- Main health benefits
- How to make homemade cane molasses
- Other natural sugars
- Other natural and artificial sweeteners
Cane molasses is a natural sweetener that can be used to replace sugar, bringing more advantages, especially because it contains more nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and iron. As for the amount of calories, cane molasses has fewer calories per 100 grams due to the presence of fibers, however, one should not abuse the amount, as it can also put on weight.
Molasses is a syrup produced from the evaporation of sugarcane juice or during the production of rapadura, and has a strong sweetening power.
Main health benefits
Due to its nutrients, cane molasses can bring the following health benefits:
- Prevent and combat anemia, as it is rich in iron; Help maintain bone health and prevent osteoporosis, as it contains calcium; Help to relax and control the pressure, due to its magnesium content; Favor muscle contraction, as it contains phosphorus and potassium; Strengthen the immune system, as it contains zinc.
Despite the benefits, molasses is still a type of sugar and should be consumed in moderation, it is important to remember that it is not a good option in cases of diabetes or kidney disease. See also the benefits of rapadura and the care that should be taken with its consumption.
How to make homemade cane molasses
The cane molasses is made through a very long process, in which the cane juice is cooked and slowly boiled in a pan without a lid for several hours until it forms a more concentrated mixture. To obtain the best results, the pH of the mixture must be kept at 4, and it may be necessary to add lemon to acidify the mixture.
In addition, during the process it is also important to remove the impurities that accumulate on top of the broth in the form of foam.
When the molasses is thicker and bubbling, wait until it reaches 110ºC and then remove it from the heat. Finally, the molasses needs to be strained and placed in glass containers, where after being covered, it must be stored with the lid facing down until cool.
Other natural sugars
Other natural sugar options that can replace white table sugar are brown sugar and demerara, which are also derived from sugar cane, coconut sugar and honey. See all the benefits of honey.
The following table provides nutritional information for 100 g of each type of sugar:
| Sugar | Energy | Iron | Calcium | Magnesium |
| Crystal | 387 kcal | 0.2 mg | 8 mg | 1 mg |
| Brown and Demerara | 369 kcal | 8.3 mg | 127 mg | 80 mg |
| Honey | 309 kcal | 0.3 mg | 10 mg | 6 mg |
| Honeydew | 297 kcal | 5.4 mg | 102 mg | 115 mg |
| Coconut sugar | 380 kcal | - | 8 mg | 29 mg |
It is important to remember that all types of sugars, even natural and organic, should be consumed in moderation, as their excess can cause problems such as high triglycerides, high cholesterol, diabetes and liver fat.
Other natural and artificial sweeteners
Sweeteners are zero or low calorie options that can be used to replace sugar, help you lose weight and control diseases like diabetes. There are artificial sweeteners, such as Monosodium Cyclamate, Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium and Sucralose, and sweeteners from natural sources, such as Stevia, Thaumatin and Xylitol.
See the table below for the amount of calories and the sweetening power of these substances:
| Sweetener | Type | Energy (kcal / g) | Sweetening power |
| Acesulfame K | artificial | 0 | 200 times more than sugar |
| Aspartame | artificial | 4 | 200 times more than sugar |
| Cyclamate | artificial | 0 | 40 times more than sugar |
| Saccharin | artificial | 0 | 300 times more than sugar |
| Sucralose | artificial | 0 | 600 to 800 times more than sugar |
| Stevia | Natural | 0 | 300 times more than sugar |
| Sorbitol | Natural | 4 | half the power of sugar |
| Xylitol | Natural | 2.5 | same sugar power |
| Thaumatin | Natural | 0 | 3000 times more than sugar |
| Erythritol | Natural | 0.2 | has 70% of the sweetness of sugar |
As some artificial sweeteners can be linked to health problems such as headaches, nausea, changes in the intestinal flora and even the appearance of cancer, the ideal is the use of natural sweeteners. See How to use Stevia to replace sugar.
In addition, in cases of high blood pressure and kidney failure, attention should be paid to the sodium content of sweeteners, and it is important to remember that patients with kidney failure should avoid using Acesulfame Potassium, as they usually need to reduce potassium consumption in diet. Know the health risks of Aspartame.
