The folk saying goes that sugar is as sweet as sand and as cool as lime. Lime is often said to be cool and not ‘hot’ like white sugar. However, according to experts, the belief that lime sugar is better and cooler than white sand sugar is unfounded.
Eating a lot of lime sugar still poses the same risks as using white sand sugar. Associate Professor – Doctor – Doctor Lam Vinh Nien, Head of Nutrition and Dietetics Department, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, shares that the chemical nature of lime sugar is saccharose (sucrose), which is completely identical to white sand sugar. Lime sugar is made from a sugar and water solution, so it is more diluted than sand sugar, giving a feeling of “coolness”. However, if you eat a lot of lime sugar, the total amount of sugar entering your body can still be high.
Therefore, there is no scientific research that shows that lime sugar is healthier than white sand sugar. Lime sugar only provides saccharose without any significant vitamins or minerals. The amount of lime sugar eaten in a day should also be limited in the same way as sand sugar. According to the American Heart Association, women should not consume more than 100 calories from added sugar in food and drinks each day (equivalent to 25 grams of sugar), and for men, it should not exceed 150 calories (38 grams of sugar).
Does using fructose sugar increase blood sugar levels like sand sugar?
Many pastries and candies are sweetened with fructose-rich corn syrup, so many people believe it is safer than sand sugar. However, fructose is still converted to glucose in the body, so it still affects blood sugar and the total energy intake of the body throughout the day.
Therefore, using lime sugar or processed foods with high fructose sugar still has the same harmful effects as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, tooth decay…similar to using white sand sugar. Eating too much sugar also increases the risk of fat accumulation.
Therefore, you should not abuse any type of sugar, including lime sugar.
The nature of lime sugar is to cook sand sugar with some ingredients such as eggs, water, lime to reduce the sweetness. After cooking to near dryness, put it in a container and let it naturally crystallize for 10 – 12 days. So lime sugar actually still affects your blood sugar levels, but when used, its taste is sweet and mild, so it is often used to make sweet soup, prepare syrup, soak fruits…