Agave Nectar is a sweetener with a low glycemic index which promises to be a better substitute for artificial or white sugars. Additionally it is gluten free and vegan. You may be familiar with it as the plant, Blue Agave, from which tequila is made. Aztecs used it as a healing agent on wounds. Many are using it in place of white sugar and artificial sugars because of the health benefits and that fact it is a natural sweetener with less impact on the blood than regular sugar. It has also been said to help with weight management as it will not have an effect on the body’s mechanism for fat storage.
So what is the problem?
Refined Fructose:
While the label may say natural it does not tell you that it has gone through a refining process. The trouble with this aspect is that refined fructose has been linked to disease such as cancer. The substance does not have an impact on blood sugar but the triglycerides produced once eaten will still have an effect on the body. Some research links consuming refined fructose to heart disease, hardening of the arteries, or even weight gain.
In an article on NaturalNews.com, author Rami Nagel has this to say about Agave and refined fructose:
“lacks amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pectin, and fiber. As a result, the body doesn’t recognize refined fructose. Refined fructose is processed in the body through the liver, rather than digested in the intestine. Refined fructose robs the body of many micronutrient treasures in order to assimilate itself for physiological use. While naturally occurring fruit sugars contain levulose bound to other sugars, high fructose corn syrup contains “free” (unbound), chemically refined fructose. Research indicates that free refined fructose interferes with the heart’s use of key minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium”.
Dr. Edward Group from Global Healing Center suggests avoiding the refined fructose issues by making sure the company who produces the Agave Nectar is not using chemicals in processing and to be sure the product is organic. He suggests using Madhava Agave Nectar to ensure you are purchasing quality. This little tidbit allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief as I just purchased Madhava Agave Nectar before reading the down side of the product.
In the end, it is about moderation, doing your research and making sure you purchase quality products.