Many of us are constantly on the prowl for sweeteners other than sugar and the fake sugar substitutes.This is a wide open market for products like Agave Nectar.
Agave Nectar is soooo over the top sweet that the first time I ever had it I got an immediate “sugar rush”, blurred vision, and thirst. These effects were my signal to leave this new-kid-on-the-block alone!! See, some things, even if natural, are not worth the effects. Whenever ANYthing blurs my vision I know that it shoots up my Glycemic Index to dangerous levels.
The studies now show why Agave Nectar is dangerous and not really natural at all once it has been heated. In its natural form, Agave is quite effective, but once heated it is nothing short of being Tequila! The fermented Agave plant is indeed Tequila! The heated Agave plant is the nectar.
Here are some reasons why Agave Nectar should be avoided:
Poor Quality Control. There are very few quality controls in place to monitor the production of agave syrup. Nearly all agave sold in the U.S. comes from Mexico. Industry insiders are concerned that agave producers are using lesser, even toxic, agave plants due to a shortage of blue agave.
- Pesticides. There are also concerns that some distributors are cutting agave syrup with corn syrup — how often and to what extent is anyone’s guess. In addition, the FDA has refused shipments of agave syrup due to excessive pesticide residues.
- Saponins. Agave is known to contain large amounts of saponins. Saponins are toxic steroid derivatives, capable of disrupting red blood cells and producing diarrhea and vomiting. There is also a possible link between saponins and miscarriage by stimulating blood flow to the uterus, so if you’re pregnant, you should definitely avoid agave products.
- Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Some agave syrups contain a contaminant called hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, also called 5-hydroxymethyl furfural), an organic heat-formed compound that arises in the processing of fructose — in both agave syrup and HFCS. HMF has potential toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects [iv]. HMF is EXTREMELY toxic to honey bees, which is a problem since commercial beekeepers feed HFCS to the bees to stimulate honey production when field-gathered nectar sources are scarce [v].
- Nutrient Void. Agave syrup is not a whole food-it is fractionated and processed, devoid of the nutrients contained in the original, whole plant. Read the full story here:
