apple juice concentrate vs sugar

Have you ever found yourself in an aisle with eyes glued to a label mentioning “apple juice concentrate,” wondering: Is this simply a refined sugar? You are not the only one. Both apple juice concentrate and sugar and our foods with sweetness are not twins-far from it. One is a natural fruit-based derivative with a whiff of apple beauty; the other is a refined carbohydrate of a rather blunt nature.

But what is that one you would rather have for health, your baking, or your mornings? The article will hit the juicy part and explore the myths and facts through real-life tales, including Sarah’s mission to bake healthier muffins and Tom’s fight against blood sugar spikes. Fasten your seat belt for this sweet ride that will inform and inspire you.

What Is Apple Juice Concentrate?

Apple juice concentrate is a thick brown amber syrup made by removing a part of the water from apple juice which, in turn, concentrates the natural sugars, acids, flavor, and nutrition. To make Bulk apple juice concentrate, high-quality apples are obtained, washed, and crushed, and the juice is extracted and clarified to remove solids and pulp.

The clarified apple juice is then heated to remove water under a vacuum. Therefore, the apple juice is removed from the evaporator in the form of an apple juice concentrate with a soluble solids concentration of 70% or more. During concentration, the natural taste and sweetness of the apple juice is intensified, and the juice volume is reduced, making it more cost-effective to store and transport.

From a nutritional point of view, apple juice concentrate is primarily sugar with lots of natural sugars, which is primarily fructose, providing carbohydrates and calories. For example,a 100g portion of 70 Brix apple juice concentrate has 266 calories, 65g of carbohydrates, and 55g of sugars.
Apple juice concentrate also contains vitamins and minerals carried over from the original fruit, such as potassium, and also contains small levels of vitamin C, but has no protein or dietary fiber. As a result, while apple juice concentrate can be a natural sweetener as an alternative to refined sugar, it should be limited in consumption due to its high sugar content.

Understanding Refined Sugar

Refined sugar, also known as table sugar or sucrose, comes from natural sources, including sugarcane and sugar beets, and is processed through intermediate steps, as follows:

• Extraction: Juice is extracted from either the sugarcane or sugar beets.
• Purification: The juice is purified (made clearer or without contaminants).
• Evaporation: Water is evaporated from the juice, making it into syrup.
• Crystallization: The syrup is crystallized to produce sugar crystals.
• Separation: The sugar crystals are separated from the remaining liquid (molasses).
• Drying: The crystals are dried (producing sugar as a product).

This process removes its natural portions, such as the molasses part, allowing for only pure white, sugar crystals. Refined sugar is a very versatile sweetener, but complete nutritionally empty.

Nutritional Comparison

When comparing sweeteners, we need to look at their nutrition profiles. Here is an in-depth comparison of apple juice concentrate and refined sugar per 100g.

While apple juice concentrate has some healthful nutrients that refined sugar doesn’t, it is still high in sugars, therefore its consumption should be limited to small amounts.

Health Implications of Apple Juice Concentrate vs. Refined Sugar

Both juice concentrate and Refined sugar are high in sugar and they can cause health problems if eaten too much. Added sugars, such as refined sugar you find in a bag or a box, tend to spike your blood sugar followed by a crash and can contribute to a number of health troubles, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Consuming too many added sugars can also increase such risk factors for cardiometabolic disease as chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, and higher levels of low-density lipoproteins (“bad” cholesterol).

Apple juice concentrate, though from fruit is a high source of sugar, namely fructose. Excessive fructose eating can overwork the liver, causing a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In addition, juices made from concentrate typically contain little or no fiber which is present in whole fruit and slows down sugar absorption into the bloodstream thereby elevating blood glucose levels rapidly.

So although there are some nutrients in apple juice concentrate, it should be used sparingly, just like anything else that is considered to be a refined sugar, to avoid lifestyle-related related-health concerns.

Conclusion

When sweetening foods and drinks, you can use both apple juice concentrate and refined sugar in moderation. Apple juice concentrate is made from the natural sugars of apples, but still contains some minor vitamins and minerals like potassium and vitamin C. Apple juice concentrate also contains healthful plant components, including polyphenols, which have antioxidant abilities that improve human health. Apple juice concentrate, while less processed than sugar, can still be high in sugars and may negatively affect blood glucose if consumed in large amounts.

Unlike refined sugar, which is a refined and processed sweetener designed only to give you energy, refined sugar has no nutrients to offer. Too much sugar has been implicated in some serious health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and of course, cavities.

In small amounts, Apple Juice Concentrate has the advantage of being a more naturally-sourced sweetener that has negligible variety of nutrients. In moderation, it could be a bit better than refined sugar. Refined sugar in any quantity other than zero is better than apple juice concentrate.

For a better understanding of the apple concentrate benefits and of apple juice concentrate ingredients, you may find our articles on apple concentrate benefits and apple concentrate ingredients useful.