Rock sugar or granulated sugar, which one is better for health?

The registration of sugar is one of the ingredients in the list of Indonesian staples, indicating that people cannot escape sugar. As is well known, the body which is mostly sugar can cause diabetes or even obesity.

In addition, nowadays it is predicted that rock sugar is said to be healthier than sugar that is commonly consumed. Is that right? Let's look at the explanation below

What is rock sugar? How is it made?

This rock-shaped sugar is obtained from the crystallization process of a liquid sugar solution. The material used to form rock sugar is a saturated liquid sugar solution. The solution is then crystallized so that it produces sugar that is hard like a rock. This process only changes the shape, but not the ingredients. Even if there is a difference in sugar content, the difference is only 0.21%.

Is rock sugar healthier than granulated sugar?

Regarding the nutritional content, because it comes from the same ingredients and content, the nutritional content contained in rock sugar is almost the same as granulated sugar, which is a type of sucrose sugar. In 100 grams of sugar, for example, there are 99.98 grams of carbohydrates. While in 100 grams of rock sugar, carbohydrates are in the amount of 99.70 grams.

Seeing the numbers that are not much different, it is proven that rock sugar is no healthier than granulated sugar. If you want to compare which one is healthier for diabetics, both are still dangerous if consumed in large doses, and research and further accurate evidence are still needed.

So rock sugar is just as dangerous as sugar consumption

As recommended by WHO, the consumption of sugar that is safe for health is a maximum of 50 grams, or the equivalent of 4 tablespoons per day. If you want to get additional benefits, then the amount that must be limited is half or 25 grams per day. When examined from the nutritional content of rock sugar above, in fact it is the same as sugar content. Which, if consumed in excess doses, can also trigger diabetes.

Some of the healthier substitutes for granulated sugar or rock sugar

Given that there are several types of sugar that are not good if consumed in excess, you can still enjoy the sweet taste without having to increase your blood sugar levels. There are several other alternatives to sugar substitutes that are still safe for consumption. Here are 2 sugar substitutes that are safe for consumption by people with diabetes or obesity:

1. Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). This plant is originally from Paraguay, and is mostly grown in Brazil. Stevia or steviol glycoside is a sweetener that tastes 250-300 times sweeter than sugar sucrose, it can be in liquid or powder form. This type of sweetener does not have and has a zero glycemic index, and is often used as a food intake for those who are on a diet.

2. Honey

Honey is a naturally sweet liquid made from flower nectar and collected by honey bees. The content of honey consists of 80% natural sugar, 18% water and 2% minerals, vitamins, pollen and protein. Honey is slightly higher in nutrients and calories than granulated sugar or rock sugar.

In 100 grams of pure honey, the average equivalent produces 330 calories of energy and 81g of carbohydrates. Still lower when compared to 100 grams of regular sugar which contains 400 calories.