Even ‘natural’ alternatives are not quite as sweet as their reputation would suggest. By Sophie Morris
Sugar is an often demonised ingredient, but there are so many varieties that it’s difficult to know if any are healthier than others. Some use the naturally occurring sweetness in fruits such as banana or dates, while many replace white sugar with brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, or syrups like maple and agave. But in a new TikTok video by scientist and health expert Tim Spector, founder of the ZOE app, these alternatives are no better for us than cheaper, white sugar.
I use sugars and syrups in different ways, depending on what I’m eating or cooking, because the flavours and textures are varied.
But what are the real differences between them? Here, we speak to experts for a detailed breakdown.
WHITE SUGAR £1.20/kg (granulated, Fairtrade) Value for money: 10/10 Spector says that manufacturers typically try to hide the fact that they’ve added sugar to their products by using about 200 different names for it. The main difference between the many kinds of sugar is the effect on your wallet, rather than your health, he says. “If you want to save money, and make things sweeter, stick to [white] sugar (inset),” he adds.
“Sugars are generally a mix of fructose and sucrose and the main difference between them is the ratio,” explains Clare Thornton-Wood., dietitian and British Dietetic Association (BDA) spokesperson.
“As an example, sucrose - the white granulated sugar we put in our tea - is 50 per cent of each, whereas agave nectar is around 90 per cent fructose and 10 per cent glucose. This ratio makes little difference to the health impacts and still contains calories and impacts on dental health.”
BROWN SUGAR From £3.45/kg (demerara) to £4.40/kg (dark muscovado) Value for money: 8/10 “In brown sugar, coconut sugar and maple syrup, there are tiny amounts of micronutrients such as iron, zinc and calcium,” says Thornton-Wood. “But the amounts are very small, and you would do much better nutritionally to get these nutrients from other foods such as green leafy vegetables, eggs, red meat, dairy products.”
There are many kinds of brown sugars, from light and dark to demerara, turbinado and muscovado. Each will produce a slightly different effect when used in baking - you might like crunchy granulated demerara on top of your porridge or muffins, or a sprinkle of muscovado for a caramelised top.
Dark brown sugar is slightly more moist and bitter as it contains more molasses - the thick liquid by-product created when plants are refined. You can also boil many fruits, such as watermelon or apples, to produce natural molasses, though it’s a timeconsuming and labour-intensive process, adds Thornton-Wood.
COCONUT SUGAR £8/kg Value for money: 5/10 claims about coconut oil and coconut water that coconut sugar stands out as a “healthy” option on its name alone.
Thornton-Wood says: “Coconut sugar and maple syrup have a slightly lower glycemic index than white sugar, so raise blood sugar slightly less after eating than normal sugar. But the impact is small; it varies from person to person and relates to what is eaten at the same time.”
Coconut sugar is extracted from the flower buds of the coconut tree and has always been used as a sweetener in regions where grown.
Most producers offer organic and low intervention or unrefined coconut sugar, so this would be a better ethical choice than white, explains Thornton-Wood.
“It does contain tiny amounts of micronutrients, but not enough to benefit us.
You would have to eat very large quantities to get anywhere close to the micronutrients contained in whole foods,” she adds.
HONEY £3.20/kg - £88.90/kg Value for money: 6/10, but unfair to compare the whole range Many will be surprised by Spector’s analysis that the only health benefit honey can boast is when for trying to reduce a cough.
But Thornton-Wood explains that it also has another benefit: as it is much sweeter than sugar, less is needed, so fewer calories are consumed than when sweetening with sugar.
Many will be disappointed with this, including me, as I adore honey and admit to being guilty of treating it as a healthy option when fancying a sweet pick-me-up.
I like to think of myself as something of a honey connoisseur. I’ve attended tastings and know that bees are vital pollinators that prop up our ecosystem, so by eating honey I feel doing the planet a favour, at least.
Cost varies greatly between the typical squeezy honey you can buy in any supermarket to jars from small local producers.
Manuka honey, a dark brown honey from Australia and New Zealand, is very expensive and has gained traction in health circles for claims ranging from healing wounds to supporting gut health as a prebiotic. Even Sainsbury’s own brand is £18.30 for 340g. It is also said that raw honey can help with allergy symptoms if produced in the environment where someone lives.
But none of honey’s health claims are upheld. Public Health England found limited evidence to recommend honey to limit acute cough symptoms in children and young people. It should not be given to babies less than a year old because of botulism, and it can still lead to tooth decay.
The most interesting thing about honey is its fabulous range of tastes, from a mountain honey rich with the scent and flavour of pine trees, to a lighter floral honey fragrant with a wildflower meadow bouquet.
It can have a negative effect on some people because of its high fructose content, explains Thornton-Wood, and can lead to symptoms such as bloating, pain and loose stools.
MAPLE SYRUP £16-24/kg Value for money: 3/10 The steep price of maple syrup is linked to how hard it is to produce. It is the sap of the maple tree and produced in Canada and the US, mostly on the eastern seaboard. The trees are tapped each year before the sap is boiled down.
As with honey you can’t replicate the taste of maple syrup. While not healthier than white sugar, it’s a very different product. Who wants to eat fluffy pancakes without it?
On the plus side, Thornton-Wood says, it contains tiny amounts of inulin, known to improve gut health.
AGAVE SYRUP £10.60/kg Value for money: 4/10 Many pair agave syrup with tequila - perhaps not a surprise given they come from the same plant. Perhaps a bigger surprise is how heavily processed agave syrup is.
“It’s very high in fructose (84 per cent) and very processed as it is extracted, filtered and heated,” Thornton-Wood explains. “The liver is the only organ in the body that can metabolise fructose, and if it becomes overloaded with large quantities, it increases triglyceride production, risking a fatty liver.”
This makes me feel that keeping agave to the occasional cocktail is the best choice for my health and my wallet.
Prices source: Sainsbury’s, 13/09/2024.