Brown Sugar vs. White Sugar: Which One Wrecks Your Blood Sugar Levels?

Let’s be honest—at some point, we’ve all done it. You’re at the grocery store, trying to “do better,” and you reach for the brown sugar because it just feels healthier. I mean… it’s brown. That’s gotta count for something, right?

I thought the same thing.

I ran a little experiment (with a continuous glucose monitor on), hit the streets to ask everyday people what they thought, and now I’m bringing the sweet truth right to your screen.

Spoiler alert: when it comes to blood sugar levels, neither sugar is innocent—but let’s get into why.

Brown Sugar vs. White Sugar

Let’s start with what everyone thinks they know:

• White sugar = bad

• Brown sugar = slightly better because it’s “natural” and, like, brown stuff is earthy and healthy, right?
  

Not quite.

The only real difference between brown sugar and white sugar is molasses. That’s it.

Brown sugar is just white sugar that had a tiny bit of molasses mixed back in, which gives it that toasty color and slight flavor boost.

Nutritionally speaking? They’re basically twins—fraternal twins with matching energy to spike your blood sugar levels.

What Happens to Your Blood Sugar Levels

Here’s where the science comes in (don’t worry, I’ll keep it chill).

Once you eat sugar—brown or white—it starts breaking down into glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar) in your digestive tract. By the time it reaches your small intestine, your body isn’t whispering, “Was this organic cane sugar or Dollar Tree white sugar?” It just sees glucose and starts absorbing it into your bloodstream.

That’s when blood sugar levels rise. How fast and how high depends on what else you ate (fiber, fat, and protein can help slow the spike), but sugar on its own? It's like pressing the gas pedal straight to floor.

So, Should You Swear Off Sugar?

Nah. I'm not here to shame your sweet tooth—it’s here to inform it.

If you’re managing blood sugar levels, it’s not just about swapping one sugar for another. It’s about:

• Being aware of how sugar affects your body

• Balancing sugar with fiber, fat, and protein

• Finding hacks (like my oatmeal trick) that let you enjoy sweetness without the chaos

At the end of the day, sugar is sugar, and your blood sugar levels agree. Your pancreas will not be fooled!

Instead of stressing over which type to use, focus on how much you use—and what you eat it with.

Did you think brown sugar was healthier too? No judgment—I did! Let me know in the comments on YouTube what surprised you most.

See you in the comments!

Nia