Is Agave Nectar Safe: More and More Information Is Being Revealed that points to the Possibility that Agave Nectar May Not Be So Healthy After All
What Is Agave Nectar?
Agave nectar is made from the nectar or sap of the agave cactus. Agave cactus is the same the plant that tequila is made from. In the processing of agave nectar, the plant is crushed and the sap collected and then cooked down into a syrup which takes about thirty six hours. Some agave nectar claims to be raw which is not actually possible because raw food is never heated at temperatures above 118 degrees Fahrenheit and agave nectar can’t be produced without being heated to at least 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It is possible that it could be organic, but for those who choose it because it claims to be raw, you may want to think twice before consuming it.
The main carbohydrates in the agave plant are called fructosans. These are not sweet and must heated so that they break down into fructose to become sweet. One of the main reasons that raw foodists eat food in its raw state is that all of the nutrients remain intact and are not broken down by the heating process.
Is Agave Nectar Healthy?
Now that we know what agave nectar is and how it is processed we can take a look to see if it is in fact healthy for us to eat. Let’s say you are not a raw foodist and have not even heard about eating raw foods. You may just be looking for more healthy ways to eat. If agave nectar were simply that, only agave nectar, then it would definitely be an upgrade from refined sugar and therefore a good choice for someone who is simply trying to improve their diet. One thing to think about when trying to improve your diet is to go from using refined foods to using whole foods. As you can see from the information above, agave nectar is not a whole food. It is made by using parts of a plant and not the whole thing.
Is agave nectar safe? Another downfall of agave nectar is that there are rumors that certain companies are using fillers such as corn syrup to make the production of agave nectar less expensive. This would cerainly make agave nectar unsafe for diabetics. This was sad information for me to hear at first. I was one of those using agave nectar freely for making treats for myself and my family. A friend of mine brought this information to my attention and I actually called the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center to ask if Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD recommends using agave. Much to my dismay, he recommends only using it infrequently. Since agave nectar is processed in Mexico, there are different regulations than we have here in the states and we cannot be sure that the final product is in fact pure agave nectar heated at low temperatures. So, is agave nectar safe? In my opinion, it might be optimal to experiment with other natural sweetners until we know more about the production of it.
In my research I did come across one company that seems to take the manufacturing of their agave nectar very seriously. This company has a good reputation and I do believe that what they say is true. So, if I continue to buy agave nectar, I will buy the Ultimate Superfoods brand. They claim that because of their processing technique, their agave nectar is truly raw and healthy! You can find them online.
For an alternative sweetener, you might like to try using Smart Sweet brand xylitol. This is the only brand I know of that does not contain any corn byproducts. Xylitol is very sweet and can replace sugar in any recipe cup for cup. It has a very low glycemic index if any at all and is very safe for diabetics.
Berries are another good source of sweetner as is dried fruit. Pure stevia extract is another excellent choice.
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