Honey or brown sugar? What is the best option to sweeten food? – GOOD SHAPE

If there were a food battle, this dispute would certainly be one of the most watched. As far as flavor is concerned, the two are equal: both the Brown sugar how much the honey they are great for making all the recipes we make sweeter. However, what is the winning ingredient in the health issue?

According to nutritionist Edvânia Soares, from Estima Nutrição, one must understand that moderation should come first. “Ideally, people consume a maximum of one teaspoon a day, no matter which one. That’s because they both have high glycemic loads and about the same amount of calories”, she explains. Not to mention that they are contraindicated for the diabetics and babies up to two years old. “Mainly honey, which contains the bacteria that produce botulinum toxinwhich can cause paralysis in children”, he warns.

Even so, they have differences. See below what they are and discover the best alternative for you:

Brown sugar

Yes, it has the same origins as refined sugarbut it’s not so processed how much. “Both come from cane or molasses, only one is more refined than the other. Therefore, it loses its brownish color and becomes whiter”, Edvânia says.

There are so many stages for the manufacture of refined sugar that it is transformed into different products before getting the look we know. First, the cane turns into molasses; then brown sugar; then, demerara; then crystal; and, only at last, results in the refined.

And it’s not just the color that is lost in all these stages, you know? “In the process, sugar loses vitamins and minerals, decreases your amount of good bacteria and increases the bad ones, affecting our body. digestive system. Therefore, brown sugar is the best compared to the others”, says the nutritionist.

It still contains magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium, but in very small amounts – no thinking that you can overdo the dose, see? Also, it is less likely to spike blood sugar levels than refined sugar. And its more bodied flavor may not even please many humans, but probiotic bacteria love it (it’s no wonder that many people use it to feed kefir).

Honey

Honey has long been known and used by western civilizations. It has always been part of recipes for healing respiratory diseases and digestive. And rightly so. “Because it has a lower pH, it has anti-inflammatory It is healing. Ideal for colds and flu, asthma, acne and intestinal problems”, explains Edvânia.

According to the nutritionist, it also has some vitamins and minerals, and is a great accompaniment for yogurts and oats. “Honey is a good pre-workout. But, again, caution must be exercised with excessive consumption”, he concludes.