No matter how you dice it or slice it, or should I say scoop it or spoon it, sugar is bad for you. The number of calories are the same regardless of whether it’s refined or unrefined. They’re both equally sweet too. So what’s the difference?
Sugar cane contains phosphorous, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. The process to refine sugar strips these minerals and nutrients. In addition, the chemicals Phosphoric Acid, Sulfur Dioxide, and Formic Acid are added.
Unrefined sugar is brown but is not the brown sugar you see in the store. It’s made from the juice from the sugar cane that is released by pressing sugar cane stalks. It is 50% less processed than white sugar and therefore contains slightly more molasses. Unrefined sugar maintains the minerals and nutrients whereas white sugar is all carbohydrates.
When deciding which sugar to buy consider that unrefined sugar is much more expensive. However, with no nutritional benefit to refined sugar, a spoonful of empty calories isn’t worth the cost cutting. All sugars should be used in moderation anyway.
[...] The recipe below makes 24 cupcakes and if you want to make them healthier, try using raw sugar (see http://cinnamonsweetshoppe.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/sugar-refined-or-unrefined/), unbleached flour, and organic [...]