Whether you’re an agave fan, or you’re leery because it’s “controversial”, and you don’t know who to believe, agave syrup is here to stay, as a low glycemic, vegan, sometimes raw alternative to honey or other sweeteners.
Personally, I think that the agave controversy is a tempest in a teapot, drummed up by people who have a vested interest, an axe to grind, love attention, or have nothing better to do.
There are much worse things to be concerned about in the food industry than agave, believe me!
Unlike high fructose corn syrup, which is in just about everything, agave syrup is made from desert agave plants, non-gmo and organic by default. Agave isn’t contributing to the obesity epidemic, or having a serious impact on diabetics. I’m sceptical that it causes cancer in rats.
It seems unlikely that agave nectar will edge HFCS or sugar out of the market place any time soon.
The only real thing we should worry about is that agave syrup will become so popular that blue agave will become an endangered species. Don’t laugh, it could happen! Now that I’ve got that little rant out of the way, read on:
Glycemic Index & Agave: Compared to table sugar, honey, maple syrup, and date sugar, agave syrup has the lowest GI - around 30.Insulin Release & Agave: Some agave products have fructans, a unique kind of fiber. According to a study in Mexico, a diet rich in fructans may stimulate production of the hormone GLP-1, which encourages the release of insulin.HFCS & Agave: On the other hand, because of the way it’s usually processed, agave nectar or syrup has as much or more fructose than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a leading cause of obesity in the U.S.Agave Processing: Some manufacturers use potentially harmful chemicals to process agave into syrup. A few small companies preserve nutrients in processing agave, by heating the crushed agave plant to extract and intensify the sweetness of the liquid, or by using enzymes.Raw Agave: The use of enzymes to process the agave plant produces the only “true” raw agave. Since it’s almost impossible to know whether a bottle of agave syrup labelled “raw” is actually raw, I guess you just have to take the manufacturer’s word for it.Vegan Agave: Since agave processing doesn’t involve any animal parts, it’s considered a vegan product, like brown rice syrup or maple syrup. Sugar processing commonly uses ash from animal bones for refining.Sweetness of Agave: Agave can be up to three times as sweet as table sugar, so you can use less. Agave syrup mixes easily and has a mild flavor, which makes it a favorite for adding to drinks. Unlike honey, which becomes toxic when heated, agave syrup can be safely added to hot drinks, or used in cooking.Blue Agave & Other Agave: According to XAgave, there are two types of agave plant used to make agave nectar or syrup: Agave Salmiana (White Agave Plant) and Agave Tequilana (Blue Agave Plant). White Agave has a clean sugar taste, and Blue Agave has a slightly ‘nutty’ aftertaste. Both can have the same consistency, depending upon processing.Popular Brands of Agave Syrup or Nectar: Volcanic Nectar’s Blue Agave Nectar is billed as raw, i.e. produced below 118 F, Organic and Kosher certified; so is Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Blue Agave. Madhava is a popular brand of light agave syrup, but doesn’t make any claims about rawness, which means they probably process agave in the usual way – i.e. with heat, and (gasp) chemicals. Grey Agave is another up and coming brand for which I couldn’t find any info.
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