Agave nectar: a sweetener that is worse than sugar

The harmful effects of sugar are among the few things that are most health experts agree.

Everyone knows that sugar unhealthy ^[1] and more health conscious people try to avoid.

Not surprisingly, all kinds of other popular sweeteners, become natural and artificial.

One of them is called agave syrup, a sweetener found in many " healthy foods ^[2] . "

Is said to be natural, and as a sweetener for diabetics environmental levels do not increase blood sugar markets.

However, if you ignore marketing claims and a look at what it really contains agave nectar, you will learn that there are even worse than regular sugar.

Let me explain why ...

What is Agave?

The Agave ^[3] grows natively in the southern United States and South America. It is often associated with Mexico.

While most Westerners only recently heard Agave, has been used in Mexico for hundreds (if not thousands) of years.

Back in the day, the Mexicans are used for various purposes, and is believed to have medicinal properties.

That is, what is the Agave:

Mexicans also used the juice (sweet liquid movement system) cook, a sweetener agave syrup (called generate 1 ).

But the most common use of the agave it ferments sugars to produce the alcoholic drink called Tequila ^[4] .

In fact, the most common tequila commercial use of agave today and one of the most famous Mexican exports.

How many plants in their natural state is Agave likely health benefits.

But, as is often the case when it is processed and refined, it tends to lose some (or all) of these beneficial health effects. This seems the case with refined agave sweetener that consume the people today.

Bottom Line: Agave is a plant that grows in abundance in Mexico. Has a long history of use as a medicinal herb, sweetening and can also be fermented to make tequila.

Agave nectar How is it done?

Often sold as the sweetener agave nectar would like agave syrup to be labeled.

The truth is ... it was the traditional sweetener of Mexicans very little in common.

The boot process is the same. Shut down the system, then cut and squeeze the liquid flows sweet.

This fluid is rich in sugar, but also contains healthy compounds such as fructans ^[5] , the (associated with positive effects on the metabolism and insulin 2 ).

If, however, dare fructans in a syrup manufacturer decompose into liquid mellitus FRUCT heat and / or enzymes exposed to treated ( 3 , 4 ).

This process destroys all the characteristics of health promotion Agave, but produces syrup concentrate on the shelves of stores that falsely claimed to be healthy.

The manufacturing method is similar to other unhealthy sweeteners such as corn syrup may be prepared with a high fructose content.

So ... is sold as the sweetener agave nectar is not really "nectar" - is a sweetener refined from processed agave syrup.

Conclusion: Agave sweetener is sold today by the processing of sugar and heat enzymes, all of which was destroyed in the positive health effects of agave plant. The final product is a highly purified syrup unhealthy.

Agave Nectar Spike takes a lot of blood sugar

The glycemic index ^[6] (GI) is a measure of how quickly a food sugar in the bloodstream.

In general, the greater the probability for a GI food, the larger the peak blood glucose and the worse health ( 5 , 6 , 7 ).

Unlike glucose, fructose is not directly into the bloodstream and therefore provides no blood sugar or insulin levels in the short term.

That's why high fructose sweeteners are often referred to as "healthy" or marketed "diabetics".

Agave nectar has a low GI, mainly because most of the sugar fructose. Has very little glucose, at least in comparison with the regular sugar.

A recent study in mice compared the metabolic effects of agave syrup and sucrose (raw sugar) after 34 days have. Mice get agave syrup gained less weight and had lower blood sugar levels and insulin ( 8 ).

That's actually what we expect from a short-term study, as raw sugar two levels of glucose in the blood sugar and insulin rise, while fructose does not.

That said ... the glycemic index is to consider only one of many things when., The health effects of artificial sweeteners

The negative effects of Agave (and sugar in general) have very little to do with the glycemic index, but everything to do with the large amounts of fructose ... and agave syrup is high in fructose.

Conclusion: agave nectar is low in sugar and therefore do not increase the blood sugar levels greatly. This gives you the low-glycemic sweetener.

Agave Nectar is dangerously high fructose

Sugar and corn syrup, high fructose (HFCS), the two simple sugars ... half glucose and fructose ^[7] .

While glucose and fructose are similar, they have very different effects on the body.

Glucose ^[8] is an important molecule. It is in many healthy foods (such as carrots and potatoes) and body found to make to ensure that we always have enough.

In fact, every living cell glucose planet ... because this molecule is absolutely vital.

Considering that each cell to metabolize glucose in the human body, the liver is the only organ that fructose in significant quantities (can metabolize 9 ).

As part of a high- carbohydrate ^[9] , high calorie ^[10] of the Western diet, eat lots of added fructose can have devastating effects ^[11] on the metabolic health ( 10 ).

The liver is overloaded and begins to turn fat fructose, which is sent as VLDL and triglycerides increased. Many researchers believe that some of the fat in the liver and raise fatty liver disease ( 11 , 12 , 13 ).

Although fructose is not the rate of blood sugar, the increase in the short term, it may help, insulin resistance ^[12] , when consumed in large quantities.

This can lead to severe long-term increase in blood glucose and insulin levels, the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (strong increase 14 , 15 , 16 ).

Eating large amounts of fructose may be other side effects such as increased ... small, dense LDL particles and oxidized LDL (bad) cause the accumulation of abdominal fat, but a few (call 17 ).

Here is where it gets really interesting ... agave syrup is about 85% fructose, the (much higher than normal sugar 18 ).

Note that all this applies to all fruits ^[13] , with the charged fiber ^[14] and we feel full quickly. We are well equipped to handle small amounts of fructose in fruit.

This "healthy" sweetener is worse than regular sugar

If needed a little sweetness to your diet, agave syrup is absolutely not the way to do it.

There are several natural sweeteners ^[15] It is much healthier ... including Stevia ^[16] , erythritol ^[17] and xylitol ^[18] .

Agave nectar may be the most unhealthy sweetener in the world. He makes regular eye shot sugar in healthy comparison ... and that's saying something.

Credentials

1. ^{^} unhealthy (authoritynutrition.com)
2. ^{^} Health Food (authoritynutrition.com)
3. ^{^} Agave (en.wikipedia.org)
4. ^{^} Tequila (en.wikipedia.org)
5. ^{^} fructans (en.wikipedia.org)
6. ^{^} glycemic index (www.glycemicindex.com)
7. ^{^} fructose (authoritynutrition.com)
8. ^{^} glucose (en.wikipedia.org)
9. ^{^} carbohydrates (authoritynutrition.com)
10. ^{^} calories (authoritynutrition.com)
11. ^{^} havoc (authoritynutrition.com)
12. ^{^} insulin resistance (en.wikipedia.org)
13. ^{^} fruits (authoritynutrition.com)
14. ^{^} fiber (authoritynutrition.com)
15. ^{^} natural sweeteners (authoritynutrition.com)
16. ^{^} Stevia (authoritynutrition.com)
17. ^{^} erythritol (authoritynutrition.com)
18. ^{^} xylitol (authoritynutrition.com)