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I often get asked about the health of various sweeteners and sugar alternatives, and the latest one to gain popularity in recent years as a “natural” sweetener is agave. Many people use it as an alternative to high fructose corn syrup or sugar, but agave syrup is derived from the Agave plant, which is also used to make Tequila (my personal favorite use for it 😉 )
Parts of the Agave plant have been used medicinally for years, and many people are most familiar with the fermented form: Tequila. Unfortunately, Agave doesn’t live up to its new found reputation as a healthy food. I don’t personally use it and won’t consume it for several reasons:
Agave is High in Fructose
Agave originally gained popularity because it is lower in glucose than other sweeteners. While this is true, and it doesn’t raise blood sugar as much as some sweeteners, it is extremely high in fructose and in many cases, it contains a higher percentage of fructose than high fructose corn syrup. In fact, HFCS is (on average) 55% fructose while agave can be 70-97% fructose!
Fructose doesn’t affect blood sugar in the same was as glucose but it does contribute to insulin resistance and other health problems. As this article explains:
“In addition, fructose poses a danger to your cardiovascular system and could increase your risk for metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Unlike glucose, fructose can only be broken down in the liver. As it gets metabolized, uric acid and free radicals form, which can trigger inflammation and damage cells. Plus, one of the most dangerous final products of fructose metabolism is triglycerides, which can contribute to the fatty arterial plaques responsible for cardiovascular disease. High triglycerides are particularly dangerous for women, whose risk for cardiovascular disease rises three times as much for every single unit increase in triglycerides compared to men.”
Chemicals in Agave
When you read terms like “Agave Nectar” or “Agave Syrup,” you may think of a natural product that is made by simply heating the sap of a plant for a period of time (similar to how maple syrup is made). Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.
The nectar/syrup is not made from the leaves or sap of the Agave plant, but from the starchy root/bulb. Agave root is very high in inulin (mainly fructose) which is converted in to a “syrup” through a chemical process. This process involved up to a dozen chemicals, including genetically modified enzymes.
According to Bianchi, agave “nectar” and HFCS “are indeed made the same way, using a highly chemical process dependent on genetically modified enzymes”. The manufacturing process also calls for caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches. The result is a high level of highly refined fructose in the remaining syrup, along with some remaining inulin. (source)
Agave is often also sprayed with harsh chemicals when it is growing and some shipments sent into the US have been refused because they tested too high for pesticide levels.
Agave is also high in sapoins, which are controversial but not needed by the body and are best avoided. As this article explains:
However, the truth is that the saponins found in many varieties of agave plants are toxic steroid derivatives, capable of disrupting red blood cells and producing diarrhea and vomiting, to be avoided during pregnancy because they might cause or contribute to miscarriage by stimulating blood flow to the uterus.40 At the very least, agave products should carry a warning label indicating that the product may cause a miscarriage.
Bottom Line
Agave is high in fructose and potentially high in chemicals and sapoins. While moderate fructose consumption in its natural state (fruit) can be part of a healthy lifestyle, concentrated fructose can be harmful to the liver and over extended periods of time can cause health problems. Agave syrup as we know it today was invented in the 1990s and there is no biological reason to consume it so it is best avoided.
Do you use Agave syrup or other derivatives? Ready to switch to something healthier? Share below!
Just a note to those subbing honey for agave or anything else: When you add honey to hot foods, or cook it, it looses all the good stuff in it. Just be sure that you aren’t heating it or adding it to hot foods like tea.
I want to make strawberry jam. How do I replace the sugar in the recipe?
Wow! I didn’t know any of this! I bought some Agave Syrup several months back, but never used it because I didn’t like the taste Thank you for sharing so many helpful details, that I had no idea about! I truly did think it was healthier, and much better than high fructose corn syrup. Out of curiosity, where does brown rice syrup fit in as far as a better sweetener to use? Is it better or is it processed like corn syrup as well? Thank you so much for this valuable information!
What about raw agave nectar? I have multiple sclerosis and raw agave nectar does not increase symptoms. White sugar, Brown sugar makes my symptoms worse. Anything processed.
Hi Katie!
I use Stevia, but read that some powdered brands have been bleached? How can you tell which brands haven’t been bleached, and is this a good sweetener?
I just use the herb itself and not any of the powders since in order to be white, all have been bleached or processed in some way.
Like many others I’ve been fooled in the past with the whole agave thing. Katie, what are your thoughts on stevia and xylitol as alternatives to sugar?
Thanks x
This isn’t really relevant to the article itself, but I finally am at a place where I remember and have time to write something –
A few weeks ago, your blog posts stopped being pushed in their entirety to Feedly. While I can understand not wanting to have the whole post come through, there is nothing but the title in the updates, which means I don’t even get a few sentences to determine if the post is something relevant to my needs. Instead of reading a few sentences, deciding if I’m interested, and potentially clicking through to read the comments, I usually just clear your posts so they’re out of the way. At this rate, it means that I’ll probably end up unsubscribing to your feed.
I wasn’t sure if you were aware about this recent change, or if you did it on purpose. I just thought I’d throw out the feedback, and let you know my thoughts.
Thanks
Hi Amber, thanks for letting me know. It wasn’t intentionally removed, not sure why it’s not showing up for you. I’ll look into it and see if I can get it fixed.
Maple Syrup is a good alternative to sugar. A great article to read regarding how maple syrup is made and which kind is best is: http://deepmountainmaple.com/maple-facts-and-fictions.
I am so glad you posted this. I have been telling my friends to stay away from in for a long time. When I see people using it in recipes, it makes me think that we are not like minded when it comes healthy choices. I was happy when Dr Oz recanted his support of the product. I use raw organic honey and I love it. Thanks Katie!
Shoot. We have 2 giant Costco size things of agave nectar, but after reading this post I want to switch to just raw honey. Is there any way you know of that I could put the remaining agave nectar to work externally? Seems like a waste to throw away. Thanks!
Take it back and get your money back. Costco will give you your money back. Spread the word by telling them why your retuning. I would use organic honey
I have the same problem..wish I had known this before that last Costco trip!
Costco guarantees satisfaction so you can request a refund even if you have used some of the Agave.
Costco should take it back. Tell them you don’t like it.
I had the SAME thing — great deal on very ‘sizeable’ bottles… but the receipt is lost in no-man’s-land (IE: the bottomless pit that is our paper recycilng bin). Likely they won’t take back without a receipt.
Any other suggestions on putting it to use? Catching ants? Re-routing slugs?art project adhesive?