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Journalism of Courage
Written by Dr Ambrish Mithal
It’s a known fact that high intake of sugar is linked to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. But are all sugars the same or are some better than others?
White or table sugar is the most commonly used, consisting entirely of sucrose and containing about 400 calories per 100 gram (16 calories in a teaspoon). How do natural sugars compare against it?
Brown sugar has molasses that provide the rich brown colour along with texture and flavour. It has more minerals, like calcium and iron, but the amounts are too small to be of significance. Being essentially sucrose, brown sugar has almost the same amount of calories as white sugar — 375 calories per 100 grams or 15 calories in a teaspoon.
Honey has been traditionally used as a sweetener and for soothing sore throats, controlling cough and reducing allergies. It is roughly composed of 38 per cent fructose, 31 per cent glucose, 17 per cent water, and 7 per cent maltose, along with small amounts of other simple carbohydrates, pollen, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins. Because of its fructose content, honey is sweeter than white sugar and so lesser amounts are required to provide the same degree of sweetness. While honey contains less calories per gram than white sugar (about 300 calories per 100 grams) it is heavier, so a teaspoon of honey has about 21 calories as compared to 16 for white sugar. In terms of glucose-raising properties, this balances out, and honey has about the same effects on blood glucose as white sugar.
Jaggery or gur is composed of 70 per cent sucrose, with the remaining being fructose and glucose. It is a source of iron, with traces of protein, potassium, magnesium, vitamins and antioxidants. Although the calorie content per gram is similar to brown sugar, it is absorbed more slowly, which is an advantage. In order to get significant nutritional benefits, large amounts of jaggery would have to be consumed, leading to a substantial rise in blood glucose level. Jaggery is a slightly better option than white sugar but is still sugar. For people with diabetes, the adverse effects of consuming jaggery are not very different from white sugar.
Desi khand (khandsari) is an unrefined sweetener made from sugarcane juice. It has traces of molasses and thus retains some nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. It causes a less rapid rise in blood glucose than white sugar although it has the same amount of calories.
Coconut sugar is almost identical to regular white sugar in terms of nutrients and calories. It retains many nutrients found in coconut palm — mostly iron, zinc, calcium, and potassium, but in insignificant amounts. Palm sugar is more or less like jaggery in its properties.
High fructose corn syrup is a liquid sweetener made by breaking down corn starch into individual molecules. It becomes corn syrup, which is glucose. To make it sweeter and similar in taste to regular table sugar, some of that glucose is converted to fructose using enzymes. High fructose corn syrup consumption results in higher levels of CRP, a marker of inflammation.
Therefore, the perception that jaggery, honey or natural sugars are safe for people with diabetes is not borne out by science. Read labels and try to keep your calories from added sugar to no more than 10 per cent of your daily calorie intake.
(Dr Mithal is chairman of endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare)
