I have been reading about Agave Nectar, the natural sweetner. Some sources say that it is better than sugar because it has a low glycemic index. Other sources say that it is no better than sugar and compare the product to overly processed high fructose corn syrup.
I am trying to reduce the sugar intake in our house. I have been substituting Agave in recipes and have found that I do not get the sugar lows that I used to get (probably due to the low glycemic index). I also notice that I am not craving as many sweets and I am satisfied with smaller portions.
What do you know about Agave Nectar? Is it better or not?
I use it in my coffee or teas (iced or hot) and it is made from the Agave plant. It is not like high fructose corn syrup and it is not processed that way.
You can also try coconut sugar, it has also been around for thousands of years and is a better substitute then regular sugar or chemical based sweeteners. Just remember that they will have different tastes to them, not like the bleached white sugar you are used to.
Sugar is sugar. Granulated sugar is bleached sugar (processed) from the sugar cane plant (but you can also buy it in raw form), and agave nectar is sugar from the agave plant.
Natural sugars are not 'bad' for you, although most nutritionists recommend limiting your servings to 2 a day (like 2 servings of raw fruit). It's the processed foods you should avoid (processed sugars, processed anything).
The closest thing to it is honey. It is not processed like high fructose corn syrup.
It is just one of many things we use.
What it specifically is is the nectar of the Agave plant, the plant that brings us Tequila. Yes, if you distill it you have Tequila. :)
Wow, Sunshine, but there are a bunch of Mexicans that will disagree with you! Agave nectar has been around longer than our country, they just started marketing it.
If you are worried about price, they have it at Costco.
No, nor do I use stevia. My nutritionist has a meridian stress machine. She can test supplements and foods for me to see if they balance my system. She nixed both. I use raw sugar or honey if I need a sweetener.
Part of the problem may be due to the fact that manufacturers refine it too much. And, it may be ok for some people.
Agave is very cleverly marketed processed sweetener. Agave Nectar it touted as being low glycemic, but it's only in tiny amounts. Sugar is a much better alternative, if you can believe it.
My kids and husband all have Type 1 diabetes. Agave nectar shoots their blood sugars sky high (when given the appropriate amount of insulin to the carb ratio listed on the bottle of agave) and it takes a ridiculous amount of insulin to get them back into a safe range again. A low glycemic food shouldn't do that!
I was so excited about it when it first came out, but the more I have read about it, the less impressed I am. There is no such thing as nectar from an agave plant, so don't be fooled by a natural sounding name!
Raw honey is a much better alternative and has healing properties as well as a great taste.
Jo, the clever marketing I was referring to was the supposed low glycemic label. It *is* misleading in the respect that it's only low glycemic in miniscule amounts. I wasn't speaking of how long it had been in existence. It is likened to high fructose cornsyrup, not in the way it's processed, but the effect that it has on the body.
It is just "one of the things we use", like you said, but if people are looking for truly healthy alternatives, agave nectar is extremely far down the list of options.
I feel like I'm starting all my answers this way lately : )
As with everything, it's a choice. I'm not too big on using sugar, but when I do, I'm good with regular sugar, my kids prefer honey and my husband prefers agave. So go figure. I, like L., through my husband of course, have experienced good things with agave. My husband is a type 2 diabetic and his nutritionist said it was fine to use, again, as with everything, in small doses. We've had no problems with it and I get it at Costco, I get 2 bottles for 6 and change. My husband, like L., has also found it curbs his cravings for sweets and is also good with smaller portions of food. So again....go figure.
Raw sugar is the best option I have found. It is not highly processed like ALL of the other sugar products including white granulated sugar. I don't cook with sugar but I do bake with it. I have never had the sugar lows you are talking about. How much sugary foods are you eating to cause the sugar lows? That could be more of the issue than what type of sugar is being used.
We have used it. I had never heard the negative statements about it, only that it has a lower glycemic index. I don't use sugar in cooking much so I mostly bought it for my DH to use in his coffee. He liked it. He finds he can't use white sugar in his coffee without having a sugar crash later, but he is fine if he uses less "processed" turbinado sugar. No scientific study to back up his observations. I don't buy the agave nectar often due to price but I do get it when on sale.
