Agave Nectar Health | Is Agave Nectar Healthy Or Not?

July 5, 2010 By 2 Comments



Agave Nectar Health

Agave nectar health is the topic of endless, heated discussions, and it seems like there is no quick end in sight. A few health experts have taken it upon themselves to “enlighten” the public about the “truth” on agave nectar. The biggest American producer, Madhava, has responded with clear facts…but the fight continues. If you are interested in the details of this low-glycemic war of the words, please see my page on this site: Agave Myths And Rumors.

I am no doctor or licensed nutritionist (I’m a chef!), so I can’t make any definite statements about agave nectar health. Neither is there an all-encompassing answer to the question, is agave nectar healthy? But I can share with you what I’ve experienced over the past 6 years, when selling and cooking with this great natural sweetener.

  • During my years as a farmers market vendor selling my Agasweet brand flavored agave syrup, I had hundreds of regular customers – many of them diabetics – who were very happy with my product. They actually shared with me positive reports on agave nectar health.

As a chef with a healthy body, however, I am more excited about the following qualities:

  • As agave tends to bring out the flavors of any foods you combine it with, I love to add a bit to soups and stews, sauces, bean dishes, corn bread, wheat breads, sandwiches, cheese dips, and much, much more, where normally sugar is not a recipe ingredient.
  • It tastes much better than simple syrup in cocktails.
  • It never gives me a sugar rush, because of its low-glycemic index rating and because I use it in moderation.
  • Moderation is easy with agave nectar – it’s 1.4 times sweeter than sugar!
  • Even on top of mustard and ketchup – a squeeze of my syrup brightens all the flavors of any hot dog or bratwurst favorites.
  • Pancakes come alive with butter and agave!
  • Poached fish, a delicate lemon beurre blanc, and a shot of our natural sweetener – heaven!
  • Carrots glazed with agave nectar…so good it almost made a vegetarian out of this meat and potatoes chef.
  • The list goes on and on, and I will write about many more fabulous recipe ideas on this blog.

So, yes, it’s important to know the basics about agave nectar health benefits. But it’s also good to sit back and relax, and say: a teaspoon of natural plant food can’t possibly be worse than the empty calories of refined sugar!

And agave nectar tastes so much better!

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Is Agave Nectar Any Good? Dr. Weil Answers.

June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment



Dr. Weil On Agave Nectar

Here is the agave nectar question posted on Dr. Weil’s website:

Is Agave Nectar Any Good? Have you ever used agave nectar instead of honey? I recently discovered it in our health food store. It has a lower glycemic index than honey and works just as well. I have used it in place of honey in your recipes.

And this is Dr. Weil’s reply:

Agave (pronounced ‘uh-GAH-vay’) nectar is produced from several species of agave, desert plants native to the Americas, known as “maguey” in Mexico. (The blue maguey is used to make both tequila and mescal.) Not surprisingly, agave is an important crop in Mexico. Just before they send up their huge flower stalks, these plants store a lot of energy in their cores in the form of a sweet-tasting carbohydrate called inulin. Agave nectar is produced by expressing the juice from the agave core, then filtering and heating it and treating it with enzymes to convert the inulin to sugars.

As you’ve noted, agave nectar is a natural sweetener that ranks relatively low on the glycemic load scale. It is sold in health food stores and online and has been growing in popularity in recent years. Although it provides as many calories as sucrose (table sugar), it is sweeter, so you can use less of it – say one-quarter of a cup to substitute for one cup of sugar in recipes. I like the taste of agave nectar and have started using it in my kitchen, as well as trying products that contain it.

A 2006 review of the scientific literature on agave published in HerbClip™, on the Web site of the American Botanical Council, concluded that it is safe to use agave in the amounts usually found in foods and beverages, but the reviewers cautioned that pregnant women should avoid it because some species (more than 200 have been identified) contain anordin and dinordin, steroids with contraceptive effects that could lead to miscarriage. I think this is a very low risk. I am more concerned about the sustainability of agave as a food source, because demand may soon exceed supply.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Dr. Weil On Agave Nectar

Visit the original post of “Is Agave Nectar Any Good?” for more valuable health information.

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What Is Agave Nectar?

May 6, 2010 By 1 Comment



Agasweet Flavored Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is a 100 percent pure and natural sweetener made from the juice of the agave plant.

Qualities and benefits of this healthy alternative to refined sugar

  • Agave nectar from reputable sources such as Madhava in Colorado is certified organic, pure, and without any additives whatsoever.
  • Agave nectar is gluten and dairy free, as well as peanut and tree nut free.
  • The glycemic index of Madhava’s agave is 32. Compare to honey (58) and sugar (64).
  • Agave syrup is not a low-carb food. However, due to its higher degree of sweetness you may use less of it and thus save calories. 2/3 cups of agave = 1 cup sugar.
  • Many diabetic customers report great results from using agave as their sweetening agent. It’s best to consult with your doctor to find out if agave nectar is right for you.
  • It does not need to be refrigerated. Store it at room temperature. After opening, the shelf life is more than a year.
  • Agave nectar is highly suitable for cooking and baking. Similar to honey, it has a moisture-retaining quality. Great for cakes and cookies!
  • There is absolutely no corn syrup in Madhava’s agave. Elsewhere on this site you will find extensive information on this controversial issue.

Just as honey, agave syrup is naturally composed of water, fructose and glucose. Both honey and agave are created by enzymatic action which breaks apart the complex sugar molecules (disaccharides) of the flower nectar (for honey) or the agave juice (for agave sweetener) into their natural proportion of simple sugars (monosaccharides).

What Is Fructose?

Fructose is found naturally in many foods. It is often referred to as fruit sugar. It is assimilated differently in our body than glucose, and does not disrupt blood sugar levels.

Fructose is a monosaccharide, or single sugar, that has the same chemical formula as glucose but a different molecular structure. Found in fruit, some vegetables, honey, and other plants, fructose and other sugars are carbohydrates, an important source of energy for the body.

In a 2002 scientific statement on sugar and cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association concluded that, for most individuals, consuming fructose either pure or in the form of sucrose has neither beneficial nor adverse effects.

This is a highly interesting testimonial by the maker of the famous Gnosis Chocolates. Read the Agave Nectar Report.

Organic Agave Nectar

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