Sugar, as one of the seasonings, brings great benefits to our diet, but the effects of various sugars cannot be generalized. When used well, sugar can have healthy effects, but when used poorly, it can have the opposite effect.
When using sugar for seasoning and pairing with food, the first thing to master is the warming and cooling nature of sugars to determine when to use which one.
I. Rock sugar moistens the lungs and clears heat:
Unlike brown sugar, rock sugar is cooling in nature. If brown sugar is used for a cold due to wind-cold, then rock sugar is for a cold due to wind-heat.
Brown sugar is suitable for consumption in summer and winter, while rock sugar is suitable for spring and autumn. In spring, as the weather begins to slowly warm up, many people are prone to coughing, inflammation, and dry coughs. For a dry cough without phlegm, rock sugar can be used. It can clear heat and moisten the lungs, eliminating lung heat.
We have more opportunities to use rock sugar than brown sugar in spring. If you usually drink brown sugar water, you can reduce the amount appropriately in spring, because brown sugar is warming and may cause inflammation.
II. White sugar detoxifies and treats acute conditions:
White sugar is the most common seasoning we use daily. However, because it is refined, its nutritional content is relatively reduced, and its main role is for seasoning. Moreover, white sugar contains a large amount of sugar, and eating too much can affect health.
Sometimes we also use white sugar in dietary health care because it has a certain effect of moistening the lungs and clearing lung heat. However, rock sugar is more effective for clearing lung heat, so it is the first choice for stewing soups.
Drinking white sugar water can also neutralize the toxins from fish and shrimp. For example, when eating crabs, brown sugar should not be used. Because crabs are cooling in nature, and brown sugar conflicts with them. Therefore, after eating crabs, it is recommended to drink a bowl of ginger and sugar water.
We are accustomed to using white sugar in cooking for two reasons: it dissolves quickly, and brown sugar is not suitable for long cooking.
However, white sugar is an acidic food. After consumption, it makes our blood more acidic. The human body needs to be in a slightly alkaline state to maintain health. If the blood is consistently acidic, toxins will accumulate in our bodies. Therefore, when using white sugar, try to control the amount to be healthier.
III. Brown sugar nourishes blood and invigorates blood circulation:
Although it is not a refined sugar, do not consider it inferior. Brown sugar is a great thing, and women are generally familiar with it for nourishing blood and qi. Women must drink brown sugar water after childbirth; it not only nourishes blood and qi but also helps expel lochia. Additionally, it is indispensable for treating colds due to wind-cold and for regulating a weak spleen and stomach.
Women want to nourish their blood, but sometimes expensive blood-tonic medicines are not effective because the method is wrong. Simply supplementing is not enough; old stagnant blood must be cleared to make way for new blood. Therefore, it is very beneficial for women to eat more brown sugar regularly, as it both nourishes and invigorates the blood, improving complexion. Moreover, brown sugar is a warming substance and can be used to treat all kinds of cooling-related diseases.
Brown sugar is not exclusive to women. It also has a tonic effect on people with a weak constitution and the elderly. Brown sugar is rich in nutrients and has a lower sugar content. Among white, brown, and rock sugar, if you use the same amount, brown sugar has the least sugar because it is unrefined, containing only 95% sugar, with the rest being minerals and vitamins.
Regarding the contraindications of brown sugar, it is warming in nature. People with a "heat" constitution should use it with caution, as eating too much can easily cause damp-heat. Children are also not suitable for eating too much brown sugar. Among the four seasons, it should be eaten less in spring.