Brown Sugar Syrup

Brown Sugar Syrup

Brown Sugar Syrup

What is it:

Brown sugar syrup is a type of sweetener made from brown sugar. To produce it, regular white sugar is mixed with molasses, which is a thick, dark syrup obtained from the sugar refining process. The amount of molasses added determines the darkness and flavor intensity of the syrup. During production, the sugar and molasses are combined and heated, allowing them to blend into a smooth, syrupy consistency. Brown sugar syrup has a rich, caramel-like taste and is often used as a sweetener in various desserts, baked goods, and beverages.

Rating:

While molasses is rich in nutrients and minerals, brown sugar is made with processed white sugar, which is pure sucrose that has been separated from the fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients that make up sugar cane or sugar beets in their whole form. Consuming high amounts of sugar in any form has been linked to many adverse health effects such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Additionally, sugarcane production is a very water-intensive crop that also has resulted in deforestation and loss of biodiversity in many regions of the world, requires the significant use of fossil fuels, and contributes to pollution. The use of harmful herbicides like glyphosate may be used during sugarcane production as a ripener.

Resources:

  1. White and brown sugar consumption effect on metabolic parameters in rats (animal study)
  2. Sugar consumption impact on metabolic health and association with chronic disease
  3. Therapeutic potential of molasses (review)
  4. The environmental impact of cane sugar production
  5. WWF overview of sugarcane production on the environment
  6. Herbicides as sugarcane ripeners

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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