Throw out the agave nectar!
If you’re like me and sugar addiction is all-to-present in your life, you may be equally saddended to learn the following news: agave nectar is no better than other processed foods that rely on intelligent marketing and good-intentioned folks trying to eat healthier and pay the extra cost.
A new article on the Weston A. Price Foundation website examines the history and lies behind agave nectar. It turns out that agave nectar is similar to HFCS in that its production requires a process that converts starch into a fructose-rich syrup. Unlike the story told on packages, the popular nectar product today is not the fermented sap of agave plants. Maybe indigenous people in Mexico celebrated this native sweetener, but the liquid sold in stores is far from the truth.
The nectar that we know is made from the starchy bulb of the plant. Like corn or rice, the bulb is processed and the starches (simple sugars) are extracted. The complex carbohydrates provided are called inulin. The agave’s iunlin and glucose are converted into fructose. The levels of fructose reach 70% in agave nectar and this is actually higher than the levels in HFCS! It is true that agave does not raise one’s blood glucose levels, but the fructose in agave is still capable of “mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity.”
The reality strikes back. If we want to eat healthy we must refrain from processed foods. This includes sugars too. For the die-hard anti-sugar advocates, this means reverting to a diet sweetened by honey, maple syrup and fruit juice. It’s hard to imagine a delicious piece of cake or fresh pastry sweetened with fruit juice, but in time I believe we will all see the effects of highly processed sugars in the food we eat.
Related posts:
- The Elimination Diet and a Cleanse
- A Tax on Soda = Illogical Food Policy
- Food Subsidies – Our Biggest Threat
- Serving Size Matters
- Homemade candy bars (or) A drug of choice?
Tags: diet, food literacy, Nutrition
This is depressing. I started using agave a couple of months ago but I’m going to stop now. I should have known better, my husband warned me that the standards for certain things, especially “organic” products tend to be pretty loose. He is a professional chef and he has seen his share of fast and loose in the realm of what is labeled “natural” and “organic”. Generally speaking, I -do- know better but I slipped up this time. I am not a sugar nazi but I insist on indulging in it rarely so I’ll go back to using honey as I was doing before. Thanks for this information! I appreciate it very much.