The Truth about Agave Syrup: Not as Healthy as You May Think

[Guest guest]

The Truth about Agave Syrup:

Not as Healthy as You May Think

by John Kohler

A relatively recent trend in raw food preparation is the use of agave

syrup (also called agave nectar) as sweetener is called for in raw

recipes.  I am often asked about my views on this sweetener.

When I first switched to a raw food diet in 1995, agave syrup was

unknown and was NOT USED IN RAW FOODS!  I first learned about agave

syrup back in 1999 or 2000 at a trade show for the health food

industry, which I attend regularly to keep up with the latest in the

health and nutrition field.  I asked several questions, got some

samples, and inquired on how the company processed the agave syrup. 

At that time, I learned that it was processed at roughly 140 to 160

degrees Fahrenheit, so I certainly didn't consider it a raw food by

any means.  Just like agave, some people consider maple syrup a raw

food, but all maple syrup is heat-treated and is therefore not raw at

all. 

Unfortunately, there are no " raw labeling laws. "   Anyone, anywhere,

at any time can put " RAW " on their label and to them it can be

supposedly raw since it is made from a " raw " material or simply not

roasted. Just because it says " RAW " doesn't necessarily mean that it

was processed at a temperature under 118 degrees and still has all

its enzymes, nutrients, and " life force " intact.  For example, when

you notice the difference between raw carob powder and roasted carob

powder in the store, it is my understanding that the " raw " carob

powder has been heated to about 250 degrees, whereas the " roasted "

carob powder has been heated to about 450 degrees.  The additional

heat applied to the " roasted " carob powder causes the carob

to " carmelize, " thus making it darker in appearance and different in

taste as compared to the " raw " carob powder.  Some stores sell " truly

raw " carob powder, it has a more chalkier texture than

supposedly " raw " carob powder.  Jaffe Bros in Valley Center,

California is a source of the " truly raw " carob powder.  There are

several raw food snack bars that say " RAW " but have ingredients such

as cooked cocoa powder (that can't be raw) and cashew nuts (most of

which are not truly raw).

Let's suppose for arguments sake, and to give agave the benefit of

the doubt, that even with " new " technology companies are somehow able

to process agave syrup below 118 degrees so it could be considered

actually " raw " .  We still need to ask the question, is it good for

us?   Some foods, even if they truthfully are raw, may not actually

be HEALTHY.  Based on what I have learned about agave syrup, I

believe it to be one of these foods.

My answer to the question, " Is agave nectar good for us? " would

be " NO " based on my research.  Here is a sample of my findings:

Agave Syrup is not a " whole " food. It is a fractionated and processed

food.  Manufacturers take the liquid portion of the agave plant

and " boil " it down, thus concentrating the sugar to make it sweet. 

This is similar to how maple " sap " that comes directly from a tree is

heated and concentrated to make maple " syrup. "   Agave Syrup is

missing many of the nutrients that the original plant had to begin

with.

Agave Syrup was originally used to make tequila.  When Agave Syrup

ferments, it literally turns into tequila.  The enzymatic activity

therefore MUST be stopped so that the syrup will not turn into

tequila in your cupboard.  Raw or not, if there is no enzymatic

activity, it is certainly not a " live " food.  As Raw Foodists, we

want the enzymes intact. 

According to my research, there are three major producers of agave

syrup.  Some of these companies also have other divisions that make

Tequila.  For the most part, agave syrup is produced in the

Guadalajara region in Mexico.  There are those within the industry

who I have spoken to at various trade shows who say that some of the

agave syrup is " watered down " with corn syrup in Mexico before it is

exported to the USA.  Why is this done? Most likely because Agave

Syrup is expensive, and corn syrup is cheap.

Agave Syrup is advertised as " low glycemic " and marketed towards

diabetics.  It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic.  We have

to consider why agave syrup is " low glycemic. "   It is due to the

unusually high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the small

amount of glucose (10%).  Nowhere in nature does this ratio of

fructose to glucose occur naturally.  One of the next closest foods

that contain almost this concentration of glucose to fructose is high

fructose corn syrup, which may contain up to 80% fructose.  Even

though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous

problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high

concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners:

A.    Fructose appears to interfere with copper metabolism.   This

causes collagen and elastin being unable to form.  Collagen and

elastin are connective tissue which essentially hold the body

together.1   A deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility,

anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high

cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough an inability

to control blood sugar levels.2

B.    Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more

readily than glucose.  This is because glucose is metabolized by

every cell in the body, and fructose must be metabolized by the

liver. 3  Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed large

amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrohosis of the

liver.  This is similar to the livers of alcoholics.

C.    " Pure " isolated fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or

minerals and may rob the body of these nutrients in order to

assimilate itself for physiological use.4

D.    Fructose may contribute to diabetic conditions.  It reduces the

sensitivity of insulin receptors.  Insulin receptors are the way

glucose enters a cell to be metabolized.  As a result, the body needs

to make more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.5

E.    Consumption of fructose has been shown to cause a significant

increase in uric acid.  An increase in uric acid can be an indicator

of heart diease.6

F.     Fructose consumption has been shown to increase blood lactic

acid, especially for people with conditions such as diabetes. 

Extreme elevations may cause metabolic acidosis.7

G.    Consumption of fructose leads to mineral losses, especially

excretions of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc compared to subjects

fed sucrose.8

H.    Fructose may cause accelerated aging through oxidative damage. 

Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking

changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose. 

These changes are thought to be markers for aging.9

I.        Fructose can make you fat!  It is metabolized by the liver

and converts to fat more easily than any other sugar.  Fructose also

raises serum triglycerides (blood fats) significantly.10

Agave Syrup and other concentrated sweeteners are addictive, so you

end up trading a cooked addiction (eating candy bars or cookies)  for

a " raw " addiction which is not much better.  Eating concentrated

sweeteners makes it harder to enjoy the sweet foods we should be

eating – whole fresh fruit since they don't seem as sweet by

comparison.   

Whole fruits generally contain a much smaller amount of fructose

compared to sucrose and glucose.  In addition, fruits contain

vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and other nutrients.  Our

bodies are designed to digest a complete " package " of nutrition that

appears in whole, fresh, ripe fruits.  Could nature be wrong?  For

example, it's always better to eat fruits whole or blend them rather

than juice them.  When you juice fruits you remove the fiber which

helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars. Concentrated

sweeteners also contain no fiber and have much greater concentrations

of simple sugars than are found in fresh fruit or even juices.

Now that you have a better understanding about Agave Syrup, hopefully

the companies selling " raw " agave won't dupe you.  They are out to

make a buck, which in this case is unfortunately at the expense of

your health.  If you are making a " raw " recipe and it does require a

concentrated sweetener, I have some recommendations for some better

options to use instead of agave:  (Listed in order of preference.)

1.     Use ripe fresh fruits.  Ripe fruits contain nutrients, fiber

and water, a complete package, as nature intended.  I find that ripe

and organic fruits are usually sweetest.

2.     Use fresh whole stevia leaves.  Stevia is an herb that

actually tastes sweet but contains no sugar.  This herb can be very

hard to find fresh, so I personally grow my own.  If fresh leaves are

not available, get the whole dried leaves or the whole leaf powder. 

Avoid the white stevia powder and the stevia liquid drops as they

have been highly processed.

3.     Use dried fruits.  If you need a " syrup " consistency, just

soak the dried fruits in some water and blend them up with the same

soak water.  Dates, figs, and prunes are some of the sweetest dried

fruits that tend to work well in recipes.  Try wet Barhi dates

blended with a little water for an amazing maple syrup substitute.

4.     Raw Honey is a concentrated sweetener, and although not

recommended, in my opinion it is better than agave syrup because it

is a whole food and occurs naturally in nature.  Of course, honey is

not vegan and that may be a concern for some.   I recommend

purchasing local honey from a beekeeper.  

Other " concentrated sweeteners " that are often seen in raw food

recipes include:

1)     Maple Syrup which is not raw and heat processed. If it is not

organic, it may also contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals.

2)     Sucanat or evaporated cane juice is pure dried sugar cane

juice.  Unfortunetly this is processed at a temperature above 118

degrees and therefore can't be considered raw.

3)     Yacon Syrup is a syrup from the root of the yacon plant in

South America.  It is once again, a concentrated sweetener processed

at a temperature of up to 140 degrees farenheight.

The moral of this article: Eat whole fresh fruits and vegetables,

they are always best.  Always question processed and concentrated

foods that are not found in nature, even if " raw " .

References:

1.      Fields, M, Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology

and Medicine, 1984, 175:530-537.

2.      Klevay, Leslie, Acting Director of the U.S. Agriculture

Department's Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D.

3.      American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2002 Vol.

76, No. 5, 911-922.

4.      Appleton, Nancy Ph.D., Fructose is No Answer For a Sweetener,

http://www.mercola.com/2002/jan/5/fructose.htm.

5.      H. Hallfrisch, et al.,The Effects of Fructose on Blood Lipid

Levels, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 37: 5, 1983, 740-748.

6.      J. MacDonald, Anne Keyser, and Deborah Pacy, Some Effects, in

Man, of Varying the Load of Glucose, Sucrose, Fructose, or Sorbitol

on Various Metabolites in Blood, American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition 31 (August 1978)): 1305-1311.

7.      Hallfrisch, Judith, Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fructose,

FASEB Journal 4 (June 1990): 2652-2660.

8.      A. E. Bergstra, A. G. Lemmens, and A. C. Beynens, Dietary

Fructose vs. Glucose Stimulates Nephrocalcinogenesis in Female Rats,

Journal of Nutrition 123, no. 7 (July 1993): 1320-1327.

9.      Roger B. Mc Donald, Influence of Dietary Sucrose on

Biological Aging, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62 (suppl),

(1995): 284s-293s.

10.  H. Hallfrisch, et al.,The Effects of Fructose on Blood Lipid

Levels, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 37: 5, 1983, 740-748.

About the author, John Kohler has been on the living and raw foods

diet for nearly a decade; he turned to living foods for healing from

a life threatening-illness (spinal meningitis) and has enjoyed

dynamic health ever since. One of Johns goals is to educate the world

about the power of living and raw foods. He is the founder and

webmaster of the largest living and raw food website on the internet,

www.living-foods.com, and www.rawfoodsupport.com.  John is also the

number one expert on raw foods appliances and gadgets in the world.

He is widely sought out and regularly speaks and instructs at many

raw food festivals and events. His area of expertise include recipe

demos with 5-7 ingredients or less, young coconut recipes, traveling

while raw, raw food appliances, successful transition to the raw

foods diet,  and the importance of a fresh organic whole foods diet.

He believes that by using fresh, organic, and whole ingredients, that

simple, healthy, and delicious recipes can be made with few

ingredients and without the use of salt, oil, spices, refined

sweeteners or chemical additives.   He is known for his pragmatic

approach to raw foods and has coached and helped thousands of people

to incorporate more fresh raw fruits and vegetables into their diet.