Sugar is basically a carbohydrate, with each gram offering about 4 energy calories. Once ingested, carbohydrates are broken down by the body into blood sugar to provide energy for the various body processes, including powering the nervous system and the brain. While simple carbohydrates are easily broken down by the body, complex carbohydrates take a considerable period to be broken down. According to Medline Plus, a healthy person should get between 40 and 60 percent of his or her calories from carbohydrates, mainly the complex carbohydrates and natural sugar. In this article, you will get detailed information about natural sugar.
Main Types of Sugars: Natural Sugar & Refined Sugar
Natural Sugar
According to food experts and dietitians, natural sugar is the type of sugar that naturally exists in fruits and vegetables. This sugar exists in the form of fructose. However, some fruits and foods are also known to contain sucrose and glucose. These sugars are considered to be natural because they exist naturally on their own and are not manipulated or extracted by human beings. As such, once these sugars have been extracted by human beings and processed, they may not be sold as natural regardless of the source.
The question probably lingering in many people’s minds now is the raw sugar same as natural sugar? Actually, raw sugar, also referred to as tornado sugar, is a minimal refined sugar that is sugar cane-based. This type of sugar is produced by spinning in turbines or cylinders, hence it is named turbinado. It is characterized by brown and large crystals. Therefore, natural sugar is not raw sugar.
Refined Sugar
This kind of sugar is what people usually use in their daily life. Refined sugars are those that have been extracted from their natural sources and then gone through purification process. These processes turns them into a crystalline form, which is easy to add to foods. A good example of refined sugar is table sugar, which is extracted from either sugar beets or sugar cane. This processing of natural sugar destroys the natural nutrients in them. This type of sugar is also used in processed and prepared foods, in addition to being used in cooking and eating.
