Honey, molasses, brown sugar, and maple syrup


Although these simple sugars are considered by many people to be “less refined,” they are highly concentrated forms of simple sugars (close to 100 percent sugar), and as such will not be included as sweeteners in this blogs. For example,honey is 75 percent sucrose and 25 percent fructose.
Although honey does contain some of the nutrients phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, the amounts are so minute that a person would need to consume more than sixteen cups of honey per day in order to fulfill her daily phosphorus requirement, more than five cups for potassium, and more than twelve cups for calcium! One cup of honey has about 990 calories, a  cup of sucrose (table sugar) has about 750 calories. A study at Oregon State University demonstrated that some honeys may carry carcinogens in the substances bees have extracted from the flowers. Additionally, honey should not be served to children under one year because it may contain spores of bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which is harmless to adults but can cause botulism in infants.
Molasses is the liquid refined from sugar cane or beet juice, after the crystals of sucrose have been removed. It contains serveral simple sugars, as well as water and a few nutrients at levels that may be considered significant. Since it is a refined form of concentrated sugars, I don't consider it a healthy or necessary alternative for children.
Maple syrup is simply concentrated liquid sugar from maple trees. Brown sugar is table sugar (sucrose) with a bit of molasses added for colore and flavor. Neither has any significant nutritional value other than calories.

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