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Black Strap Molasses
Black Strap Molasses
Black Strap Molasses
What is it:
Blackstrap molasses is a sweetener that is derived from sugar cane or sugar beets. During the process of refining sugar, molasses is the part that is normally oiled out and removed. After the sugar cane or sugar beets are crushed to extract their juice, the juice is boiled down to separate out the sugar crystals that go on to produce refined sugar, and the end product is a thick syrup that retains various minerals and vitamins. The syrup is boiled twice more to make blackstrap molasses, which is much darker, thicker, and more bitter than regular molasses. Since it’s not as sweet, blackstrap molasses isn’t normally used as a sweetener in baking, but it can be used as a sugar substitute or consumed on its own due its potential health benefits.
Rating:
While blackstrap molasses does contain sugar, it is significantly lower in sugar than most sweeteners and is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. In supplemental form, molasses may be useful in the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia as it is rich in iron and contains compounds that can help improve iron absorption. Blackstrap molasses may also help alleviate constipation. Molasses does contain acrylamide, which may be a possible carcinogen, however, no research has associated blackstrap molasses with cancer.
Resources:
- Molasses use in iron deficiency anemia (Review)
- Therapeutic potential of molasses (Review)
- Blackstrap molasses improves constipation (Randomized controlled trial)
- Potential risks of acrylamide
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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