Body By Design

Agave nectar aka agave syrup came of the shelves of your local health shop to the mainstream supermarkets and grocery stores.  It’s easy to see why, it’s sweet as hell, tastes good and this supposedly without the disadvantages of refined sugar.

But is agave really safe to use?

Here are the claimed health benefits of Agave and my thoughts about them:

• Agave nectar is natural and organic.  Not!  Agave syrup is filtered and hydrolyzed into a complex form of fructose.  It is a highly processed form of sugar.  Depending on the processing, agave nectar can contain between 55 to 90% fructose, the rest is glucose.
• Agave syrup has a low glycemic index.  This is true in some cases because agave nectar contains so much fructose and fructose has a low glycemic index.  But this doesn’t mean that agave syrup is healthy, fructose contributes to increased food intake and weight gain.
• Agave nectar is low calorie.  Not!  It contains 16 calories/teaspoon, about the same as white sugar.

Here are some other dangers of fructose:

• Fructose malabsorption: digestive disorder of the small intestine.  People with fructose malabsorption don’t digest fructose well, leading to general ill health, poor skin and hair, anaemia (deficiency of red blood cells), osteoporosis, fatigue, …
• Decreased glucose tolerance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
• Increased levels of uric acid, which can lead to heart diseases.
• Processed fructose has been stripped from all minerals, vitamins and enzymes.  To assimilate itself, it robs your body from these nutrients, which can lead to loss of zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium.

Conclusion: agave nectar is a scam –> avoid it at all costs!

A better, more healthy sweetener: Blackstrap Molasses

Related posts:

1. Blackstrap Molasses Health Benefits
2. Are You a Tofi?