Due to recent health fad, brown sugar is closely watched recently. Since nutrient balance is good, it's used for bread and donuts, various types of liqueurs like plum wine, and latte and shaved ice at cafe. Some people start to use it for cooking and cookie making at home.
By the way, do you know what kind of nutrients are involved in brown sugar?
It's well known that brown sugar has lower calorie and more nutrients than sugar, but that's not all. It contains a variety of nutrients which is good for your body.
Let's compare nutrients of brown sugar with those of commonly used white sugar (granulated sugar):
| white sugar (granulated sugar) | brown sugar |
|---|---|
| energy: 384kcal protein: 0g iron:0mg kalium: 2mg calcium: 1mg vitamin B1: 0mg vitamin B2: 0mg |
energy: 354kcal protein: 1.7g iron: 4.7mg kalium: 1100mg calcium: 240mg vitamin B1: 0.05mg vitamin B2: 0.07mg |
| nutrients contained in 100g (by food composition table by Japanese Standard of Dietic Information) | |
You can see that there are big differences in nutrients of those two sugars. While superfine sugar (white superior soft sugar) is made by boiling and refining the juice extracted from sugar canes, brown sugar is made with no refinement. That's why the color of brown sugar is blackish brown and it contains lots of minerals and vitamins.
Minerals:
Calcium: 240 times than superfine sugar's content rate
Calcium contained in brown sugar is effective for preventing osteoporosis. It's essential mineral for bones and teeth. Combination with milk is good, and when you take them together, it's more easily absorbed.
Kalium: 550 times than superfine sugar's content rate
Kalium contained in brown sugar eliminates excessive natrium (salt content) and control a rise in blood pressure.
Iron:
Iron not contained in superfine sugar (contained in brown sugar) is said to be effective for iron-deficiency anemia.
Vitamin (B1/B2/B6):
Not only have refreshing effect, but also have an effect of protecting skin and mucosal membrane.
Other components
“Phenyl Glucoside” contained in the black portion of brown sugar, “Raffinose”, and “Octacosanol”, ingredient of sugar cane leaf, have attracted attention recently.
Phenyl Glucoside:
Black pigment composition
Control the absorption of sugar, facilitate elimination of unnecessary sugar, it is said to have an effect of keeping blood sugar level down.
Raffinose (native oligosaccharide):
Native oligosaccharide which have an effect to increase bifidobacteria and clean inside the intestines prevents lifestyle-related diseases.
Effective for relief of constipation and skin roughness.
Octacosaol:
A kind of alcohol discovered in plant leaves and fruit peels like apples or grapes. It is expected to have an effect of enhancing sporting ability, boosting stamina in exercise and training and helping generate energy. It is said to enhance metabolic rate and control forming neutral fat.
→this is nourishment migratory birds take in from seeds, it looks like forming important stamina for them to fly a long distance without resting.
Since brown sugar is well accepted by consumers, various kinds of products are developed. A decade ago, processed brown sugar was labelled as “brown sugar”, but the standards has changed and only pure brown sugar is allowed to label as “brown sugar”.
Sanko's “Kokutou-mitsu” (brown sugar syrup) is made from 100% brown sugar . We assort from small-size (so-called portion-type) to gallon can (24kg) or 2.4kg bottled-type for professional use. Please feel free to ask.
