AGAVE NECTAR:
I am currently working with a wellness chiropractic doctor to help my hips and back heal. The pain in my hips has stopped me from being able to run for the last few months… no fun. He was working on me last Thursday when he asked, “why is your blood sugar high?” It took me a by surprise because he had just started to adjust my hips. He asked if it had been a while since I had eaten anything. I just had lunch a couple of hours prior, but I did have a YUMMY vegan strawberry shortcake the night before. I made them at home with a crazy delicious frosting made with coconut oil and agave. As soon as I brought that up, he looked at me trying to decide if I was “open” to hear what he had to say about agave. I asked him what he take was on it. He asked if I have heard of HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. Of course, thats bad stuff and is used in almost all processed foods as an added sweetener. It is linked in many cases to the rapid rise in obesity in the US as well as diabetes insulin resistance and heart disease. I avoid it as much as possible. To my unpleasant surprise Dr Jerry informed me that agave is 90% Fructose(the bad stuff when processed, good for you in the natural fruit form like an in apples etc) That is almost DOUBLE the amount of fructose in high fructose corn syrup. WHAT?? He then went on to tell me how hard it is for our kidneys to process. It makes them work extra hard. If we are putting our bodies under all this nutritional stress, it makes it very hard for us to heal any ailment we may have and it also makes us more susceptible to illness and injury. It makes perfect sense to me.
I am not saying throw out the bottle, just use wisely and do your research. I love to be well informed, but sometimes I find myself following trends. I’d love to hear what you have found that works for you or any research you have done on the subject.
Other articles I found about agave: http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/02/15/debunking-the-agave-myth/
http://www.sia-hq.com/articles/Debunking-the-Blue-Agave-Myth
Source: WFM 1-10