Raw Sugar - Any Thoughts

[Sportster]

. . .

 

[Momo]

I love raw sugar, personally, I prefer it over refined sugar. I think it gives it a stronger taste, and I'm all about stronger tastes. The thing is with raw sugar is you have to add more to get the same amount of sweetness as you would refined.

 

[Adder1234]

meh, I manage to eat healthy despite eating food made with mostly processed ingredients. Pretty much anything is healthy in the right amounts. That being said, I'm not sure what to think about raw vs refined sugar. I've always gotten the refined because it's cheaper.

 

[Nitro]

I just found a local grocer who stocks raw cane sugar.
It is my belief that it is better in taste and health.
It is a bit more costly that refined beet sugar,but well worth the price IMHO.

 

[WereBear]

Sugar is sugar. There's a few more minerals and such, but really, read The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes for the science of it all.

 

[Adder1234]

Just remembered this, but there was a documentary I saw last year regarding the effects of consuming large amounts of sugar. It was called That Sugar Film and it was a very entertaining film and it never once actually abused or insulted people who have problems with eating and whatnot.

 

[Nitro]

There can be slight variations in the way the sugar is extracted and processed that can affect the taste/quality.

There are slight but important chemical differences between beet and cane sugar, and these differences are responsible for the differences in the way beet and cane sugar behave in cooking and baking.

Most notably, beet sugar will not caramelize; it burns instead.

The molecular differences are in the carbon atoms of the molecule: C4, C3 differences, and in the ratio between the 13c and 12c isotopes. These differences are slight, but enough to cause differences in the way the two sugars react chemically in recipes.

 

[WereBear]

These differences are slight, but enough to cause differences in the way the two sugars react chemically in recipes.

And possibly, the way they react in our bodies?

 

[Nitro]

And possibly, the way they react in our bodies?

I really can't answer that.
I do know that beet sugar comes from GMO plants to increase the yields at harvest if that counts for anything.

As far as the taste goes,I can only go with a side by side taste test,with the raw cane winning out every time.

 

[Warmheart]

I use raw honey in my tea. It does cost more than sugar, of any form. You also have to use a larger glop than you might expect, because it's got a higher wax solids content than the processed honey. But, I feel well after adding it to my diet, and there's no bitter aftertaste as with white, processed cane sugar. (If you switch to raw honey, then go back to processed white cane sugar, you'll notice that bitter aftertaste of the sugar... blah.)

The raw honey I buy has crunchy bits of propolis Stop the honey, so that aids the immune system a bit.

Raw honey goes great in tea, oatmeal, etc.

Ps-- Live, active enzymes in raw honey are good for you, too. Add any cream you were going to add to your tea or oatmeal first, so it don't be as hot when you add the raw honey.

 

[WereBear]

For the same reason, I occasionally indulge in Real Maple Syrup! Which has antioxidants and minerals.

 

[Tyrantus1212]

I have slightly elevated blood glucose, so instead of using real sugar I try to use a substitute called Xylitol - Xylitol - Wikipedia. I put it in my coffee and tea, and they still taste as good and sweet as they did with the sugar before. In Sportster's sweet tooth post I did mention eating less candy because of my hazelnut allergy, so that also doubly benefits my elevated glucose.

 

[Streetwise]

i u

I love raw sugar, personally, I prefer it over refined sugar. I think it gives it a stronger taste, and I'm all about stronger tastes. The thing is with raw sugar is you have to add more to get the same amount of sweetness as you would refined.

i use fructose if i can manage to bake

 

[WereBear]

Sugar has more impact on mood than we might think.

4 Ways Sugar Could Be Harming Your Mental Health

The Standard American Diet, which is full of sugar and fat, does not necessarily cause anxiety but it does appear to worsen anxiety symptoms and impair the body’s ability to cope with stress. Individuals who suffer from panic attacks, for example, are hyper-alert to signs of impending danger. Sugar can cause blurry vision, difficulty thinking and fatigue, all of which may be interpreted as signs of a panic attack, thereby increasing worry and fear. A sugar high and subsequent crash can cause shaking and tension, which can make anxiety worse.​

I feel better physically when I eat in a more Paleo way; low carb, low sugar & processed foods, lots of meat, fish, "good" fats, and greens. This also helps me feel better mentally, too. I get along with dairy, (which causes a lot of problems for some people) but can't handle gluten, artificial sweeteners, and Omega 3 seed oils.

It is worth exploring how eating affects us; food allergies, blood sugar swings, and especially inflammation issues. This really has an incredible influence on our brain.

Which is usually under enough strain as it is.

 

[Suzanne]

I only use natural sugars. I use a teaspoon of honey in my BLACK COFFEE. I am from the uk, but guess what? Cannot stand tea and cannot cope with milk in coffee.

Refined sugar is evil to ones with health issues. If you are a heavily person and are moderate in sugars, then it is going to be ok.

Basically, our pancreas already produces sugar ie insuline, so in effect, we have a pot filled with sugar already and thus, if we eat excess refined sugars, that also are referred to as: empty calories, we start to suffer and put on weight.

Now, I just read on here, that raw sugar comes form GMO plants and so, I am afraid that is just disasterous for our bodies. GMO ( Genetically Modified Organism), act like oestrogen in our bodies and believe it or not, causes cancer.

So, natural is the way to go, but again, modest. I read that if you have over 10 spoon fulls of honey in a day, that can upset the body's way of functioning.

I never thought I could have honey in my coffee, because there was a time, I found it to be too syrupy and did not make the coffee enjoyable, but due to a major health scare, I swapped to honey and now cannot live without it and have less than 10 teaspoons a day.

Natural sugar is that; works alongside our body and thus, is very beneficial to us.

 

[WereBear]

Natural sugar is that; works alongside our body and thus, is very beneficial to us.

Well, if we are going to talk natural, there is a natural time for Northern-influenced genes to expect lots of sugar and starches... when a body needs to put on fat that they will live on in the winter, when food is scarce.

I can easily put on weight if I eat a Western Processed Diet. It's far too much of an overload on my "stone age" pancreas. Not everyone is going to react that way; my South American SIL lives on starch and stays slim and healthy.

That's why we can't take what we eat for granted. Observe, experiment, and don't be afraid to challenge the "common wisdom." By doing so, I became much more healthy, body and mind, than I was before.

 

[Streetwise]

Despite my affinity for candy and sweets (Sweet Tooth - 10 Favorite Candies) I am trying to eat "healthier." Recently someone tried to explain the evils of refined sugar to me and suggested raw sugar.

So, when I went shopping yesterday, I bought a 2 lbs. box of natural raw sugar. It's definitely odd looking and doesn't have the same texture as regular refined sugar. I'm still iffy on the taste in my tea (apologies to my UK friends that only use milk ).

With that said, does anyone have any experience with raw sugar? What are your views, what are the benefits over other sugar, why is refined so bad for me, etc?

mam and me thought about eating a stalk of sugar cane as that is supposed to be the healthiest
never bought i

 

[Streetwise]

Despite my affinity for candy and sweets (Sweet Tooth - 10 Favorite Candies) I am trying to eat "healthier." Recently someone tried to explain the evils of refined sugar to me and suggested raw sugar.

So, when I went shopping yesterday, I bought a 2 lbs. box of natural raw sugar. It's definitely odd looking and doesn't have the same texture as regular refined sugar. I'm still iffy on the taste in my tea (apologies to my UK friends that only use milk ).

With that said, does anyone have any experience with raw sugar? What are your views, what are the benefits over other sugar, why is refined so bad for me, etc?

the problem is if you eat a lot of refined sugar it puts a burden on your pancreas so thats why really we should only eat vegetables as lots of fruits have too much sugar
some zoos only feed the animals vegetables as our vegetables are as sweet as wild fruit

 

[Keigan]

Just say no to sugar and starches, your body and you mind will thank you.

 

[Alaska]

An experiment was done on soldiers eating refined sugars. They held up heavy buckets of sand in each hand. After eating refined sugar they were u able to hold up the bucket as long.

I have been trying out different sweeteners to see how they affect me. Meanwhile, I have made an effort to cut way back on sweeteners.

Raw sugar and maple syrup are my favorites so far, but they are pricey.