Brown sugar is absorbed quickly, so diabetics should limit their intake

Many people regard brown sugar as a health product, but nutritionists remind us that although brown sugar has many benefits to the human body, it is still a monosaccharide food with a fast absorption rate. People should not consume too much brown sugar every day, especially diabetics and those who are losing weight. They should reduce their intake to avoid rising blood sugar and converting sugar into fat.

Brown sugar is a monosaccharide food, which is easily absorbed by the human body and converted into blood sugar and calories. Diabetic patients and people who are losing weight should not consume it in excess. The picture shows red dates, black fungus and lotus seeds soup cooked with brown sugar. (Photography by Luo Huiwen)

The black-looking brown sugar is also called "brown sugar" or "brown granulated sugar". The raw materials are the same as ordinary white granulated sugar and rock sugar, which are sucrose. However, brown sugar is made by boiling sugarcane juice directly without any chemical process or purification. It not only retains the original natural flavor of sugarcane, but is also rich in vitamins and minerals. Its sweet taste also has a charcoal-burnt aroma, which is different from the generally purified white sugar and rock sugar.

Yang Qinglian, a nutritionist at Guangtian General Hospital, said that brown sugar is rich in calcium, magnesium and iron. These three minerals happen to be the nutrients that are generally lacking in Chinese people. It is also rich in vitamins such as B1 and B2. Moderate intake is beneficial to health.

Taking women's menstrual pain as an example, the nutrients contained in brown sugar can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, accelerate the discharge of menstrual blood from the body, and help relax uterine muscles and relieve menstrual pain. In addition, the calcium contained in brown sugar is an important nutrient that promotes bone development. Moderate supplementation is beneficial to adolescent teenagers, the elderly or women.

However, unlike disaccharide foods such as sucrose, lactose, and maltose, and white sugar, glucose, fructose, and galactose, which are all monosaccharide foods, brown sugar does not require hydrolysis or digestion by intestinal enzymes. The body will quickly absorb the sugar and convert it into calories. Once it is consumed in excess and lacks exercise and metabolism, it is easy to form fat, cause obesity, and cause cardiovascular disease. Taking women as an example, the daily sugar intake should not exceed 40 grams, which is equivalent to 2.5 teaspoons (one teaspoon is about 15 grams).

In addition to those who are trying to lose weight not consuming too much, nutritionist Yang Qinglian also reminds that since brown sugar is absorbed quickly and can easily increase blood sugar, it is not suitable for diabetic patients if their blood sugar control is unstable. If blood sugar control is good, they can consume it in moderation with the doctor's consent, but the portion size is still limited to 15 grams per teaspoon.