Sugar is delicious , ( possibly ) habit-forming , and the star ingredient in some of the good foods on Earth : donutsandice cream , among many , many others .
But it ’s also basically the daemon in white powder form ; loot is at least partly responsible for the fleshiness epidemic , ticker disease , and type 2 diabetes . Itmesses with your hormones and brain , and people eat up too all-fired much of it –more than doublethe recommended everyday amount . That all sounds black and scary , so thank goodness for rude and healthy hook alternatives like agave , veracious ?
Actually , agave isworse for you than sugarin a lot of ways – even though it ’s often touted as a health food . Do n’t be fooled by the fancy promotion , or arrogate that it ’s made from the antioxidant - rich blue agave plant . Agave nectar is essentially a hipper , more expensive version of high-pitched - fructose corn sirup . According to most wellness experts , wellness warriors , and science , HFCS is fundamentally the bad of the worst .
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Here ’s why agave syrup should be avoided , or at the very least , attract from the wellness - food section of the grocery store store .
What is agave syrup?
Agave syrup , also know as the slimly more whimsical " agave nectar , " is a sweetenerprocessed from the agave plant life . A good deal of good , scurvy - cal tequila also comes from the agave plant , so it ca n’t be that risky , correct ?
Well , it ’s a pretty long route from the beautiful blue plant to your foodstuff store . Juice is excerpt from the agave leaves , filtered , and heated to reveal the carbohydrates down into sugar . The remaining substance is a thick , syrupy liquidity ( slightly thinner than honey ) , ranging in color from light chaff to dark molasses . To make it sound even fitter , agave is sometimes marketed as a raw food because it ’s heat up under 188 stage Fahrenheit . ( It ’s also marketed as being gluten - free , which , duh . ) Agave sirup is sell commercially as a sweetening , and used by consumers mostly for beverages like coffee , smoothie , and cocktails .
Why do people think it’s healthy?
Like hemp protein and gluten - freeanything , agave is one of those staple you ’ll find in your uncanny cousin ’s electric refrigerator next to the green succus and almond Milk River . It realize this repute because agave is depleted on the glycemic forefinger ( GI ) , think it does n’t empale and knock off your rakehell sugar as quickly as , say , bloodless sugar . It was even thought to be a better option for diabetics , and at one pointedness was pay the immature luminousness by doctor and nourishment expert as a healthier shekels alternative .
" It is true that agave has a scummy glycemic index number , " say obesity medical specialty specialist Dr. Nitin Kumar of theBariatric Endoscopy Institute . " However , GI is not everything – metabolism is complex , and there are so many factors that impact whether a sweetener ( or any solid food product ) is good or bad than an alternative . " Dr. today know well , and the cons of agave far outweigh the pros .
Why is it bad for me?
When agave is process to make syrup , what ’s allow for is mostly fructose – anywhere from 70 - 90 % . levulose is ok when consumed as a element of whole foods , like yield , but on its own can have pretty damaging wellness consequences .
" Fructose is converted into fat fairly efficiently , and this can result in weight gain , " Dr. Kumar says . " Therefore , there is increased risk of metabolic syndrome , insulin immunity , and fatty liver disease . fundamentally , a lot of the downsides of in high spirits - fructose corn syrup enforce to agave ambrosia . " Which work sense , since " eminent fructose " is correctly there in the name " high - fructose corn syrup . "
So what should I use instead?
It would be great if there were some miracle sweetener choice that taste marvelous and had zero negative consequences , but both lifespan and pelf just do n’t process that way of life . In the ending , sugar are essentially all the same ; they should be consumed in moderation . The FDA recommend a utmost of 25 g of added cabbage per day , which works out to about 6tsp – and you’rebetter off using less . That say , Dr. Kumar recommends unmistakable honest-to-god mesa boodle over agave , and stevia or Splenda for multitude face to edit out kilocalorie .
Is it clip to ditch agave altogether ? in all probability , but a piddling here or there wo n’t hurt – especially if you see it list as aningredient in acocktail . Just be aware of the sour picture that dumping agave on everything is somehow good for you .
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