April 12, 2010

1 Min Read
Is agave nectar too good to be true?

Oh, agave, how I fell for you and wanted you to be true, pure and better than the rest. But now I hear people outing you as no better than—gasp—high-fructose corn syrup. Dr. Mercola says you’re mostly fructose, which spikes blood sugar and possibly can make me fat (especially around my mid-section). And Mercola says you’re processed and impure. Should I break up with you after all these years? Must I?

I have to admit: I’m confused. Some agave nectar manufacturers claim just the opposite—that is, agave has a low glycemic index (around 32 versus 62 for HFCS), making it a sweetener that doesn’t mess so much with blood sugar. And a Princeton University research team recently showed that perhaps all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup packed on more pounds than those with access to table sugar. Agave wasn’t a part of this particular study.

Sure, too much of any sweetener can lead to problems, like obesity. Sure, we Americans need to kick our addiction to sugary stuff. But I for one am not prepared to give up all my sweet treats. What’s a girl to do?

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