Anyone out there use Agave Nectar as a sweetener? I have been using it for about a year, thinking it was as good or better than honey and much better
than sugar substitutes. Boy was I wrong. A very disturbing article about this stuff.
Personally, I wouldn’t put too much stock in the words of Joseph Mercola. He is, first and foremost, selling his products, which apparently don’t
include agave. He is a osteopathic physician with no research education or experience that I can find. He has sent a letter to the editor of a
journal and he is co-author of one brief non-research article in the dubious Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine, which publishes for
holistics and natural foodies.
One reference for this agave article is another commercial by another natural foods hawker, which has apparently been pulled because the links
are bad; another is a patent for producing agave nectar which notes no research for or against the health benefits of agave; another is a generally
favorable article by a Time Magazine reporter on the business of agave nectar; another is a journal article about the toxicity of HFCS in honey bees,
and makes no mention of agave at all; and the last reference is to the same article on honeybees, but from another source. So, where’s the evidence
for or against agave nectar? There is none.
Mercola has apparently made up everything he has written here about agave nectar, because he cites no legitimate sources for his diatribe. I did
a search of the academic journals and found virtually no scientific testing of agave. There is a Journal of the American Dietetic Association article
which states that the antioxidant properties of agave nectar are similar to refined sugar (not good), but that’s it. In a non-published internet
article, the Glycemic Research Institute claims that they halted testing of agave nectar because of “severe side effects in diabetics,” but they don’t
describe those side effects. They did note that some agave manufacturers have adulterated their product with HFCS.
I’m not saying that I know anything about agave nectar—but, it doesn’t seem like Joseph Mercola does, either. I rarely use any sugar product,
but if I liked agave nectar, Mercola’s article wouldn’t convince me otherwise.karenintx - 3-31-2010 at 10:38 AM
Want effect me...I am allergic to agave which means "No Margaritas"...my loss!jodiego - 3-31-2010 at 10:43 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by karenintx
Want effect me...I am allergic to agave which means "No Margaritas"...my loss!
OMG, no margarita's!! Then how could you possibly expect us to take your anti-Mercola post seriouslyMexitron - 3-31-2010 at 10:44 AM
Kind of an extreme position I think, although if its being sold as safe for diabetics then that is dangerous.
I love it when they show the hit list of the chemicals used in processing....oh my gawd, chemicals! Its like the rant about Coca-Cola using
phosphoric acid as an ingredient and how it will dissolve organic tissue in just two days...for goodness sake we can "cook" fish for ceviche using
lime juice, a strong acid, in just half an hour... and for sure stay away from vinegar--its an acid too!David K - 3-31-2010 at 04:08 PM
That's pretty good Steve!
Great to market something like 'agave nectar'... sound so wonderful, like the Native Americans must have used it...
If they would market Miracle Fruit or form of it as it would be great way to help diabetics and others to cut sugar intake! (After eating Miracle
Fruit, anything eaten afterwards that is normally sour or acidic will taste sweet.)
