As fears about white sugar and high fructose corn syrup sweep health conscious people in America, so called ānatural sweetenersā are gaining in popularity. The biggest one is agave nectar or syrup. There are over 300 species of the agave plant grown in the southern U.S., northern South America, and Mexico. From these plants, manufacturers take the agave and highly process it into a liquid, marketing it as a āhealthful sweetener.ā
Agave has a low glycemic index, suggesting it would be health, however, that is not the problem. It has the highest fructose of all sweeteners, higher than high fructose corn syrup at 55%. Agave has 60 to 90% HFCS, causing insulin resistance. This, in turn, causes an increase of triglycerides levels and a risk factor for heart disease, strokes, and obesity.
Dr. Mercola took samples from three major popular brands of agave and tested them for the percentage of fructose. Here are his findings:
Now Foods Organic Amber Agave Nectar, 59.1 percent
Madhava Agave Nectar, 63.8 percent
Wholesome Sweetener Organic Blue Agave, 67 percent
More evidence that HFCS is worse for you than any other sweetener comes from Dr. Richard Johnson, chief of the kidney disease hypertension department of the U. of Colorado and author of the book “The Sugar Fix,” one of the best books on the health dangers of fructose. Dr. Mercola mentions how fructose drives up uric acid levels in the blood, increasing the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and obesity.
In ending our discussion on sweeteners, I just want to close by mentioning one more sweetener manufactured by Coca Cola, Truvia. Again, this is made up of chemicals not necessarily good for oneās health. Try to cut down on all sweeteners and use the ones we have mentioned in the articles in moderation.
