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Sugar vs. Butter — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Significant differences between sugar and butter

  • The amount of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B12, vitamin K, and monounsaturated fat in butter is higher than in sugar.
  • Butter covers your daily saturated fat needs 252% more than sugar.
  • Sugar has a higher glycemic index. The glycemic index of sugar is 65, while the glycemic index of butter is 0.

Specific food types used in this comparison are Sugars, granulated and Butter, without salt.

Infographic

Sugar vs Butter infographic
Infographic link

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.
Sugar
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 0% 0.3% 0.18% 1.9% 2.3% 0.27% 0% 0.13% 0.52% 3.3%
Butter
7
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 1.4% 7.2% 2.1% 0.75% 5.3% 2.5% 10% 1.4% 0.52% 5.5%
Contains more IronIron +150%
Contains less SodiumSodium -90.9%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +2300%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +1100%
Contains more CopperCopper +128.6%
Contains more ZincZinc +800%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +∞%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +66.7%
~equal in Manganese ~0.004mg

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins 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.
Sugar
0
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4.4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Butter
11
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 228% 46% 0% 1.3% 7.8% 0.79% 6.6% 0.69% 21% 18% 2.3% 10%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +78.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Sugar
1
100%
Protein: 0 g
Fats: 0 g
Carbs: 99.98 g
Water: 0.02 g
Other: 0 g
Butter
4
81% 18%
Protein: 0.85 g
Fats: 81.11 g
Carbs: 0.06 g
Water: 17.94 g
Other: 0.04 g
Contains more CarbsCarbs +166533.3%
Contains more ProteinProtein +∞%
Contains more FatsFats +∞%
Contains more WaterWater +89600%
Contains more OtherOther +∞%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Sugar Butter
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Sugar Butter DV% diff.
Saturated fat 0g 50.489g 229%
Fats 0g 81.11g 125%
Vitamin A 0µg 684µg 76%
Cholesterol 0mg 215mg 72%
Monounsaturated fat 0g 23.43g 59%
Carbs 99.98g 0.06g 33%
Polyunsaturated fat 0g 3.01g 20%
Calories 387kcal 717kcal 17%
Vitamin E 0mg 2.32mg 15%
Vitamin B12 0µg 0.17µg 7%
Vitamin K 0µg 7µg 6%
Choline 0mg 18.8mg 3%
Phosphorus 0mg 24mg 3%
Calcium 1mg 24mg 2%
Vitamin B5 0mg 0.11mg 2%
Protein 0g 0.85g 2%
Potassium 2mg 24mg 1%
Vitamin B2 0.019mg 0.034mg 1%
Folate 0µg 3µg 1%
Selenium 0.6µg 1µg 1%
Copper 0.007mg 0.016mg 1%
Zinc 0.01mg 0.09mg 1%
Net carbs 99.98g 0.06g N/A
Magnesium 0mg 2mg 0%
Iron 0.05mg 0.02mg 0%
Sugar 99.8g 0.06g N/A
Sodium 1mg 11mg 0%
Manganese 0.004mg 0.004mg 0%
Vitamin B1 0mg 0.005mg 0%
Vitamin B3 0mg 0.042mg 0%
Vitamin B6 0mg 0.003mg 0%
Tryptophan 0.012mg 0%
Threonine 0.038mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.051mg 0%
Leucine 0.083mg 0%
Lysine 0.067mg 0%
Methionine 0.021mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.041mg 0%
Valine 0.057mg 0%
Histidine 0.023mg 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.315g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 2.166g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Sugar Butter
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
0%
Sugar
26%
Butter
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
1%
Sugar
4%
Butter

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Sugar
Sugar is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 215mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Sugar
Sugar contains less Sodium (difference - 10mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Sugar
Sugar is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 50.489g)
Which food is cheaper?
Sugar
Sugar is cheaper (difference - $1.5)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Butter
Butter is lower in Sugar (difference - 99.74g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Butter
Butter is lower in glycemic index (difference - 65)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Butter
Butter is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Butter
Butter is relatively richer in vitamins

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Sugar - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169655/nutrients
  2. Butter - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173430/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.