The short answer is there is no benefit and it can be harmful. I’m curious, what are you looking to accomplish by supplementing with flax oil?

As for “processed”, it’s all relative. I think the word is used too often and liberally, like the word “natural”. For example, even a good, traditionally-made artisan cheese is processed, though obviously less processed than Velveeta “cheese” product (and there are many varieties of cheese within that continuum). So while I keep degree of processing in mind, it’s only part of what I consider. I wouldn’t cut out all refined cane sugar because it is refined only to overindulge in evaporated cane juice crystals, local natural unprocessed honey, or agave syrup, for example. That would be tossing the baby out with the bathwater, IMO. I consider the issue of processing, yes, but more importantly, I think, I keep my overall intake very low and infrequent – under what I surmise is a chronically damaging level to my metabolism (subject to change, of course).

If you ONLY use sugar in your coffee, assuming you aren’t using heaping tablespoons in many cups every, it probably is splitting hairs to worry too much about it, especially if you don’t eat a lot of high sugar fruit daily all year. But, for those who have a daily pattern of high sugar/sweetener consumption (from all sources), it makes sense to pay attention to the details. In other words, my view is the devil is in the dose (and the dose is the biggest issue for most people) more than the type.

I spend more thought and effort on keeping sugar content and overall sweetness level very low than I do on the sweetness source. Sure, organic, unrefined, and as natural as possible are better. But concentrated sugars are concentrated nonetheless, and they have a significant metabolic effect, even if all the vitamins and minerals are still there. No one should be looking for concentrated sugars to provide their vitamins and minerals, eh? Meat, fish, fowl, and eggs, etc., plus some non-starchy, not too high in fructose plant foods are better sources of vitamins and minerals. I’d add bugs and grubs if you like them/have access, but they aren’t typical fare for Westerners, so they aren’t part of my diet.

That said, for the times I do use a bit of sugar in my food preparation, I do have several varieties of sugar and sweeteners in my pantry (some are there as a result of experimentation, like the palm sugar, I probably won’t replace it when it’s gone). I routinely use less sugar/sweetener than recipes call for, and I seek out recipes that don’t use huge amounts anyway. It’s rare that I make any recipe that calls for more than a 1/2 cup of sugar for the whole batch (and I’d usually make it with a 1/4 or 1/3 cup) and I don’t make things even that that sweet very frequently. Per serving dose is usually not more than 5-15 grams (I don’t do a lot of counting CHO grams, but I do “eyeball” grams and remain mindful that the body tries hard to keep BG at about 4-5 grams all the time. No point in dumping 40 grams of sugar into the bloodstream if you have a broken first phase insulin response, no matter how “natural” or unrefined the sugar source.

What I have on hand currently might actually seem like a lot of sugar and sweeteners, but they last a lonnnnnng time in my house due to infrequent use. I have a jar of palm sugar paste in my fridge (lasts a very, very long time when you only use a teaspoon or two in a pot of Thai coconut soup or peanut sauce, for example). I buy a bottle of very dark and flavorful Grade B maple syrup about every other month (poured with a “bar” or oil-type pouring spout to allow drizzling). My son uses most of that in plain yogurt or on his oatmeal, but I sometimes use it in coconut flour muffins and baked custard. I store maple syrup and coconut sugar paste in the fridge because they can mold after unsealing if stored too long at room temperature. Once or twice a year I buy 8-16 oz of local raw orange blossom honey, though my son probably consumes most of that. I buy perhaps 2-3 bags (1# each) of evaporated cane sugar each year for gluten-free baking when entertaining or my son’s classroom (my preferred level of sweet is much too low for “high-sugar” people (I actually buy more sugar than that annually, but the hummingbirds consume far more than we do). I also usually keep a bottle of unsulphured blackstrap molasses on hand to use in small amounts for its intense flavor. I buy that less often than once per year.

I also have 2-3 containers of stevia products that I don’t seem to make a dent in (it works in some things, but not well at all in others), a container each of xylitol and erythritol that I’ve lost interest in, and some granular Splenda that has been hanging around awhile. I have a couple bottles of Splenda sweetened “coffee” syrups that have also been taking up space in the cupboard, mostly used by guests. I used to use Splenda more often, but I’ve drifted away from artificial sweeteners. I could probably get rid of them and not even notice. I tossed out the bottle of agave syrup when I realized it was extremely high in concentrated fructose compared to other sugar/sweetener options (much, much higher than HFCS or honey).

So I guess you could say I’ve drifted back to using real sugars more than sugar alternatives as I’ve reduced my “need for sweet”, and despite the number and amount of sweeteners in my pantry, none are used often or in such large quantity that they cause concern for me (my glucose meter keeps me honest with myself). I choose recipes that are naturally low in added sweeteners/sugar, and I often cut back on the amounts called for anyway and then watch my serving portion based on what my glucose meter tells me. And I’ve drifted away from thinking “low-glycemic” and artificial sweeteners are the answers, because of the potential that even if they don’t raise my blood sugar, I have concerns that the taste of sweet might fool the body into thinking it has ingested sugar, possibly still inducing insulin secretion or other unintended effects. And as I learn more about concentrated fructose in “low-glycemic” items, like the increasingly popular agave syrup, I view more than a minimal amount from low sugar seasonal fruit as a metabolic train wreck; it misleads people into thinking low-glycemic or lots of fruit eating equals “healthful”.

Have you ever seen how much butter the French put on a teeny, tiny fragment of bread compared to how thinly Americans spread the butter on a big slice of bread? In France, it seems the bread is just there to keep the fingers clean while the butter is consumed! French bread is very nice, yes, … as a vehicle for the truly wonderful butter, cheese, and liver paté, that is!

As for the French, I’m betting part of it is the general lack of processed foods. I’m betting that someone eating very few processed foods, but including some bread will still do pretty well. Especially if that bread includes healthy fats from butter or cheese (not sure about raw vs. pasteurized cheese in France). Probably better off without the bread, but all in all, some fresh baked bread (not the store-bought stuff with 53 ingredients, but real fresh bread with like 4 ingredients) isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Cheers
Scott