Is Sugar Natural?

SUGAR IS IT REAL FOOD?

There are so many options when it comes to sweetening. Recently, calorie free artificial sweeteners have been realized for what they are artificial & cancer causing. Many have made the switch to more natural calorie dilute sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit, etc. which reduces carcinogenic consumption. However, they are shown to stimulate appetite. Studies show people who choose low calorie sweeteners, even natural options, make up for those calories through out the day. Armed with the above information one could conclude just go for the real sugar. Well, keep reading ’cause – There is nothing “real” or more properly stated natural in sugar production.

Benefits of Whole Plant Form of Sugarcane

This highly processed food does originate from sugarcane plant. Approximately 75% of the worlds sugar production is derived from sugarcane; the remaining is sugar beet. 

Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum) is a tall bamboo looking fibrous plant that can be juiced or chewed on when found fresh.  Fresh just cut sugarcane contains a wealth of:

• Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium (some of these minerals would be responsible for strengthening bones and your teeth’s enamel).
• One of the most prominent alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic acid, in sugarcane helps to maintain the radiance of the skin (reduces blemishes, delays aging and keeps the skin supple).
• In fact, there is enough vitamin C and plant goodness in its perennial grass form to be considered an antioxidant immune system strengthener when consumed fresh.

HOWEVER, VERY LITTLE OF THE WESTERN WORLD USES THE PLANT FORM OF SUGARCANE. Sugarcane is consumed mostly in an ultra processed nutrient depleted form: table sugar. (Read What’s the Big Deal about Processed Food Here.)

How Table Sugar is Made

SUGAR PRODUCTION IS A VERY ENERGY INTENSIVE PROCESS THAT INVOLVES:

1. Processing sugarcane (or sugar beet) into raw sugar by: extract raw juice, heating, liming addition and clarification to remove proteins and colloidal matter 
2. Processing the raw sugar into refined sugar cane by: extracting polysaccharides, lignins, proteins, starches, gums, waxes, and others that contribute color and/or taste to the crystalline product.

CRUSH THIS!

Sugar cane is cut at base of the plant by machine and placed into transport truck that follows along beside harvester. Trucks are unloaded at the mill onto a conveyor that leads the sugarcane plants into 2 separate washes. The cleaned hard plant structure is cut / broken down into small pieces and conveyed to large extruding cylinders designed to mill and extract juice from crushed cane. Strained juice is carried away and collected into a new vault.

CLEANING

Thickeners are added to help further refine and juice is strained again. Juice is continued through a sulphur dioxide chamber, a bleaching process called sulphurtation, and further down the line collected into a lime bath to change the sugar juice’s pH. The agitating lime bath lasts for up to 6 hours until mixture is alkalized. The juice color has now changed from brown to yellow and is carried to clarifying tanks. In a two hour period of time heavy sediment called sludge is allowed to sink to the bottom. The clarified juice comes to the top. There has been an addition of lime, carbon dioxide, or sulphite before evaporation and crystilzation.

CONCENTRATING

Boiling tanks receive juice to start an evaporation process to increase concentration of sugar from 15% to about 60%. Then, concentrated juice collects into large tanks to clarify even more! This time the top of the juice is skimmed off with a rotating paddle pushing foaming “waste” off the sides of the tank. 

CRYSTALIIZATION

The juice is now a brown syrup and sucrose crystals swimming in alcohol are poured into the syrup. This party solution helps to draw out the shy sugar crystals from the syrup.  Again, sent to boil. This time in a vacuumed system, water and syrup are boiled away to form sugar crystals. The finished product is a thick brown crystalized paste that is sent to a high speed centrifugal force (think spinning amusement park ride) tank. The sugar crystals are separated from uncrystalized syrup here. The super-fast spinner holds crystals inside an inner basket as molasses flows to outer portion of cylinder. The remaining crystals are washed with water and then water is drawn out much like a drying spin cycle of a washing machine. Conveyor belt carries crystals, what is known as raw sugar, out of centrifuge. Raw sugar is tan in color, has more molasses and is unbleached. Table sugar is mostly void of molasses and has undergone a further bleaching process to create brilliant bright white crystals many know and love. “Raw” or “bleached” crystals are finally conveyed to a dryer that rolls crystals about, this time like clothes dryer, until standard table sugar dryness is reached and ready for package. An average sugar mill will make over 400 tons of sugar a day!

SUGARCANE PLANT LEFTOVERS

Sugarcane Pulp: After Sugar and Juice are Extracted. Cane sugar is produced by extracting sugar from crushed cane. The remaining pulp called bagasse can be used as fuel or manufactured into paper or cardboard.

Solutions/ Alternatives

ALSO PROCESSSED BUT WORTH MENTIONING

Stevia leaf, monk fruit, and erythritol, although go through a lengthy transformation as well, are nearly calorie and carbohydrate free. Stevia, monk, and erythritol do not cause the insulin spike beet and cane sugars produce. Keto interested and diabetics can use; they have a low glycemic index. Best part of these traditional sugar alternatives: they do not show cancer causation (pink, yellow, and blue sweeteners do)! It is worth noting however that recent studies have shown these sugars stimulate appetite and therefor individuals tend to make up those calories later in the day. 

SLIGHTLY PROCESSED SWEETENERS

Exploited bee’s spit or better known as Honey and tree ooze AKA Maple Syrup are some popular less processed sweeteners and easy to use with a little creativity. 

NEARLY UNPROCESSED / AKA NATURAL

Spotted bananas frozen and blended into Nice Cream (try it it is a surprisingly delicious soft serve like dessert). Soft caramel-ly medjool dates can be used as a dessert vehicle for nut butter, or rolled with coconut for a natural confection. Crushed apples with a dash of cinnamon make an incredible addition to oats and whole grains. Use your imagination; Fruit is plentiful in the States (other countries too) and wildly sweet!

EAT REAL FOOD IT IS GOOD FOR YOU!