Agave in the Dry Mexican Desert
Agave nectar seems to be taking the health and natural foods communities by storm. Why wouldn’t it? After all, it’s labeled as a “natural” sweetener. It’s not sugar. It’s not high fructose corn syrup. It’s mildly flavored and can therefore be used in a variety of recipes unlike honey or maple syrup with their unique flavors that can overpower a mild-flavored dish. And it’s proponents are quick to point out that that it’s lower on the glycemic index than other sweeteners.
Before I looked into it further, I loved agave for those precise reasons. Nothing sweetened lemonade better than agave, and it worked so well as a white sugar replacement. In fact, you might find a recipe or two on this website from when I used agave nectar.
Yet, the more I looked into the sweetener, the more it disturbed me. While it is considered a natural food by the FDA (yeah … those same folks who’ll tell you that high fructose corn syrup is natural), agave like high fructose corn syrup doesn’t really fit the bill.
You see: agave nectar as we know it was not actually developed until the 1990s. It is a new sweetener, not one that has nourished humans for thousands of years like honey has. Agave nectar’s concentrated syrupy sweetness is a result of an intense, multiple step manufacturing process, not mother nature.
First, the juice of the agave plant or aguamiel or “honey water” as it’s been known to Mexican natives is extracted. Aguamiel, incidentally, is a traditional food that has been used by inhabitants of the area for several thousand years as a sweetener; however aguamiel in its unprocessed state should not be confused with agave nectar.
After extraction, aguamiel is forced through a centrifuge, into a holding tank, back through the centrifuge in process that repeats until all the visual impurities of the juice have been removed and the resulting liquid takes on the desired color. At that point, the aquamiel is sent through yet another centrifuge (this one heated) until the desired temperature is reached at which point an enzyme is added which converts the original sugars into – get this – high fructose and dextrose. At this point, the syrup is sent through another centrifuge to remove any further “impurities” not caught in the first series of centrifuges. From here, it’s sent through a filter using yet another centrifuge pump which serves the purpose of suspending the sugars in the syrup to prevent crystalization. As if that’s not enough insult to the original, traditional aguamiel, the syrup is sent to an evaporator which reduces its water content and doubles its sugar content before being sent for final packaging.
The manufacturing process changes the sugars dramatically and concentrates them, and it is precisely that process that renders the original substance (aguamiel which had a place as a sweetener of beverages in traditional societies) into something far from wholesome. Once the process of turning aguamiel into agave nectar is complete, the end result contains as much as 90% fructose. Keep in mind that high fructose corn syrup with all its documented ill effects attributable to its fructose content is only 55% fructose.
Nowhere in the collective past of humanity did we eat such a concentrated source of sugars – particularly fructose – as we do now. Ancient humans ate honey in small amounts and only when available and they ate fruit on a seasonal basis. In both these cases, the naturally present fructose is tempered by another component such as glucose in the case of honey and fiber in the case of fruit.
While fructose is lower on the glycemic index which leads some of agave nectar’s proponents to believe its healthier than other sweeteners; fructose is metabolized directly by the liver which could prove dangerous when such concentrated amounts are eaten. Some researchers now believe the glycemic index to be a less valuable resource than the fructose index for evaluating foods.
Consumption of concentrated amounts of fructose – like those amounts found in high fructose corn syrup and to a greater degree in agave nectar – is linked to multiple diseases including fatty liver disease, obesity, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease.
Though a product can, indeed, be called natural that doesn’t necessarily make it natural, nor does it make it healthful. In choosing our foods, we ought to seek whole foods and eat them the way they were eaten by our ancestors. Foods processed as a result of modern technology and manufacture, like agave nectar, are not traditional foods regardless of whether or not they lurk on the shelves of health food stores.
So … skip the agave nectar and get your fructose where nature intended: fruit.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve heard this about agave before, and have also heard of studies that refute this idea. I’m just wondering what is the source of your information–are there links available? Would you apply this same theory to raw agave as well? Thanks!
Ricki’s last post: Curried Root Vegetable Chowder with Dumplings.
Super post!
As you may know from my previous comments about agave syrup, for the last year I’ve been concerned about the increasing use of agave syrup, as I’ve learned how high in fructose it is and how damaging excess fructose it as well as it’s very new existence. You really summed it up well, but there’s a good page on agave syrup/nectar wikipedia.org, too for those who want to see some more info. Otherwise, it’s fairly hard to find information that isn’t marketing propaganda from the manufacturers and vendors.
I think part of the problem is that people don’t really understand the chemistry and biochemistry of sugars (yes, there are many sugar molecules). For instance table (granulated) sucrose, made of one molecule of fructose and one of glucose. That’s still 50% frucose if it ’s cheap grocery store baking sugar or if it’s expensive organic “evaporated cane juice”.
And the public especially doesn’t know what happens to their “edible food like products” between the time of leaving the source and showing up on the store shelf. Those “how it’s made” TV shows make the “machine cuisine” look like an orchestrated marvel, but they never probe the health and culture issues raises by consuming such standardized and manipulated foods. And the makers of this “machine cuisine” work overtime to form our impressions of their products with legal, but misleading labels such as “natural” and illustrations of red barns, verdant fields, and smiling animals.
Excellent point. I was wooed by agave’s low glycemic index but upon further thought began wondering if it really is ‘healthy’ just like you are pointing out. I will say that it has tremendously eased the transition off sugar for me. I use a very small amount of agave here and there and having that option has helped me get off sugar entirely and stop craving that sweet, sweet taste! Honey is good too but the taste is more distinct and it’s just a lot messier to use, frankly. Thank you for the good thoughts and warnings about complex food processing methods.
Michelle @ What Does Your Body Good?’s last post: Just a suggestion: reversible pants.
The picture at the top of the article shows a blue agave plant, it does not make aguamiel. The aguamiel is obtained from Salmiana agave. This plant was the representation of mother earth for the native people since it would give them clothing, housing and food.
Can you explain where you obtained the process information? is this proces description the same for both blue agave syrup and salmiana agave syrup?
regards
Good questions, Luis. First, while the salmiana agave plant may have been traditionally used as a source for aguamiel, many modern manufacturers of agave nectar extract it from blue agave.
Regarding the process of turning that extraction into the agave nectar, I sourced that information from agave manufacturer product data and nutrition sheets which are available publicly.
And, yes, the process is the same for salmiana agave as it is for blue agave: a result of centrifuge, heat, enzymatic reaction and vacuum evaporation.
AMEN! I’ve been warning my clients about agave since this ‘miracle’ sweetener came out. Fructose is not the inert sugar found in fruit. This is a stripped down, highly refined fructose that behaves very differently in our bodies than what you would be finding in an apple complete with all of its fiber, vitamins and minerals, and enzymes. There are a multitude of studies and information about the hazards of fructose. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a good one on the effects of consuming high fructose corn syrup which, as you smartly pointed out, actually has far LESS fructose than agave.
Love your site – what a treasure you are!
Tara’s last post: Sweet Misery.
First I want to say that I am so happy to find your blog. It’s a wealth of information.
And about the agave…I agree. I have been trying to avoid it.
Thanks for keeping us informed!
All the best,
Mary
Mary (Mary’s Nest)’s last post: Happy Thanksgiving!.
This is a very informative site…thanks!
It sounds like salmiana agave is the way to go. Is there a way to get it the same way as our ancestors? Can we grow this in our own backyards and extract the natural sugar ourselves? Would that be safe?
Great site!
Cristy
Your article (or more accurately, post) brings up a lot of good questions that people in the health community should be seeking the answers too. But it also brings up some unecessary cause for concern.
As far as agave being processed, doesn’t molasses go through quite a complex process (which involves cooking/heating the sugar) as well? Doesn’t it also contain large amounts of fructose and glucose? Most honey, unless raw, is heated and refined. And of course, regular corn syrup (not high-fructose corn syrup) goes through a process as well. Do you suggest that the reader group these sweetners together based on the fact that they are all ‘processed’?
In suggesting to “eat like our ancestors” many people have claimed that anything that’s even cooked is poisonous, and that things like bread are the worst for the human digestion, so this argument is quite a loaded one. Some processed foods have turned out not the be that bad afterall, when eaten in moderation.
Before writing something off completely, one should consider all angels and have lots of studies and personal experience upon which to make a decision for themselves. Maybe this sweetner is bad for some people and not others.
I think the best thing to do is proceed with caution, continue raising these questions and, as in all things, especially sweetners of any kind, CONSUME THEM IN MODERATION.
I don’t belive the question about Raw Agave Nectar was answered, that’s the only kind I buy. It is not heated as regular agave nectar is heated, so what’s the process for Raw Agave? I’d love to find out.
Also, I do think we have to be careful of the interests of the sources that we get our info from. For example, many basher of agave nectar end up actually being connected to the high fructose corn syrup industry, so I would also love to know where the sources came from. If it’s truly dangerous, I’d like to be able to do my own research and stop eating it if it is dangerous.
Thanks!
Here’s a nice article with cited references about agave nectar and high fructose syrup. It might be a good jumping off point for further research:
http://www.westonaprice.org/Agave-Nectar-Worse-Than-We-Thought.html
Hope this help you LFabs.
Great explantation! I will have to give the agave nectar some more thought. And I thought I was eating something good for me.
It bothers me how people always try and frighten others with this type of thing. First of all, please dont compare “our ancestors ” diet to today because theres just no comparison. Also, theres probably bad to everything. I dont really know what to believe, I actually like agave nectar and I dont over consume it so I guess I shouldn’t lose sleep over it. I figure that “in moderation” is key to practically everything so to me, those people that are always trying to frighten everybody else should not over do it with everything in site and use things in moderation- and you should be fine.
@G – There is a lot of fructose in much of our food these days. It is nearly impossible to avoid. Thus, while you might eat Agave nectar in moderation, you are still adding another source of fructose to your diet, and it is likely that your overall consumption of fructose is very high. That is all the author of this post is trying to convey; she is not trying to scare anyone. She is simply trying to make people aware that consuming agave nectar is not consuming a natural sweetener; it is adding another processed, concentrated sugar to our diets. If you like agave nectar and don’t care that it is 90% frutcose, then go for it! The article is just trying to make sure readers are informed of what they are actual eating since it is being marketed as ‘natural’ and it clearly isn’t.
@Josh – like I said to G, “CONSUME THEM IN MODERATION” is impossible if you don’t know what you are consuming. With fructose and other concentrated sugars included in almost every food label I read, as a whole we are not consuming these things in moderation. Our diets have a massive excess of them. If every specific item you eat is ‘consumed in moderation’, but every one of those items have fructose in them, then you are clearly not consuming that concentrated sugar in moderation! That is why articles like these are good, so we can be aware of what exactly we are putting into our bodies.
@Jenny – great information. Thank you very much!
Meiks -
Thank you very much for your comment about Agave Nectar. It is so nice to hear from people who truly “get it.”
Take Care -
Jenny
Hi Jenny:
I’m so confused. If agave nectar is 90% fructose — how is it lower on the glycemic index than table sugar?
And is there a difference between agave nectar labeled “Raw” and that not labeled raw?
Bobbie Ann -
That’s a very good question. Different sweeteners, just like different foods, place differently on the glycemic index. 90% fructose agave nectar rates an 11 on the glycemic index, while table sugar rates at about 60, this is because the two sugars are metabolized differently by the body. Table sugar is comprise of both sucrose and fructose, while agave nectar is almost all fructose. The only difference between “raw” agave and agave that is not labeled raw is that “raw” agave is not heated to as high a temperature as regular agave, however the enzymatic conversion of sugars (which is the problem, not the heat) is the same.
Take Care -
Jenny