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#Post#: 554--------------------------------------------------
What Is Agave Nectar!!!
DIR By: Hummingbird
Date: August 24, 2012, 11:48 am
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The truth about agave nectar
Agave nectar is becoming a trendy sugar substitute—but is it
really healthy? Read on for the scoop behind this natural
sweetener
By Lesley Young
If you haven't been offered agave nectar instead of sugar with
your coffee, you soon will. The increasingly popular all-natural
sweetener is extracted from the blue agave plants that flourish
in the volcanic soils of southern Mexico. Agave (pronounced
ah-GAH-vay) is sweeter than table sugar, and while it can be
used as an alternative to table sugar (it is similar in
flavour), it's actually got more in common with honey (though
less viscous) and maple syrup.
Why is agave nectar so popular?
"Because agave is less refined than many sweeteners, it is often
considered more natural," says Nicole Fetterly, a registered
dietitian in Vancouver, B.C. "And it is a natural food, just as
honey and maple syrup are." Agave is certainly far less refined
than many other so-called natural sweeteners on the market, she
adds, including turbinado (refined sugarcane extract) and brown
sugar, which is stripped-down table sugar with added molasses.
Agave's high fructose (approximately 70 to 90 percent) to
glucose ratio also makes it a lower-glycemic sweetener and
therefore, potentially, a healthier sweetener, she says. While
some people say that agave's high fructose content makes it
unhealthy, Fetterly says that fructose—when eaten in its natural
form, such as from fruit or agave—is still low glycemic and
therefore a better choice than straight glucose or sucrose
(table sugar). "The high-fructose corn syrup found in so many
packaged foods is not the same as the fructose from fruits or
plants," she adds.
Is agave nectar actually healthy?
Agave nectar is one-and-a-half times sweeter than table sugar,
so to get the most weight-maintenance benefit from this trendy
food, you need to use less than you would if you were using
sugar. "A lot of people forget or don't know to use less," says
Fetterly. If you become accustomed to sweeter flavour profiles,
and switch back to table sugar, you might end up using more,
which could lead to excess calorie consumption.
How can you use agave nectar?
Agave is ideal for sweetening hot beverages like tea and coffee,
and especially cold drinks such as iced tea and lemonade because
it dissolves well. It's a direct substitute for maple syrup on
pancakes or waffles, or a substitute for honey in baking. Just
be cautious about using it in baking instead of sugar because it
could alter the texture of the dish, says Fetterly.
#Post#: 698--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Is Agave Nectar!!!
DIR By: Hummingbird
Date: August 29, 2012, 9:24 pm
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Agave: The Real Deal
By Rob Richards - 2 comments
For those of you that haven’t heard of agave, agave syrup (also
known as agave nectar) is known to be sweeter than both sugar
and honey making it a common substitute to sweeten recipes.
While this product of the Tropical Americas and South Africa may
seem hip and new to you, it’s been part of traditional Mexican
and Latin American diets for years. You can read about
DiabetesMine’s take on Agave, too!
Agave and Diabetes
To control blood sugar levels, a diabetic must use a combination
of diet, medication, and exercise. The Glycemic Index (GI) has
played a huge role in helping people with diabetes choose foods
wisely as it indicates how a food will affect their glucose
levels. Unless you’re trying to raise your blood sugar
purposely, a diabetic would generally avoid foods with a high GI
as it will raise glucose levels significantly.
Because of their low GI properties, agave syrup products have
become very popular among diabetics lowering their blood sugar
levels. While ideally this would be a great tactic for choosing
diabetic-friendly substitutes for sugar and honey, natural foods
are still significantly unregulated in the US. Depending on
manufacturer and manufacturing processes, some brands of syrup
could potentially have higher GIs than others, making it an
especially risky choice for diabetics trying to keep their
glucose levels low. Because of this and other findings, both the
FDA and the Glycemic Research Institute have expressed their
concerns about agave syrup being labeled as diabetic-safe.
So Should I Cross Agave off of my Grocery List?
Not necessarily. I believe that agave nectar can be consumed as
long you keep the following in mind:
•Read all product labels carefully
•Enjoy like other sweeteners, in moderation
•Choose brands that are minimally refined
•Choose brands that have the lowest GI possible
•Before making any drastic changes to your diet, be sure to
consult your nutritionist or doctor. I cannot stress this
enough! While the internet can be a valuable resource for
information, it is no substitute to consulting a professional.
For other information, tips, and articles on managing your
diabetes, I encourage you to check out my website at
DiabeticSeniors.com.
References:
“What Is the Glycemic Index?” All About Agave. N.p., n.d. Web.
17 Aug. 2012.
<
HTML http://www.allaboutagave.com/agave-nectar-and-the-glycemic-index.php>.
Zelman, Kathleen M., MPH, RD, LD. “The Truth About Agave.”
WebMD. WebMD, 2010. Web. 17 Aug. 2012.
<
HTML http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-agave>.
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