Written By: Gloria Tsang, RD
Title: Founding Registered Dietitian
Alumni: University of British Columbia
Last Updated on:
Is Brown Rice Syrup Healthier Than Sugar?
Here we go again. Two years ago it was agave nectar; now it’s brown rice syrup. As I have been seeing more and more questions on this hot sugar substitute on our Facebook page, I knew I should write up a proper piece to answer these concerns.
Table of Contents
Nutrition Data for Brown Rice Syrup
Also known as rice malt syrup, brown rice syrup is made with whole grain rice subjected to an enzymatic reaction. This process breaks down the starches in the rice, and the simpler sugar (maltose and maltotriose) is separated in liquid format. This liquid is then boiled down into syrup.
- Calories per Tbsp: 75
- Glycemic Index: 98 (High)
- Gluten Free? Yes
- Vegan? Yes
Our Facebook fans often ask if brown rice syrup is healthier than white sugar. I feel that it’s not a fair comparison: one is a liquid and the other is crystal. But I still have to answer the question, so here is the comparison. Contrary to popular belief, brown rice syrup’s glycemic index is actually higher than that of table sugar. Brown rice syrup also provides more calories than white sugar (75 vs. 42 per tablespoon). As brown rice syrup is not as sweet as sugar, fans have told us that they often substitute 1.25 cups brown rice syrup for 1 cup sugar in recipes. That’s not good news – it means the final baked products will actually have much higher calories with the switch in sweetener.
To be fair, brown rice syrup should be compared with another nectar-like sweetener, like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup. Similar to other natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey, brown rice syrup contains some trace minerals like magnesium, zinc, and manganese. I don’t find that brown rice syrup has any advantages over, let’s say, maple syrup (maple syrup actually has a much lower glycemic index of 54). Of course, HFCS is the exception. Almost any natural sweetener is better than HFCS, period.
Brown Rice Syrup and Arsenic
It’s known that some levels of arsenic are present in rice sources, as this metal is absorbed through the soil in rice plants. As a result, the UK Food Standards Agency actually recommended that toddlers not drink rice drinks in 2009. In North America, researchers from Dartmouth University found in a 2012 study that organic packaged foods sweetened with organic brown rice syrup contained high levels of arsenic. One of the infant formulas tested actually exceeded six times the EPA’s 10 parts per billion standard. Other products like organic cereal bars also contained much higher arsenic levels than those without brown rice syrup.
Obviously, rice is not the only plant containing arsenic. And, not all brown rice syrup contains high levels of arsenic either. If you’re a brown rice syrup user, purchase a trusted brand, like Lundberg, that is open in the arsenic-testing process.
What Do I Do?
Honestly, healthy eating is not about switching one sweetener for another. It’s about eating more whole foods, less processed food, and less total sugar.
Alumni: University of British Columbia – Gloria Tsang is the author of 6 books and the founder of HealthCastle.com, the largest online nutrition network run by registered dietitians. Her work has appeared in major national publications, and she is a regularly featured nutrition expert for media outlets across the country. The Huffington Post named her one of its Top 20 Nutrition Experts on Twitter. Gloria’s articles have appeared on various media such as Reuters, NBC & ABC affiliates, The Chicago Sun-Times, Reader’s Digest Canada, iVillage and USA Today.
brown rice syrup, grocery aisle, sugar
In judging ‘sweeteners’, ‘sugars’ you need to consider how our bodies process sugar and the different kinds. Sucrose, ‘table sugar’ is both Glucose and Fructose. Fructose is the ‘bad’ sugar which is why Brown Rice Syrup is a ‘good’ sugar because it is mostly glucose, the sugar our body can process throughout the body to include in our brain. Glucose gives us energy throughout our bodies. Most of the fructose we ingest must be processed in the liver which turns it into fat. You can actually raise your cholesterol by eating fructose. Same thing with ethynol (drinking). It too must be processed mostly in the liver which, again, turns it into fat. This is where we get ‘beer bellies’. The liver starts producing all of this fat around our internal organs and starts to cause other problems as well. All sugar is not the same regardless of it’s glycemic potential. Brown Rice Syrup and Dextrose powder are way better for us than Raw Sugar, Honey, Agave etc. because they are all about 50% Fructose, the sugar that gives us all of our problems. Watch the video ‘Sugar, The Bitter Truth’ by Dr. Robert Lustig, MD. It’s a must see if you want to continue writing articles about sugar that can actually help people. Incidentally, he is not the only authority saying these things at present. Extensive research is being done all over the world with laboratory testing on people as well as rats. Glucose is better than fructose and it DOES matter. Remember, even our brains can process glucose and actually cannot survive without it. The same cannot be said for fructose and ethynol.
I’m curious about why you didn’t use either the term ethanol or ethyl alcohol. I never heard of “ethynol”.