When agave nectar burst onto the health food market, many people were excited about it as a substitute for refined sugar. But a growing body of research indicates that agave nectar — which is not, in fact, a nectar and is processed in much the same way as high-fructose corn syrup — might be as unhealthy as HFCS is purported to be.
One article even states that "agave products should carry a warning label indicating that the product may cause a miscarriage" due to its high quantities of a chemical called saponin. In the highly competitive, high-stakes business of selling alternative sweeteners to a demanding public, how do we know what to believe?
If you believed that agave nectar is similar to honey or maple syrup in being a simple, naturally derived product, you're in the majority. As this recent post on Food Renegade says:
Based on the labeling, I could picture native peoples creating their own agave nectar from the wild agave plants. Surely, this was a traditional food, eaten for thousands of years. Sadly, it is not... It's not traditional, not natural, highly refined, and contains more concentrated fructose than high fructose corn syrup.
This article at the Weston A. Price Foundation website -- dated last April, when "Agave-gate" started to gain momentum -- explains how agave nectar is manufactured:
Agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like, root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules. Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.
Agave syrup is a manmade sweetener which has been through a complicated chemical refining process of enzymatic digestion that converts the starch and fiber into the unbound, manmade chemical fructose. While high fructose agave syrup won't spike your blood glucose levels [as HFCS is reported to do], the fructose in it may cause mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
What's your take on all of this? Do you plan to investigate further? Will you pour your agave nectar down the sink? Or will you modify your intake and recognize it as a sweet treat that is acceptable in moderation?
Edited to add: Thanks to readers Kreeli and Deb Schiff for pointing us toward this link and this link, in which Madhava owner Craig Gerbore explains and defends his company's agave nectar manufacturing processes.
Related: Survey: Do You Use Sugar Substitutes?
(Image: House of Sims, via Creative Commons license)
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Oh this is very interesting as I recently hopped on this "bandwagon" that I felt was leaving the station w/out me. I even put some on my carrot cake pancakes last weekend instead of the pure maple syrup we have in the fridge. Help!!
UGH! Seriously? I may be pouring mine down the drain. I just bought a HUGE bottle when it was on sale at whole foods.
I have that tea at my desk right now and I would never dream of tainting it with sweeteners of any kind.
I never jumped on the agave nectar bandwagon (I'm still on a 'sugar in the raw' kick), though it does amuse me that a number of "healthy" restaurants brag about their HFCS-free sodas that contain agave nectar. I was under the impression that it was natural, so this was enlightening.
What!? This is news to me! Thanks for posting it. I want to do some more research. How sad - I love agave!
The idea that ANY sugar is healthful is silly. It's always bugged me that agave is pushed as "safe for diabetics" so often. But really, moderation, moderation, moderation.
I recently bought some raw agave - would that be a different situation?
Thank you! I too thought it was a "natural" product.
There is no such thing as a superfood. There is no such thing as a magic sweetener - you're either ingesting sugar or you're ingesting some unholy chemical derivative that usually tastes *surprise!* like chemicals.
Sugar is neither healthy or unhealthy - it is simply something we like to eat and that gives us energy; it's up to us to choose our foods sensibly and turn a critical eye to anything purported to be a "miracle" food.
If you eat too much of *anything* you will suffer the consequences. The consequences are varied, but they all go to show that humans evolved to consume a variety of foods in moderation.
Hmmm. Interesting. DO NOT WANT.
I bought some because I just like the taste of it... hardly use it though because I think it is expensive and I don't want to use it up!
I was never on the agave bandwagon. I've been a vegetarian for 30 years, and it has always been amusing to me how many vegetarians (usually in the first stages of conversion) run screaming from white sugar but begin to ingest every other sweetener on the planet with abandon. Maple syrup, honey, barley and rice derived syrups, raw sugar, and now agave--it's all just SUGAR. And it's no better for you if the label has Native American-esque leaves on it than that yellow box from Domino.
(I love sugar btw. But I'm not kidding myself.)
How very shocking! I feel somewhat betrayed.. oh well.. I'm a vegan and have recently moved to a not-so-vegan-friendly place so I've taken to drinking my daily 3 cups of coffee black. I actually don't miss the sweetness at all.
Suckers. I don't like the taste compared to honey, or sugar and while I cant' say I knew it was bad for you (or at least not as good as people though), I have to say I am quite amused by this. LOL.
wow thanks for posting this. i've always been a honey and raw sugar user myself, but have contemplated substituting agave syrup. looks like i'll have to do some additional research.
I've been skeptical about agave for a while, mostly because it was touted as the magic sugar. I do have a bottle of it in my pantry, but I rarely use it. It's so finicky. The conversion is too much for baking (reduce the amount, reduce the other liquids), that it's not even worth the effort.
Well, it doesn't surprise me too much since agave nectar gives me really bad headaches within an hour of ingesting it. Took me a long time to figure it out but I realized that the pretzel crisps from Whole Foods I love were giving me headaches. Read the label and aha- sweetened with agave nectar. I tried it once more (glutton for punishment?) in a "naturally sweetened" soda. Same horrific headache. My little sister has the same reaction to it.
Wow, I had no idea. I don't use it frequently because it is so expensive, but now I don't see much reason at all to buy it. I prefer the taste of raw honey, anyway, and at least that has a *few* positive qualities.
Wow, that's interesting. I had no idea.
I was never on the agave bandwagon - I always thought that it was just another sugar delivery system. Lots of sugar in any form isn't good for you - I doubt that agave nectar is any different (healthwise) than table sugar. I didn't realize that it was so processed, though.
I think I will stick with my use of white and brown sugar, sugar in the raw, and maple syrup and honey. Its sugar, its sweet, it is supposed to have calories!
@petri0004: As I understand it from reading the articles, there's no such thing as "raw" agave. It's just an unregulated bit of labeling.
Too funny, and not far from what I would have assumed.
The only reason I can see for keeping this product around is that it dissolves in cold beverages better than honey or sugar. OTOH, it doesn't taste as much or as good which =using more=boo.
I'm shocked. I had no idea that agave was not healthy for you. Like spookiefish, I feel somewhat betrayed. I stopped buying it because it was so expensive. Now I have another key reason to not buy it again in the future. Thanks for the update.
Wow. What a bummer - I just bought over a pound of it yesterday! My roommate sneered at me when I said it was better for you than sugar, I guess she was right. :(
do you trust the weston price foundation?
wikipedia has a different description of the production of agave than given in this article and weston price has an anti-vegetarian reputation. i found a few critiques of the organization but i don't know how reputable the people writing the critiques are either.
it's not that i don't think agave might be overrated. but i'm skeptical of the comparisons to hfcs. i mean, it's high fructose, but it's not necesarily as processed as hfcs (maple syrup and honey are generally processed in some way as well, but of course they are nutritious.).
what i really want to know though is if this is true (from foodrenegade.com):
"Native Mexican peoples do make a sort of sweetener out of the agave plant. It’s called miel de agave, and it’s made by boiling the agave sap for a couple of hours. Think of it as the Mexican version of authentic Canadian maple syrup."
why doesn't anyone make that for public consumption?
Miel de Agave sounds good....
I'm allergic to corn so I am curious if you can use agave as a substitute for corn syrup in recipes that require the fructose to prevent crystallization. I don't see how it could be much worse for you than corn syrup is, and sometimes you have to add just a little to keep your caramels from seizing. (Honey doesn't work as well for this purpose, I'm told.)
I'm with cmcinnyc. Sugar is sugar is sugar and seems to have become the victim of huge over-thinking in recent years. Moderation is key in all things.
I've been using organic agave nectar on my steel-cut oatmeal for awhile now; I won't be replacing it when it runs out, and am frustrated at my attempts to find a sweetener that won't spike my blood sugar (not a diabetic, but even still..). I don't like honey, and pure maple syrup is both too sweet for me and ridiculously expensive. I have been trying to find organic cane sugar, as that seems to be on the "not great, but not that horrible" list from most doctors who are concerned about nutrition. If anyone knows of any other good organic sugar substitutes, please fill me in.
This information is incomplete and incorrect in a lot of places. Please see:
http://www.realrawfood.com/article/response-just-say-no-agave
There is a lot of misinformation out there. I'd recommend reading this: http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2008/12/madhavas-craig-gerbore-responds-to.html
HFCS is 55% fructose, while agave is ~90% fructose. Fructose is metabolized as fat, so it won't raise your blood sugar levels but will immediately go to your thighs.
So, how bad is it? A squirt in your morning tea isn't going to kill anyone so if you like it, don't worry about it.
If you're a normal, healthy person than even using larger quantities like on pancakes as one poster mentioned probably isn't a big deal. If you're a diabetic, well, it won't impact your blood sugar, but it will contribute to development of neuropathies and raise your triglycerides which is bad. Proceed with caution.
With that said, use what tastes good. Just don't use tons of it.
Fructose isn't metabolized as fat. Your digestive system isn't something you can fool. A carbohydrate is always going to be a carbohydrate, no matter the source. And all sugars are carbohydrates. And of course it "impacts" your blood sugar if you're diabetic. It still has carbohydrates.
THIS is why agave and other "healthy" sweeteners drive me crazy. There's so much nonsense attached to them.
I don't agree with oof's comment that honey and maple syrup are "of course" nutritious. They have empty calories just like sugar. I think there are some trace minerals that are present - and I adore the taste of both - but calories are calories and I second those saying moderation is key. I don't think we have agave here in NZ, but I guess I'm not missing much!
Um...carrot cake pancakes...YUM!
This is the same way Tequila is made. The Pina, or the pineapple like heart of the Agave succulent, is cooked to create the Miel de Agave, which is then fermented to create a wine that is distilled into a spirit. Lots of processing that could ultimately lead to harm on your liver and other organs.
Ugh. I just can't win. We use agave, but not in large amounts. I'm a fan of sugar in all it's forms really. Please keep us up to date if anyone ever actually figures this out.
Stevia is the best --no chemicals...no calories...no sugar. Tastes good and a TINY bit goes a long way --the only downfall for me is that I can't quite figure out the measurement conversions for baking/cooking
Interesting info. Recently I did saw a bottle of agave on market shelf but never really paid any attention to it as I'm not a fan of artificial sweetner. Perhaps it is the marketing word 'nectar' that makes consumers think it is natural.
@mollyjade -- You're correct that all sugars are carbohydrates, as are all fibers. But you're incorrect about blood sugar impact.
Glucose is absorbed in the digestive tract where it travels to the liver, and then into the blood stream to be used by cells for energy, thus raising blood sugar levels.
Fructose also goes to the liver, but does not leave. Body cells cannot use fructose as an energy source. In the liver, some fructose is used for glycogenolysis to top off glycogen stores, and the rest is used for triacylglycerol synthesis -- fat. Because the fates of fructose are glycogen or fat, fructose does not impact blood glucose levels. So, a carbohydrate is not always going to be a carbohydrate.
If you want further detail, the Wikipedia article on fructose has a nice write-up in the fructose metabolisim section.
While we're on the subject, dietary fiber is also made of carbohydrates but don't raise blood glucose levels either. So, not all carbs affect blood sugar levels.
I was mostly arguing that it isn't metabolized the same way as a fat, even if both are metabolized mostly by the liver. And that agave is only about half fructose, and that consuming agave WILL impact blood glucose levels. Even fructose on it's on has some effect on blood glucose, though it's milder than sucrose or glucose.
And yes, fiber is mostly indigestible and sugar alcohols are only partly digestible. So, no it's not as simple as a carbohydrate is a carbohydrate. But agave is no miracle food for diabetics, and it does impact blood glucose levels.
Thanks so much for this post!!! In researching more on the points brought up here, I found out that I have a disorder called fructose malabsorption! So I happily threw away my agave and altered my diet according to guidelines for people with this disorder, and in just a couple days I'm noticing a huge difference in how I feel! Amazing! I've struggled with this for years, getting no help from doctors, and now I finally know what the problem is and how to deal with it.
mollyjade, who said agave didn't impact blood glucose levels.
and i don't think it's really news that carbohydrates and fats aren't metabolized the same way.
but it also isn't true that all carbohydrates are metabolized by the exact same biochemical pathways.
fructose makes you fat because it turns into triglycerides which is......FAT!
I'm with ABC123... love the Stevia. Sweetens my beverages and salad dressing beautifully. Can't cook or bake worth a darn with it because nothing works chemically like sugar when using high heat.
Never had agave, but DO have the tea in the picture. It's like a wonderful, low priced treat on a cold night. :)
Oh great. I would read this article the day after I spend $4.00 for a bottle of agave nectar to use in my banana muffins (which, btw, turned out pretty awesome). I won't be replacing this bottle, that's if i actually finish using it.
@Sydney Organic cane sugar is great; you can use the unbleached (beige) variety the same as white sugar in recipes, but I actually prefer the molasses taste of the partially processed stuff (turbinado and the crumbly but delicious unprocessed raw sugar) so use those when the recipe won't be messed up by the molasses. Good as it is, my sugar is mostly languishing nowadays as I'm trying to mostly eat foods with vitamins and fiber so I generally use fruit (fresh and dried) for sweetening. Dates are a good approach there and reputed to not spike blood sugar, though your mileage may vary. I like almost any kind of dried fruit in hot cereal and really don't need a sweetener on top of that. Try it for two weeks and if it doesn't seem sweet enough at first, your taste buds will adjust.
@emaozora Thank you! I hadn't even thought of brown rice syrup as a substitute for corn syrup. For all the woes fructose causes in excess, you sure do need a little in certain kinds of candy making. Not that I make candy often, but when I do I like it to come out right. (And I love caramel.)
i still love to use agave, as it is an animal friendly liquid sweetener. the other sweetener i use is sucanat, both in moderation.
If you really care about any of this and not just as something to complain about, pay attention to where your food comes from.
You can find organic, locally made honey and maple syrup which both have health benefits. Find something with the name of the farm on it and look it up to see what you think about it.
Also read about palm (coconut) sugar. It is very low on the Glycemic Index, contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, and is a renewable resource that can be tapped year round.
I keep maple syrup that my parents friends make, locally farmed honey, palm sugar and basic organic sugar all in my house.
I do agree that moderation is the key here though. Try to use the best ingredients you can find, but also understand what it all does to your body.
Hello everyone,
I just saw this interesting article...and I just had to weigh in. Especially since I just finished publishing a recipe for Pecan Pie which has Agave nectar as part of the custard.
This is what I had to say on my site www.Foodessa.com
AGAVE NECTAR:
. Here I go picking another so called ‘sugar substitute’ that is highly debated. Until further notice, I'll still pick it as a favoured sweet ingredient...although using it in small quantities.
. I prefer the darker nectar which has a slightly sweeter flavour with a subtle molasses spike!
. As far as I have gathered...this ' honey type ' liquid is supposedly extracted from the heart of Mexican Cactus plants... just as ' sap ' is transformed from the maple tree into maple syrup.
. When buying ' Agave '... try to purchase the organic type that has been less processed with chemicals! Unfortunately, nothing being perfect in our fast paced money grabbing world...'Agave' too is treated at times like a high fructose sugar!
. Do not be fooled to think that this is less of a sugar. In reality their is NO magic sugar substitute...that would be too amazing! Sugar is sugar, however, the only thing we can do is find alternatives that please our palette as well as spiking our blood sugar levels a little less. It ranks much lower on the ' Glycemic Index ' as opposed to for example: corn syrup!
. The reality is, unless you are planning to go cold turkey on SWEETS...you will always be faced with your 'guilty pleasures'! So, go ahead, have your favourite sweet, as long as you have it in moderation...we will all survive one more day!
Thank you for indulging me in my opinion,
Foodessa
People! Do some research about the products you like and don't believe everything you read - ie THIS ARTICLE!
check this out.
http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2008/12/madhavas-craig-gerbore-responds-to.html
Sad that the internet has degraded the integrity of journalism.
Tdubb, I probably am being too touchy about this. But, as someone who's had diabetes for 23 years, I think it's incredibly irresponsible to give incorrect nutrition information to diabetics. It can make a big difference in future quality of life.
In her first post, ilovebutter said both that fructose was metabolized as fat and that "if you're a diabetic, well, it [agave] won't impact your blood sugar." There's a ton of this misinformation out there about agave, and it makes it hard for people to make informed decisions about what to eat.
I don't think agave is a miracle food or a demon food, but I do think we should all have correct information about it.
Almost had me going for a minute, but now I'm clicking through the article's citations. I'm just a bit skeptical, seeing the rest of the institute's web content.
@Sydney - as other posters have mentioned, Stevia is a great natural sweetener. My dad is a diabetic and refuses to use artificial sweeteners. Stevia doesn't raise blood sugar and just a drop or two can sweeten a bowl of plain yogurt or granola. It has a slightly unusual licorice-y taste that you have to get used to and is relatively expensive, but I think it's a great alternative to sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
If you like stevia, try growing it yourself! You can use the leaves to sweeten tea, baked goods, etc.
OK - I have to mention this because it is a pet peeve of mine. Wikipedia should not be used as a reliable source of information. Although it can be an interesting starting point for information, even the creators of Wikipedia state on their own site that
"WIKIPEDIA MAKES NO GUARANTEE OF VALIDITY
Wikipedia is an online open-content collaborative encyclopedia, that is, a voluntary association of individuals and groups working to develop a common resource of human knowledge. The structure of the project allows anyone with an Internet connection to alter its content. Please be advised that nothing found here has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information."
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. :)
I believe that Agave is very high in fructose. Fructose is processed by the liver and turns directly into fat - causing gout, diabetes and other ailments. For your own health, please watch The Bitter Truth (a lecture by Dr. Robert Lustig). Honey is around 35% fructose, white sugar, is around 50% fructose. I have researched as much as I can on the topic, and for now, my sugar substitute is Xylitol which is a natural 'sugar' found in strawberries, raspberries and even pears. Finnish use it almost exclusively in their chewing gum and candies. It is recommended for diabetics too. Good health to you all!
Sugar: The Bitter Truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Those who don't like the taste of stevia might want to try NuNaturals vanilla stevia. (I'm not affiliated; just a fan.) It has a MUCH better taste and is really yummy in plain yogurt.
I'm rather surprised! I use agave in my tea, not because it's "better" than sugar but because I logically believed that something natural is better than something unnatural, and I thought that agave syrup was less processed than white sugar was. Apparently I was wrong. But apparently this topic is up for debate as well. I will be doing more research for sure.
I came across this article that I thought was very well sourced by reputable journals.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html
There's a rule that I really like: don't eat what your grandmother wouldn't recognize as a food. I dont feel confortable eating food that needs explanations about how it was made.
While I agree that we shouldn't take food labeling or advertising at face value (looking into where our food comes from and how it's made is a good thing), we also shouldn't take studies put out by corporate-funded "think tanks" at face value. The Weston Price Foundation is not a reputable source of information on food issues. While it may be true that agave nectar isn't the "natural superfood" it's been marketed as, I am certainly not convinced by Weston Price "studies."
Bapbe: so true! I'm with you on that!
I also find it interesting that science often validates our grandmothers -- for example, chicken soup, duck/goose fat... My grandmother used as little white sugar as possible, sticking with honey and brown sugar as unrefined as possible (i.e., muscovado sugar), all in moderation; I'm following her example.
At least local honey has dramatically helped my seasonal allergies, but I basically am a member of the "it's all sugar" team. Just use one spoon of honey daily in my one mug of coffee.
i like agave syrup because it mixes so well into my iced tea. but seriously, how bad could these chemicals be? it seems like anything in moderation is fine - whether it be sugar, diet coke, honey, maple syrup, hell, even HFCS. If people are so concerned about chemicals in their body, stay off the freeway, don't go anywhere that has painted walls, and dress yourself in organically grown palm leaves.
How bad is the fructose? 76% of glucose burns off immediately, 24 % of it goes into the liver where most is stored as glycogen and the rest powers mitochondria for energy. Maybe a half a calorie goes through the TCA cycle which will turn into VLDL cholesterol, used to store fat. 72% of fructose goes into the liver which is nearly 3 times as much. The breakdown products of this fructose in the liver is far more pernicious, including uric acid which causes gout and hypertension, but more importantly high levels of VLDL and five times as much fat formation (de novo lipogenesis.) It also causes liver insulin resistance and turns off the leptin that tells your brain you have had enough food. Research indicates that free refined fructose interferes with the heart’s use of key minerals like magnesium, copper, and chromium and fructose is known to increase fat, avoid triggering the appetite suppressant leptin and to worsen diabetes although it may not trigger insulin.
Different brands have different glucose/sucrose ratios. For a discussion see:
http://www.acupuncturebrooklyn.com/alternative-health/agave-nectar-a-healthy-sweetner
this is really annoying. i bought a bottle of agave nectar because i'm allergic to honey but i like it on my challah bread
i'll probably finish off the bottle but i'll do some more research to find my next substitute. sigh...
I love Agave Nectar. I use the Raw Unprocessed kind. A few reasons why I use it.. 1- I don't have to use as much. So to your point comparing if you eat a pound of each... THATS the key. With Agave I use WAY less to achieve the same sweetness. 2- Fructose is what you find in NATURAL fruits like apples, etc. Fructose is absorbed into the body slower than sucrose(therefore the much lower glycemic index) so there's no Spike then Crash of your blood sugar which causes one to lose energy and BURN LESS CALORIES. And finally.. 3- Sugar is processed using Animal products such as BONE CHARCOAL! ICK!
I reluctantly purchased a bottle of agave as a cookbook tester. I think it's weird and expensive. I guess if I needed a vegan sub for honey (in terms of consistency) I'd use it. I'm not liberal with the agave and it sits in the fridge. It just doesn't make sense to buy this when Quebec is flowing with maple syrup.
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/is-agave-nectar-safe/
This article by Dr. Group claims that the dangers of agave syrup have to do with the source and the amount of processing. He says in this article that a reliable source that is not boiled is safe, and that the Madhava brand is actually beneficial.
Any thoughts about this?
Being from a company that sells agave nectar, it is quite hard to post a comment negating all the bad write ups made on agave nectar. It would be understandable for people to brand a comment from the company of the product being attacked as biased. Still, one cannot just let misinformation run rampant online especially when they are presented as facts by people we give such high regards for.
I laud the author of this article for the addition in the end of the article inviting people to learn the other side of the story. Simply put, though there is some truth in the "scientific claims" made against agave nectar, it is good to note that not all agave nectar are equal. Different brands have differing processing methods. agave plant used and nutritional content. It is not wise to brand all as poison just because the accusation for a few. Not all agave nectar are high in fructose which is the common quality of it attacked by critics.
I invite all who read this article to read more about agave nectar, It is one of the healthiest and most delicious sugar substitutes out there and I think it deserves at least a chance to prove its benefits to people who care about their health.