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Types of Sugar and the Glycemic Level

When it comes to eating healthy many people are looking to the glycemic index as a way to help them eat right by choosing foods that are healthy and will help fuel the body. There are three basic types of sugars that are available in most foods and their ratings in the glycemic index are very different.

  1. Glycemic Index Meaning

    • Scientists at Stanford University developed the glycemic index in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It ranks foods on how the carbohydrates impact the levels of glucose in the blood. Foods lower in the index tend to be better for you, while foods higher on the index provide the highest effect on blood sugar but have little benefit to the body. The glycemic index is important because blood sugar levels are related to insulin. If a food causes the body to create large amounts of insulin, which could lead to explained weight gain or loss.

    Brown Sugar

    • Brown sugar comes in a varieties and strengths of flavor. Unlike white sugar, brown sugar is infused with molasses, which gives it a unique texture, flavor and color. Lighter brown sugars are in cooking and they give butterscotch and other candies their color. Darker brown sugars go in dishes such as mincemeat and baked beans. This sugar is also likely to clump more than other sugars because it retains more moisture. Whole brown sugar has a rating of about 70 on the index.

    Liquid Sugar

    • Liquid sugar is white sugar that has been dissolved in water before use or invert sugar, which is generally sweeter than standard white sugar. Corn syrup is an example of a liquid sugar and it tends to be higher on the glycemic index. Liquid sugars rate the highest on the index with levels around 100 to 115.

    White Sugar

    • White sugar makes up the majority of sugar used in baking and is in the forms of granulated sugar, baker's sugar, powdered sugar, coarse and sanding sugar. Some varieties are only available to bakers and confectioners and the standard customer can't find them in the supermarket. White sugars have the least effect on the blood sugar and rate around 60 to 65 on the index.

      Fruit sugar is a particular type of white sugar that is finer than standard sugar. It is this type of sugar that is in gelatins and powdered drinks. The superfine variety of white sugar appears in textured cakes and meringues as well as drinks because it's easy to dissolve.

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