Is This Sugar Actually a Health Food in Disguise?

It’s happening.

Christmas cookies have begun to flood the office kitchen.

Between holiday parties, gifts from clients, and Christmas baking, December and January can be the most sugar-loaded months of the year.

And that can be OK, really! Indulging in sugar occasionally is typically not a problem for most people.

But when it becomes a daily habit, it can lead to not only weight gain, but serious nutrient deficiencies.

You already know that sugar is a source of empty calories. But what you may not know is that sugar consumption actually causes nutrient loss in our bodies.

It does this one of two ways.

First, it reduces our ability to absorb other nutrients. Fructose, for example, can decrease the expression of an enzyme that helps us synthesize vitamin D from the sun.

The absorption of vitamin C can also be reduced from a high-sugar diet. Both glucose and vitamin C use the same receptors to enter our cells, so when too much glucose is present, it will limit the amount of vitamin C that is absorbed.

Inadequate levels of vitamin C can eventually lead to decreased immune function. This may be why research has shown just 100 grams of sugar can decrease immune function by up to 50%![1]

(Interestingly, in this study, they measured the effects of pure glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, and orange juice on immune function. All decreased immune function significantly for up to five hours after ingestion. So if you’ve been chugging orange juice to combat a cold, you may want to rethink that.)

The second way sugar causes micronutrient deficiency is by causing our bodies to rapidly lose certain nutrients. It increases the degradation of vitamin D and increases the excretion of calcium, magnesium, and chromium.

Magnesium and chromium are important for insulin response and blood sugar control. So a loss of these minerals can lead to a downward spiral of high blood sugar and increased sugar cravings, leading to even more nutrient loss.

There is one sweetener, however, that is so nutrient dense that not only can it help combat some of these nutrient deficiencies, but one could actually consider it a health food: blackstrap molasses.

Molasses is created during the sugar refining process. As sugar cane or sugar beets are boiled, the sugar crystals condense and are able to be extracted. That’s the white stuff you can buy in paper bags at the grocery store. All of the vitamins and minerals from the plant remain in what’s left over: the molasses.

There are three types of molasses. The variations depend on how many times the cane or beets have been boiled. The first round of boiling creates light molasses, the second creates dark molasses, and the third round creates blackstrap molasses, the thicker, darker, most nutrient-dense type.

In fact, look at how many minerals (and a few vitamins) are packed into just one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses:

So even though you won’t get any vitamin C or D from molasses, you can see it is still a powerhouse of other minerals that are depleted with sugar consumption.

Blackstrap molasses has slightly fewer calories compared with table sugar (42 versus 48 per tablespoon), but it has a much lower glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) is measure of a food’s ability to rapidly increase blood sugar — the higher the GI, the faster and higher the spike in blood sugar.

Pure glucose has the highest GI, at 100. Refined table sugar has a GI of 80, and molasses has a GI of 55, indicating it has a lesser effect on blood sugar levels.

So if you’re going to indulge in a sweetened treat, try using blackstrap molasses! While all added sugars should be consumed in moderation, this is one sweetener you can actually feel good about using.

Most grocery stores should carry blackstrap molasses, and you can buy it on Amazon here. Make sure you buy the unsulphured variety; this means the product has not been processed with sulfur dioxide, which can be allergenic to people with sulfite sensitivities. Sulphur dioxide also gives the molasses a more chemical taste.

Though it does has a strong flavor, this refined-sugar substitute is surprisingly versatile. Aside from making traditional molasses cookies, there are a plethora of recipes on the Web for grain-free paleo versions, like these ginger snap cookies made with almond flour.

You can also use it in meat dishes like pulled pork spareribs, pork sausage, and Korean beef, or make your own blackstrap BBQ sauce.

Or maybe try making this paleo molasses sweet potato casserole for your next holiday meal. There’s also a version of pomegranate-infused molasses used in a tasty-looking glazed salmon recipe.

To eating well,

Jasmine LeMaster
Health Researcher

P.S. In case you missed them, check out these Living Well Daily articles on the sugar alternatives xylitol (here) and stevia (here, here, and here).

View More Free Articles

Unlock Cinnamon’s Sugar-Taming Secret

The sweet and spicy aroma of cinnamon conjures up fond memories of holiday baking. Or perhaps eating a delicious hot steaming bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter morning comes to mind. But the truth is, cinnamon offers so much MORE than flavor alone. In fact, anyone carrying around some extra weight… or who has...

Read This

Persistent Nerve Pain Relief [NATURAL!]

For all my Irish readers, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope you’re able to enjoy a fun celebration today. But, if you’re one of the many folks dealing with burning, shooting, or tingling neuropathic pain that never goes away, celebrating is likely the LAST thing on your mind. Neuropathic pain happens when something goes wrong...

Read This

“Kitchen Cure” Cracks Prostate Cancer Code

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men… and the leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. That’s the BAD news. The GOOD news is that prostate cancer typically grows very slowly. In fact, it’s why many men and their doctors opt for “watchful waiting.” During watchful waiting,...

Read This

Mood-Boosting “Monkey Fruit” Drives Away the Blues

Unmotivated, gloomy, melancholy, feeling blah, or down in the dumps. There are countless ways to describe the unwelcome combo of low energy and dark mood that strikes the best of us from time to time. It’s not quite depression, but it still manages to drain the color and joy out of life. However, I’ve discovered...

Read This

Unlock the Power of “Healthspan”

Eat more vegetables! Exercise for 30 minutes daily! Get eight hours of sleep! If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times. And as a Living Well Daily reader, you already know I’m a fan of taking simple steps to improve your health. However, a patient sat in front of me the other...

Read This

Outsmart Damaging “Zombie Cells” (4-Step Protocol)

Everyone gets a bit grouchy at times. I know I sure as heck do. But even on your worst curmudgeon days, your grumpiness pales in comparison to the bad attitude of a certain aging cell hiding out in your body right now. They’re often referred to as “zombies.” But their technical name is senescent cells....

Read This

Mailbag: Itchy Ears? THIS Could Be the Cause

“Is it normal for my ears to feel itchy when I eat certain foods?” — Joe Hi Joe, A condition called mouth allergy syndrome causes lips, mouth, tongue, and throat swelling in those who have it when they eat certain foods. Some of these folks also experience itchy ears. Tree nuts, veggies, and fruits are...

Read This

Slash Stroke Risk Over 15% with ONE Nutrient

Every 40 seconds, a stroke strikes someone in the United States. When it happens, lives change instantly. The ability to move, speak, and think can disappear in moments. But what if simple nutrition… a minor dietary tweak… could slash your stroke risk? Exciting new research reveals that could be the case. So, let’s take a...

Read This

Ancient Practice TAMES Blood Pressure

Like an invisible thief in the night, high blood pressure sneaks up on you, stealing your health one day at a time. Left unchecked, this “silent killer” sets the stage for a catastrophe—sending your risk for heart attack, stroke, dementia, kidney failure, and blindness soaring. This preventable condition claims over half a million lives every...

Read This

Snacking on “Fat Bombs” Drops Disease Risk 67%

Repeat after me, “Fat is NOT my foe.” As I’ve explained before (including earlier this week), eating fat is not only safe, it’s NECESSARY. Besides, there are FAR bigger problems with most folk’s diets than saturated fats, including added sugars, preservatives, emulsifiers, and artificial colors. Now, new research from Vanderbilt University Medical Center puts yet...

Read This