http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-inside-scoop-agave-nectar.html
The Inside Scoop on Agave Nectar
By Andrew Behrendt, Natural Solutions magazine
Forty miles northwest of Guadalajara, in the arid highlands of western Mexico, lies the town of Tequila. In the hills surrounding the town, the subdued blue of the Agave tequilana plant colors the countryside. The region’s farmers grow and harvest acre upon acre of the plant.
They discard the plant’s succulent, spiky leaves, despite their beauty, and focus instead on the pineapple-like heart of the plant, which has created a lot of buzz recently, not only for its best-known derivative, tequila, but also for its sweet, health-promoting nectar.
Increasing numbers of health connoisseurs have discovered that Agave nectar is an ideal substitute for sugar and artificial sweeteners like NutraSweet and Splenda.
Its appeal stems not only from its super sweetness–varieties of Agave nectar range anywhere from 25 to 45 percent sweeter than sugar–but also from its low ranking on the glycemic index (a chart that measures how much and how quickly a food raises blood sugar). Since the fructose in Agave gets broken down into glucose more slowly in your stomach, it doesn’t spike your blood sugar or insulin levels as much. That means you avoid a sugar crash-and the fatigue and hunger that go along with it.
The low-glycemic nature of Agave also helps protect you from diabetes-related problems like insulin resistance and insulin deficiency, both partly caused by dramatic swings in glucose levels.
Isabel H. Clark, RHN, a Washington, DC-based holistic nutrition counselor and founder of Clark Wellness (www.clarkwellness.net), uses Agave nectar instead of honey for this very reason. “Depending on the brand, honey can range from about 62 to 83 on the glycemic index, and Agave usually scores 11 to 19. That’s a big difference,” she says.
Vegans, too, consider Agave the perfect substitute for honey. You can easily mix it into any warm or cold drink, or substitute it for sugar or honey in many baking recipes.
“Agave works well as a 1-to-1 substitute in any recipe that calls for honey,” says Clark. “When using Agave in baked goods calling for sugar, such as cakes or cookies, keep in mind that Agave is a syrup, not a dry sweetener.” Adjust for that by using less liquid in the recipe (on average, about 1/4 cup less, though that varies depending on the recipe).
Also, take into account the extra sweetness of the nectar. You may need only 1/3 to 1/2 cup Agave for every cup of sugar.
Try these recipes from Natural Solutions Magazine online:
Chocolate Agave Mousse
Cinnamon-Cacao Smoothie
Or these from Care2:
Sweet Coconut Cream (Dairy-Free)
Healthier Carrot Cake
5 Raw Vegan Salad Dressings
Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living offers its readers the latest news on health conditions, herbs and supplements, natural beauty products, healing foods and conscious living. Click here for a free sample issue.
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15 comments
add your comment »I was recently told that some agave nectar is laced with corn syrup. Has anyone heard about this? Is there a specific brand name that has done/is doing this?
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thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner
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You can find the vitamin and mineral information on Blue Agave Nectar at the link below
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
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The Website below gives the breakdown on the vitamin and mineral content of Agave Nectar and all other food choices.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
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I would not use Agave after hearing on a CBC radio documentary that an Agave cactus can take 60 years to reach maturity and only 15 minutes to cut down. Not exactly ecologically sustainable. Coupled with this is the fact that most Mexican Agave farmers are now facing bankruptcy unless they yield to takeover bids from large multi-national conglomerates.
I prefer finding a local beekeeper who nutures their hives and over winters the bees by feeding them honey; one who is ethical.
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It's also great on Raw Organic Almonds. Just add a few drops and spoon around...Yummy!
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It's also excellent on top of organic, non-salted cashews! Yummy!! Just add a couple of drops and spoon around.
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I also enjoy Agave, especially on plain yogurt! How about Stevia? Another alternative to sugar that is also lower than agave on the glycemic index. Can be purchased in powder or syrup form and is much sweeter than sugar. Works well in baking.
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I would love to try the Agave but have been unable to get any in South Africa and the postage and costs to bring it in from elsewhere in the world are axhorbitant - Any suggestions? Xylitol by the way is great but also extremely pricey approx SAR40- for 250grams ...
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agave syrup or nectar is fantastic, have been drinking it with my tea for a few years now. because its liquid its great on cereal,fruit salad, etc.. batches vary in sweetness, and so do the different brands
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