We’re not gonna lie: we love sweet things. When we formulated our recipe for VerMints back in 2000, we knew we weren’t going to add sugar (even though it tastes so good), so we had to research other options. And, boy, did we research. As a result, we’re fairly knowledgeable about sugars and sweeteners. If there was a Jeopardy category called Sugar n’ Spice, we’d win the Daily Double. Guaranteed.
Our primary sweetener is Organic Evaporated Cane Juice that comes directly from the stalks of organically-grown sugar cane plants. And we think it stacks up nicely against its unhealthier sugar sister: Refined White Sugar.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
Nutritionally, sugar is sugar. Which means, the nutritional values of both refined white sugar and cane sugar are quite similar: Refined white sugar has 16 calories and 4g of carbs per tsp; cane sugar has 15 calories and 4g of carbs. Neither are rich in nutrients. It is sugar, after all.
That said, organic cane sugar is much less processed than refined white sugar. Which means, the few nutrients that sugar does have – like riboflavin – stays intact.
ORGANIC = AWESOME
Although both sugars share a similar nutritional profile, going organic and less processed with evaporated cane sugar does have some other benefits:
1. No pesticides.
Refined white sugar is grown with pesticides; organic cane sugar is not. So, it’s kind of a no-brainer.
2. Environmental love.
Choosing organic cane sugar over refined white sugar means you’re choosing to support farming practices that reduce pollution, decrease water waste, and reduce soil erosion. The planet thanks you.
3. Physiological goodness.
That’s a big fancy way of saying that the oligosaccharides that are extracted from sugar cane have been shown to significantly increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Which is an even fancier way of saying: looks like sugar cane has the potential to give the immune system a boost.
Want to know more about sugar? Go to The Truth About Sugar. And please put down that chocolate bar.
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