AGAVE NECTAR

According to Wikipedia, Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico from several species of agave, including the Blue Agave (Agave tequilana), Salmiana Agave (Agave salmiana), Green Agave, Grey Agave, Thorny Agave, and Rainbow Agave.[1][2] Agave nectar is sweeter than honey, though less viscous.

When I first saw Agave Nectar and it's advertised low glycemic index, I was thrilled. I thought I had found the perfect replacement for sugars as a sweetener. After all, there was Raw Agave Nectar, just what I was looking for to assist me in my transition to a more healthful raw, whole food diet. I already loved the plant and the tequila that is derived from it. I envisioned a farmer extracting the sweet nectar directly from the plant to the bottle, and then off to market after labeling!

Agave Nectar became my base for everything good in cooking, baking and sweetening my yerba mate or coffee.  However, several trips to my wellness doctor indicated that I was still ingesting too much sugar and that was causing some pretty nasty side affects. I had been seeing my doctor for various problems, including fibromyalgia, flank pain, neck & back pain, fatigue, headaches, inability to focus, loose bowels, difficulty with digestion, etc.

I had many symptoms, and many layers of ill-health to peel back in order to discover the problem(s).  My main problem (and there are others) seemed to be eating too much sugar. I have a very strong sweet tooth, and unfortunately, it wasn't one of my teeth that I had lost in my latter years!

When I told my doctor that I don't eat refined sugars anymore and that, in fact, I had switched to using Agave as a sweetener, he said, "Sugar is sugar". What? I guess complex sugars are better than simple refined sugars, but it is all metabolized as sugar in our bodies.

I didn't want to believe that I had been duped. So I did what I usually do, research, research, and more research. And what did I discover? I think I had been duped, once again.

Not only is Agave not a syrup extracted directly from the plant, none of it is actually raw either. In a recent article posted on the Weston A. Price foundation’s website, Ramiel Nagel and Sally Fallon Morell wrote; 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 (fructosans). Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.

The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into “nectar” is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS. The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrup—anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites. Compare that to the typical fructose content of high fructose corn syrup (55%)!

In a different article, Rami Nagel quotes Russ Bianchi, managing director and CEO of Adept Solutions, Inc., a globally recognized food and beverage development company, on the similarities between agave nectar and high fructose corn syrup: They are indeed made the same way, using a highly chemical process with genetically modified enzymes. They are also using caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches into highly refined fructose inulin that is even higher in fructose content than high fructose corn
syrup ( HFC).

All I had to do was imagine a bottle of HFC every time I looked at the Agave Nectar, and I was able to stop eating it, immediately! And...my craving for sweets declined to a more manageable level once I stopped, along with the awful side affects!

So, what is wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup? Well, concentrated fructose is not found in fruit. In fact, it is not found anywhere in nature. When sugar occurs in nature, it is referred to as "levulose". Levulose is accompanied by naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber and fruit pectin.

Concentrated fructose is a man-made sugar which is created by the refining process. Fructose lacks amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and fruit pectin. Refined fructose is processed in the body through the liver. This means that the fructose is immediately turned into triglycerides or stored as body fat. Fructose doesn't get converted to blood glucose and hence, your blood sugar levels are not raised or lowered. This is why the claim that fructose, or Agave Nectar, has a low glycemic index and is safe for diabetics.

However, fructose inhibits leptin levels. Leptin is the hormone that your body uses to signal that you are full. That is why fructose actually makes you want to eat more!

According to a recent 10-week study released this past year in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (available online), the fructose eating group gained a disproportionate amount of visceral fat, which increased by 14%. This is the most dangerous type of fat. It is associated with chronic disease and metabolic syndrome. The fructose group also saw a worsening of blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity. There was also an increase in small, dense LDL particles and oxidized LDL, both factors strongly associated with the risk of heart attack.

There's more. Apparently, there have been no laws regulating the "raw" label on foods. Anyone can put "Raw" on their label. Some put it on their label because it can be supposedly raw since it is made from a raw material, or just not roasted. If the label indicates raw, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was processed below a 118F degrees temperature.

According to FoodProcessing.com, in order to process agave, the plants are crushed and the sap collected into tanks. Then the sap is heated to about 140F degrees for about 36 hours. When heated, the complex fructosans are hydrolyzed, or broken into their constituent fructose units. This solution is then filtered to obtain the various agave products that range from dark syrup to a light amber liquid.

Hydrolyze is defined as "break down (a compound) by chemical reaction with water".  Agave needs to be hydrolyzed or it won't be sweet. So, is Agave really a "raw" food? Raw foods are generally processed at a temperature under 118F degrees and still has all of it's enzymes, nutrients, and "life force" intact.

In my opinion, Agave Nectar is just as bad as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFC). Agave has a very high concentration of fructose (90%) and as far as we know, this high percentage occurs nowhere in nature. HFC contains 55% fructose! There are many health problems associated with too much fructose ingestion.

Agave nectar is not a "whole food". It's been boiled and processed to concentrate the sugar to make it a sweet liquid. Agave syrup is missing many of it's original plant nutrients. Agave is also used to make tequila, thus the enzymatic activity must be stopped so it doesn't turn into tequila on your shelf. If there is no enzymatic activity, how can it be considered "raw" or a "live" food?