SUGARS…SILENT POISONS!
Are they all the same? Can we make wiser choices?
RAPADURA? PANELA? SUCANAT? MUSCAVADO? TURBINADO? ORGANIC RAW SUGAR?
This article deserves a re-post!! Very topical people, & we need to keep educating ourselves….then we get to make our own choices!
http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au

In Brazil, where it is produced, ‘Rapadura’ is the traditional name for this kind of sugar – it is also known as Panela, Raspadura, Chancaca, Piloncillo… depending on where it’s made. There may be some small differences in the process used to make these, but generally it is as outlined here. Daabon, who import this sugar from Columbia to Australia and the United States, state that Panela and Rapaduraare two names for the same product, Panela being the Colombian name.
The German company Rapunzel registered the name ‘Rapadura’ for the organic sugar they sold, but because of the diplomatic problems it caused, the labelling was recently changed to ‘Organic Whole Cane Sugar.’
Because Rapadura is dehydrated at a low heat, the vitamins and minerals have been retained. (See this specs sheet for details of what Rapadura has in it, compared to other sugars!) It still has the natural balance of sucrose, glucose, and fructose, and contains components essential for its’ digestion.
It is metabolized more slowly than white sugar, and therefore will not affect your blood sugar levels as much as refined sugars. The more refined the sugar, the more it raises your blood sugar.
The clarifying process is usually done with chemicals, although sometimes through pressure filtration. The crystals are then reunited with some of the molasses in artificial proportions. The molasses contains vitamins and minerals, and is recommended for a healthy diet, but the crystals themselves are pretty much ’empty carbs.’
‘Raw’ sugar is not really raw – it has been cooked, and a lot of the minerals and vitamins are gone. Still, it’s better than refined sugar because it has a little of the molasses still clinging to it. Some sugar is sold as ‘organic’ raw sugar, and people think this means it’s unrefined – all it really means is that it’s grown with organic agricultural methods, then refined as usual… the juice (molasses) has been mostly removed, and there’s not really much goodness in it.
Crystallised refined sugars are pure sucrose and contain no nutrients beyond calories. They are a “pure” industrial product, and can hardly be considered a food. Some would say they are closer to a drug, which affects our bodies adversely and is very addictive.
Not only do they not give anything beneficial to our bodies, they actually take away from the vitamins and minerals in what we are eating. People who get headaches from eating refined sugars usually find they have no problem with Rapadura.
Brown sugar is just white sugar mixed with molasses.
We always cut down on the amount of sugar when converting recipes, sometimes just adding some raw honey or some crushed dates, or sometimes a pinch of stevia powder if we think it needs more sweetening. Most times it just needs less sugar!
Thanks for the research Jo…answers questions for all who are trying to find the right alternative. Don’t forget to check out Jo http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au & LIKE her facebook page xx
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