Agave nectar, marketed as a natural and diabetic-friendly sugar replacement, has made its way into a range of “healthy” items such as cereals and energy bars. Aside from pre-packaged agave-sweetened items, you can also buy agave nectar or agave syrup by the bottle, much like honey. And now that agave is so readily available, it’s important to discover if it’s actually beneficial for you.
Agave nectar is produced from the blue agave plant and Agave americana, often recognised as maguey or the century plant. This is the very same shrub that tequila is made from.
It’s simple and easy to say why agave nectar looks to be a better choice than regular sugar, as it has a lower glycemic index (GI)—a measure of how a specific carbohydrate is expected to affect blood glucose (sugar) levels. This judgment, however, is not as simple as it appears.
When it comes to calories, sugar, and total amounts of carbs, the distinctions between agave nectar and refined sugar are minor. They differ in terms of the type of sucrose used and where they score on the glycemic index. These two characteristics combine to make agave nectar a dubious substitute for sugar.
The deleterious effects of agave — and sugar in general — have nothing to do with the glycemic index and more to do with the elevated amounts of fructose. Now, agave syrup is extremely rich in fructose. The fructose level of agave sweeteners ranges between 80% and 90%.
While every cell in the human body can metabolise the glucose found in sugar, the liver seems to be the only organ capable of metabolising fructose in large proportions. Excess added fructose consumption can have a negative impact on your metabolic health and might even lead to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, a high fructose diet might raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol and oxidised LDL. It may also contribute to the buildup of abdominal fat. Some researchers even think that some fraction from this build-up of fat can get trapped in the liver and might lead to fatty liver disease.
In case of natural whole fruits, which are loaded with fiber and make you feel full quickly, these disadvantages are absent. Your body is well equipped to handle the small amounts of fructose found in fruit.
So, the bottom line is that if you need to add sweetener to your meals, agave nectar is probably not the best way to go.
(Disclaimer: The health tips shared in this article are based on common practices and general knowledge. Readers are advised to consult a doctor before following them at home.)
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