The sugar is extracted from the cane sugar and the sugar beet. The sugar is often hidden in different types of food. We assume that 75% to 80% of the sugar that we consume comes from industrially processed food (canned, cooked). Sugar also appears in unexpected food: in sausage products, pizzas, soyabean sauce, stock cubes or even mayonnaise.
Sugar not only contains many calories, but it also consumes a lot of B-vitamins. These are important for the immune system and for the fat metabolism. Moreover, sugar leads to increased salt acidification in the stomach which irritates the intestine.
Cane syrup is extracted from the sugar cane, it is very sweet, and it has a yellow color.
Raw sugar is a product of the first extraction from the sugar beet or the sugar cane. The raw sugar contains 96% to 99% sucrose. Raw sugar is refined, in order to become white sugar.
Fluid sugar syrup is under the form of clear solution that contains a strongly refined sugar.
White sugar is also named table sugar (also crystal sugar or cube sugar). The white sugar consists of crystals of pure sugar that emerge through refining. It contains 99.9% sucrose.
Powder sugar is powdered white sugar, to which approximately 3% of corn starch is added in order to prevent clumping.
Brown sugar is white sugar to which molasses is added. It has a gold-brown color and contains 91% to 93% sucrose.
Please read the food labels.
Further, we present you alternative sweetening possibilities which contain fruit sugar and therefore they do not charge the intestine and the immune system as much:
Fruit thick juice – this gold-brown syrup is made by drying out very sweet apples and pears. Pears thick juice tastes relatively sweet, apple thick juice is acid-spicy.
Obstkraut – German specialty for bread spread. It is mainly used as a bread spread or as a supplement to potato puree; however, it is also used for baking and spicy sauces.
Frutilose – liquid fruit sugar. This special product is produced from ripe fruits. The mild taste in comparison to the thick fruit juices relays on the fact that the fruit acids were removed in a special procedure.
Thick agaves juice – is made out of agaves and consists up to 90% of fruit sugar; it is a highly recommended sweetening agent but it is to be used sparingly.
Maple syrup – thickened juice of maple trees. According to the moment of the harvest, there are different qualities of the maple syrup: the “dewy” one, harvested in the first harvest days, has a very mild taste and denominated as “A” degree. The maples that are harvested later are accordingly labelled as “B”, “C” or “D” degree and have a sharper taste. Because of the high concentration of liquid in the maple syrup, this can get rapidly tainted and it is advised to store it in a cool place after opening. Because of its caramel-like taste, it is suited for mild desserts of all type, but it would be a waste to use for baking.