Brown sugar vs. Maple sugar — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Summary

Both brown and maple sugars are primarily carbs; however, maple sugar is comparably lower in carbs.

Maple sugar is richer in iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium,  manganese, and copper and lower in sodium, while brown sugar is richer in phosphorus and selenium.

Adequate intake of brown and maple sugars may benefit health, whereas long-term overconsumption may lead to caries, diabetes, and other health problems.

Introduction

Brown sugar is a sugar product that contains molasses. It can be natural and commercial. Natural brown sugar or raw sugar is unrefined or partially refined sugar with some molasses content, whereas commercial brown sugar is made by adding molasses to refined white sugar.

Maple sugar is a sweetener made from the sap of the maple tree. Maple sugar and syrup are made from boiling maple sap; however, to make maple sugar, the boiling process lasts until all the water is boiled away and only solid sugar is left.

Nutrition

The nutritional values in this article are presented for maple sugar and brown sugar.

Macronutrients and Calories

The maple and brown sugars are primarily carbohydrates, with insignificant proteins and fats. The carb content in maple and brown sugars is 91% and 98%, respectively.

The average serving size of sugars is one teaspoon, which is ~3g. 

Calories

A 100g of maple sugar provides 354 calories, whereas a 100g of brown sugar provides 380 calories; hence, one teaspoon of maple sugar provides 10.6 calories, whereas brown sugar (brownulated) provides 12.2 calories.

Protein & Fats

Brown and maple sugars contain less than 1g of protein and fats.

Carbohydrates

Brown and maple sugars are primarily carbs.

Maple sugar contains 90.9g of carbs, while brown sugar contains 98.09g of carbs. Sucrose (sugar) accounts for over 90% of carbs.

Vitamins & Minerals

Maple and brown sugars are either absent or very low in vitamins.

When comparing the mineral contents, maple sugar is the winner in this category. Maple sugar is richer in iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and copper and lower in sodium, while brown sugar is richer in phosphorus and selenium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Brown sugar

2

Maple sugar

7

Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+33.3%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+50%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+111.1%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+106%
Contains more IronIron	+126.8%
Contains more CopperCopper	+110.6%
Contains more ZincZinc	+20100%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-60.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+6809.4%

~equal in Calcium ~90mg

Glycemic Index & Insulin Index

Brown sugar has a glycemic index value of 71±5 and an insulin index of 83. 

Detailed information about brown sugar’s glycemic index is provided on our “Brown Sugar” page.

There is no calculated glycemic or insulin index value of maple sugar; however, maple syrup is calculated to have a glycemic index value of 54±6 (1).

Acidity

Sugars have a neutral pH value; however, after appearing in the organism and being digested, they decrease the pH of the host's saliva. 

Health Impact

Both maple and brown sugars contain varying levels of phytochemicals with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties (2, 3, 4).

Potential Health Benefits of Brown Sugar

• Menstrual cramps: Brown sugar tea is used in several East Asian countries to relieve menstrual pain. Adding ginger to the tea may more effectively relieve the pain (5, 6).
• Weight loss: Brown sugar is rumored to boost metabolism and satiety, but no studies support this claim.
• Constipation: Brown sugar sometimes is used to relieve constipation. By elevating the sympathetic nervous system’s activity, brown sugar (added to water) may help during functional constipation in babies and children; however, it’s unclear whether it works for adults, too (7, 8).
• Asthma: Brown sugar is known in traditional medicine to help alleviate asthma symptoms; this is not science-backed. 

Potential Health Benefits of Maple Sugar

• Cancer: Maple syrup is studied to have anti-cancer properties. One study suggests maple syrup may inhibit cancer cell proliferation and be used as a phytomedicine for gastrointestinal cancer treatment (9).
• Liver Disease: Several animal studies demonstrate a potential protective role of maple syrup antioxidants on liver cells during liver injury (10, 11, 12).
• Prebiotic effect: Inulin is a prebiotic found in maple sugar. Prebiotics are food ingredients that beneficially affect the host’s microbiota by selectively stimulating the growth of probiotic bacteria (13, 14).
• Interaction with antibiotics: One study has found strong synergistic interaction between maple syrup extract and two antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and carbenicillin. The maple syrup extract has also repressed antibiotic resistance genes, biofilm formation, and bacterial virulence (15).

Moderation is key. Overconsumption of free sugars (recommended = less than 7%, maximum = 10% of total calorie intake) will likely cause adverse health effects (16, 17).

Any sugars added to foods and drinks, such as sweetened beverages, ice cream, milkshakes, flavored yogurts, desserts, cookies, and sweet snacks, are added sugars.

Potential Downsides And Risks of Added Sugars

• Dental caries: Sugar intake is a significant risk factor for dental caries (tooth decay) and enamel erosion. The main influencing factors for dental caries are the bacterial digestion of sugar, the presence of acidogenic bacteria in teeth plaque, and the ability of fluoride and saliva to counteract bacteria and acids (18, 19).
• Depression: Long-term overconsumption of added sugars leads to disturbed metabolic, inflammatory, and neurobiological processes, which play a role in the development of depression. Lower intake of added sugars may be beneficial for psychological health (20, 21, 22, 23, 24).
• Metabolic syndrome: Overconsumption of sugar is associated with the development of the metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of conditions: obesity (abdominal or general), high triglycerides and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. The mentioned conditions are risk factors for fatty liver, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (25, 26, 27, 28).
• Acne: Milk, sugary foods, and drinks are known to cause acne. In high-sugar diets, serum insulin and IGF-1 are elevated, leading to increased androgen production and subsequent acne development (29, 30, 31).

Sources.

1. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/114/5/1625/6320814 
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34180070/ 
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19103324
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17938552/ 
5. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e026813
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23729340/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35963416/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638847/pdf/brmedj00505-0043.pdf 
9. https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/br.2017.910
10. https://academic.oup.com/bbb/article/75/12/2408/5949935
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31945627/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29091708/
13. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281093744
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27612524/
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4421064/ 
16. Sugar: the facts - NHS
17. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31940627/
19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4802044/
20. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30951762/ 
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9323357/ 
22. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31634771/ 
23. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30419536/ 
24. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28751637/ 
25. https://e-jla.org/pdf/10.12997/jla.2022.11.1.20
26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4822166/ 
27. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6769797/
28. https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/162/1/36/4585010
29. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21034984/
30. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32520303/
31. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34806756/