higher percentage of fructose, so for a diabetic it may be a better choice since it raises blood sugar more gradually. With that said, honey is still 100% carbohydrate, and diabetics still need to use it in moderation. QUOTE]

I was hoping you would weigh in on this

So are you saying that it does not make any difference at all what form of sugar I use?

The reason I started to avoid white sugar was for many of the reasons Poundwise mentioned above (i.e. spike in blood sugar levels, etc). after reading the South Beach diet, which was written by a cardiologist and *seemed* to be based on scientific evidence. Now, I put that in asterisks because I do not have the knowledge to evaluate those claims, even though they make perfect sense to me. Dr Agatson (author of the diet) advocates use the Splenda in place of sugar. I do use Splenda occasionally (maybe 1-2 weekly in my granola, and 1-2 weekly in my baking in place of half the sugar - I don't like baked goods made completely with Splenda), but I have concerns about this product as well. I have heard some nutritionists liken it to "poison" as well. So...what's a gal to do?

I do not eat much sugar, but I have to use it for baking (muffins/bread weekly and the occasional cake/dessert) and making my granola (one batch per week). Other than that, I rarely add sugar to anything, although I do eat products that contain it (like ice cream!). Since I can use honey or maple syrup interchangably with sugar for most of my baking, should I? Or should I stick to artifical sweeteners like Splenda?

Why is this so complicated?

tinapbeana · #15 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 01:12 PM

jodi, if it were me i'd try subbing maple syrup/molasses for regular sugar in a baked good here or there and see what you personally think. if it's nasty, then leave it at that. but if it's acceptable or possibly better than before, you're a step or two ahead b/c of the extra nutrition content of maple syrup/molasses in comparison to standard white or brown sugar. calorie and carb wise you're probably going to be in the same ball-park as before, but 100 calories with some nutrition is always better than 100 calories with none!

as for splenda, i myself think it tastes 'funky' in baked goods. only place i can't tell it's there is in hot tea, and then i prefer honey for it's coating ability anyways...

PrincessPerky · #16 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 05:29 PM

I love honey in tea, I have not found molasses to work in baked goods

, I have had good luck subbing brown sugar, not to sure it helps nutritionally, and is bad for the wallet, but the final product tastes better and less sweet...one of my goals is to make foods less sweet but still good.

unfortunatly I often bake for others, and I run into normal tastes buds not always liking the less sweet versions, (not to mention all the whole wheat flour in the food)

jodi · #17 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 06:31 PM

I just read somewhere the other (but can't remember where) to cut the sugar in baked goods in half, or even by two-thirds, and you will not taste the difference. I'm not ready to make that much of a cut, but I am starting to decrease the sugar gradually to find the point at which it affects quality. I made a Chocolate Tunnel of Fudge cake last night with 3/4 of the sugar and a few tablespoons less butter...still just as good

lrjohnson · #18 (**permalink**) 02-22-2007, 06:35 PM

My first step is to avoid the sweetener, or use less, instead of using a good one. I love sugar in black tea, but I have learned that without is fine. I don't drink sugared or diet sodas. My store bought cereal is low sugar or sugar free, no extra sugar added. In oatmeal my sweetener might be just cut up banana. My homemade granola is very low sugar; 1/2 the recipe amount. Fruit is dessert.

Baking soda can cut acidity in fruits so that you can reduce the use of
whatever sweetener you are using, if you are making a pie/cobbler/etc.

PrincessPerky · #19 (**permalink**) 02-22-2007, 06:56 PM

Ok because of this thread I tried oatmeal mollasses muffins, quite good

And I was thinking maple syrup and oatmeal would be good too.....

The thing is maple syrup and mollasses do not taste just sweet, they have flavor (rather strong flavor on the mollasses!)

I just don't think the flavor goes with much else besides oatmeal though....

tinapbeana · #20 (**permalink**) 02-22-2007, 07:16 PM

perky, try mixing real maple syrup w/ peanut butter for sandwiches: much like honey texturewise but the benefits of maple syrup.

as for molasses, well, it is a rather strong flavor

perhaps try recipes that are intended for molasses as a jumping off point (like gingerbread cookies) and work from there... i bet it would be good in pumpkin bread, oatmeal raisin cookies, etc... also good in barbecue sauce, actually...