Is Agave Nectar a Good Alternative for a Sweetener?
Many of us often are in search of ways to sweeten up our drinks/treats. As a result,
Alternative sweeteners are all over the market and it is often confusing what the healthier option should be.
As a result, Agave Nectar has been an alternative to sweeten up a meal.
Agave nectar, or agave syrup is partially made famous because it comes from the same plant as the tequila. While tequila may be a favorite, its nectar may not be so friendly. Agave nectar is known to be about 300 times sweeter (therefore you need less of it) than your table sugar but is low on the glycemic index. The reason being is that the sweetener is primarily composed of fructose. You can see the study Here where it mentions that the fructose and inositol levels were about 85%. Additionally, agave nectar has the highest fructose content of any sweetener on the market.
Fructose gets its name from fruit sugar. While you may think that is a good thing, fruits containing fructose have antioxidants and come packaged with fiber. In a study they showed that fructose has some of the least amount of antioxidants when comparing other sweeteners. Fructose has been shown to increase the risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, increased triglycerides, cholesterol, and fatty liver disease.
In closing, this well marketed agave syrup is largely composed of fructose and really should be avoided. It is not the ideal sugar so you want to keep this one out of the pantry or your food.