Agave Sweetener and Agave Syrup
Where Agave Sweetener Is From
and How It Is Made
There are several species of agave. The most common type of agave is the blue agave plant.
Agave plants are large, spiky, succulent plants that look alot like an aloe vera plant.
The word agave is pronounced "ah GAH vay".
It is also known as honey water, agave nectar and agave syrup.
It is a natural sugar, not an artificially sweetened one.
Agave is grown and commercially produced in Mexico. In fact, it is the same plant that tequila is made from.
To make agave syrup, the juice is pressed out of the core of the plant, then filtered, heated and concentrated.
This turns the juice into a syrup. A hydrolyzed high fructose inulin syrup is produced. This processed agave is similar to
high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
What Agave Sweetener Looks and Tastes Like
Agave nectar is one and a half times sweeter than sugar.
Many find agave syrup is sweeter than honey, but not as thick.
Agave nectar is produced in light, amber, dark and raw varieties.
The light and dark agave nectar is the most common types sold.
The flavour of agave ranges from mild, to medium caramel flavour to a strong, distinct flavour. There is no bitter aftertaste.
What Are The Health Benefits
and Risks
of Agave Sweetener
Benefits:
Remedial Uses - When agave syrup is mixed with salt, it has been used in skin salves and balms for its anti-microbial properties. When taken
orally, agave has been known to help against intestinal bacteria.
Minerals - Agave syrup has iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Low Glycemic Index - The low glycemic index is usually considered the largest benefit of agave sweetener.
Agave nectar is composed of real sugars - glucose and fructose, but has a
lower glycemic index than regular sugar. It is a
natural sugar, not an arificially sweetened one.
Agave nectar's make up is mostly fructose, with some glucose. The high fructose levels fluctuate slightly, depending on the brand.
Some agave sweeteners can be 92% fructose or as low as 56% fructose.
This info on the fructose/glucose make up of agave relates to the glycemic index. When calculating the glycemic index only the glucose is measured.
So, this is why agave is a low glycemic index sweetener with a low glycemic load. It has low levels of glucose, which mean low glycemic index.
The glycemic index of agave is 27.
The
glycemic load of 2 tbsp of agave is 9.6 which is lower than a piece of fresh fruit. The
glycemic load of 1 medium apple is 11.3
Risks:
High Fructose:
Blue agave plants have a high carbohydrate content. This high carbohydrate content is what gives agave such a high fructose percentage.
High fructose can cause problems for some people. It may cause decreased glucose tolerance or metabolic syndrome
(aka syndrome x which encompasses a variety of health disorders).
Ways to Use Agave Nectar and Agave Syrup
Agave has been used for thousands of years as a food ingredient in recipes and food. It is easily substituted for sugar or honey in
agave nectar recipes.
Agave is popular with vegans who don't use honey. You can use agave to sweeten cold beverages too - it dissolves quickly in cold liquids.
Sometimes amber and dark agave are used as a topping for pancakes in the place of maple syrup.
Many people find that agave nectar works well for cooking because it is very similar to sugar's role in cooking.
Agave helps food brown and carmelize it. Agave feeds the yeast to help leaven breads and help baked goods to keep soft
and fresh by helping keep some of the moisture in the baked product. Agave has sugar's preservative qualities and
helps extend the shelf life of food. And, agave keeps the same texture in food as sugar
Agave and Managing Candida
Even though agave sweetener has many positives about it, agave will feed the Candida Albicans Yeast in your body -
just at a little slower pace.
Agave won't give blood sugar spikes as much as sugar does. But, it may cause sugar cravings in some people.
In general, agave is better than sugar, but it is still not the best to use when managing Candida.
Save using agave for special occasions and limit any eating of it to very small amounts. If you are going to go for something sweet, it
will be better for you than regular
sugar or brown sugar.
But, you can also try yacon syrup or stevia instead, which are good for managing Candida.
Tell us about your agave sweetener experiences.
Read what other's say about their nutrition.
If you found this agave sweetener information useful, you will also like the information in our YIA Health Ezine.
Subscribe to: YIA's Natural Health Ezine
Also, you will likely find videos and pictures of yeast-related health issues helpful.
Check out what our visitors have submitted about yeast health or submit your own.
Agave Sweetener
by Lisa Geary B. Ed., M.A. Health Researcher
www.yeast-infection-answers.com
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