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Agave Nectar (agave
syrup)
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What I Choose to Buy at the
Co-op ... and Why
A series of monthly articles by members of our Nutrition &
Education committee
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by Kurt Seitz
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Agave nectar, also known as
agave syrup, is made from the juices of the agave plant, most often
from blue agave, agave salimiana, agave americana and agave mapisaga,
although there are many other wild agaves that can also be used, each
varying in flavor. Agave plants are crushed and the sap collected into
tanks. The sap is then heated to about 140°F for about 36 hours,
not only to concentrate the liquid into a syrup, but to break down the
carbohydrates.
Since agave syrup is as much as 90% fructose, it has a sweeter flavor
than table sugar, which is 50% fructose. Agave scores roughly around 20
on the glycemic index, a measure of how quickly carbohydrates break
down during digestion—table sugar (cane or beet) scores around 70;
therefore agave is often used by diabetics. Fructose’s slow breakdown
prevents people from experiencing a "sugar rush" and subsequent crash,
and because it tastes sweeter you do not need to add as much to a
recipe to obtain the same level of sweetness. This makes it attractive
for people who are sugar-sensitive or watching calories but do not want
to resort to artificial sweeteners. However, agave nectar has almost
the same calorie count as the same amount of table sugar.
Aside from any health benefits, the main advantages of using agave
nectar are that it is not thick and it is highly soluble, allowing it
to be easily combined with other ingredients regardless of temperature.
Agave nectar has a long shelf life and does not need refrigeration
after opening. It can serve as a sweetener in almost any type of food,
including baked goods (with minor adjustments, such as reducing other
liquids up to 30%, increasing cooking time, and reducing the baking
temperature about 25°).
You can find a wide range of agave syrups on the market, ranging from a
dark, almost molasses-like product to a light, simple syrup. Most agave
syrups available in the United States are organic, vegan and kosher,
making them appropriate to use for almost everyone. But it’s important
for people to read agave nectar labels because not all manufacturers
bottle pure agave nectar; some dilute it with cheaper sweeteners like
high-fructose corn syrup.
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Fructose
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The
main carbohydrate in agave juice is comprised of
inulin-fructooligosaccharides, a complex form of fructose. There are
two methods of processing, one using enzymes and one using hydrolysis,
to split the complex sugar in simple sugars. Hydrolysis is generally
more efficient and produces a more refined product. When the agave sap
is heated, the complex sugars are broken into their constituent
fructose units.
There are five sugars known as monosaccharides—glucose, fructose,
galactose, xylose and ribose— that serve as the building blocks of
disaccharides—sucrose, lactose, maltose, trehalose and cellobiose.
Glucose is the main energy of cellular function; but to prevent serious
damage, the body uses insulin to keep blood glucose in a very narrow
range. Fructose, a sugar found mainly in fruits, undergoes metabolic
processing in the liver.
Studies have suggested that consuming too much fructose creates
problems in the body: obesity; an increase in triglycerides in the
blood, which are a marker for heart disease; removal of important
minerals from the body; an increase in levels of uric acid in the body,
an abundance of which brings about the symptoms of gout; fatty liver
disease, making the liver look like that of an alcoholic; and reduction
in levels of insulin, leptin and ghrelin, hormones that control
appetite and overindulgence. High-fructose corn syrup, considered by
many nutritionists to be a scourge on humanity, contains anywhere from
42% to 90% fructose. Sucrose is comprised of 50% fructose and 50%
glucose. Honey has a similar ratio as high-fructose corn syrup. Agave
nectar ranges from 56% to 92% fructose. (See chart, Grams of Sugar per
100g.)
To sum up, Scott Kustes writes in Modern Forager:
"So what’s the best sugar you can eat? None. If you need (and I use
that term loosely) to add something to your food or drink, use the
least processed that you can get, which would be either honey or
probably evaporated cane juice, and use sparingly. In the end though,
avoid sweeteners as much as possible and stick to the natural sweetness
of blueberries, apples, and papaya. We can argue until we’re blue in
the face about what fruits are best due to lower fructose content and
all of that, but if I can get someone to drop the cakes, sodas, and
cookies, I bet they can eat apples all day long and be just fine." |
Sources
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Kamozawa,
Aki, and Talbot, H. Alexander (Jan. 20, 2009). "Agave Nectar, A
Sweetener for Any Occasion." www.popsci.com/diy/article/2009-01/agave-nectar-sweetener-any-occasion.
Kohler, John. "The Truth about Agave Syrup: Not as Healthy as You May
Think." Retrieved Feb. 8, 2009 from www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html.
Kustes, Scott (April 18, 2008). "What Sweetener Should You Choose?
Sugar? Honey? Agave Nectar?" www.modernforager.com/blog/2008/04/18/what-sweetener-should-you-choose-sugar-honey-agave-nectar.
Nagel, Rami (Nov. 23, 2008). "Agave Nectar, the High Fructose Health
Food Fraud." www.naturalnews.com/024892.html.
Stambor, Zak (Jan. 21, 2009). "Health Watch: Agave Nectar Offers a
Sweet Alternative."
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Agave
Syrup…in a nutshell
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•
Agave syrup, also called agave nectar, is a sweetener commercially
produced in Mexico.
• It is a complex form of fructose called Inulin or Fructosan. Agave
consists of fructose and glucose. Its glycemic index load is lower than
many other natural sweeteners on the market.
• The color is light to dark depending on the degree of processing and
contains iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
• Agave is sweeter than honey and dissolves quickly. Some vegans like
to use it to replace honey in recipes.
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Criticisms
of Agave
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•
Agave is a refined sweetener rather than a syrup.
• Raw foodists say that agave is not really produced at a temperature
of under 118° (to be considered raw) and that the sap is heated to
about 140° for about 36 hours to concentrate the liquid into a
syrup and develop its sweetness.
• Agave syrup is not a whole food, it is a processed food.
• As agave syrup ferments, it literally turns to tequila.
• Some say that agave syrup is watered down with corn syrup before it
is exported to the USA from Mexico.
• The high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the 10% of
glucose is not a high enough ratio to consider it low on the glycemic
index or natural.
• Fructose interferes with metabolism and may contribute to the
sensitivity of insulin receptors in diabetics.
• Fructose consumption leads to mineral loss, increase in uric acid and
increase in blood lactid acid which contributes to heart disease,
diabetes and oxidative damage.
• Agave syrup and other concentrated sweeteners can be addictive.
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Other
Healthier Alternatives
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•
Whole fruits
• Dried fruits
• Maple syrup
• Sucanat
• Stevia
• Raw honey
• Yacon syrup
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For
More Information
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www.shakeoffthesugar.net/article1042.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_syrup
Table of fruits and sugars:
www.thepaleodiet.com/nutritional_tools/fruits_table.html
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