Agave Nectar: Healthy or Hype?
by Vin Miller
Agave nectar has been marketed as a natural and healthy alternative to common table sugar and is becoming a popular ingredient in many so called health foods. Unfortunately, many of the marketing claims associated with agave nectar aren’t true, and it’s arguable that this trendy sweetener actually poses more of a health risk than the sugar that it’s used to replace.
Given the health concerns associated with sugar and its tendency to cause weight gain, many people are going out of their way to avoid it. Those who are conscientious about their health are less likely to use artificial sweeteners, and as a result, are more likely to be influenced by the misleading marketing that depicts agave nectar as a healthier and more natural alternative to table sugar. Although agave nectar is commonly found in health food stores and is an increasingly common ingredient in so called health foods, this is by no means an indication of its safety or nutritional quality.
Agave Nectar vs. Common Table Sugar
The chemical name for common table sugar is sucrose which is a disaccharide that consists of glucose and fructose and is typically derived from highly refined sugar cane or sugar beets. Agave nectar is also highly refined, but is extracted from a variety of plants belonging to the Agave genus. The primary carbohydrate in agave nectar is inulin which is a highly indigestible polysaccharide consisting mostly of fructose and a small amount of glucose. While the fructose in table sugar is bound to glucose, the extensive processing used by many manufacturers to produce agave nectar causes much of its fructose content to exist in isolated form. This is also the case with the infamous sweetener high fructose corn syrup and is one of the reasons why both of these sweeteners are considered to be unhealthy.1
Although agave nectar comes from different types of plants than table sugar, and although it contains glucose and fructose in a different form and in different amounts, the two are probably not as different as most people would expect. It’s already well known that common table sugar is unhealthy, and it’s questionable to think that agave nectar is any better.
The Fructose Controversy
Fructose is often touted as a natural and healthy sweetener that doesn’t cause blood sugar fluctuation and is safe for diabetics. However, research has shown that fructose can increase blood sugar just about as much as glucose.2 Although it’s been shown that fructose invokes less of an immediate insulin response than glucose, this is believed to have the effect of increased appetite and weight gain.3, 4, 5 Furthermore, while all cells can metabolize glucose, fructose is almost exclusively metabolized by the liver where it’s converted into fatty acids which can further increase the potential for weight gain. Fructose metabolism can also result in an increase in triglyceride production5, 6 which is a potential risk factor for insulin resistance, inflammation, obesity, and heart disease. In addition, the need for the liver to metabolize fructose can temporarily limit its capacity to metabolize excess blood glucose which can ultimately increase blood sugar levels and the demand for insulin.7
A popular argument used in defense of fructose is that it naturally occurs in fruit. However, it’s important to realize that the fructose in fruit doesn’t exist in isolated form as it does in agave nectar. In addition, whole fruit contains many other nutrients which are likely to favorably influence how fructose is digested and metabolized. Besides, even the natural sugars in fruit can be a problem if they’re consumed in excess.
Agave Nectar and Industry Deception
As previously mentioned, agave nectar is often promoted as a natural sweetener. Agave plants are abundant in Mexico and consumers are led to believe that agave nectar is a naturally fermented raw sweetener that’s part of traditional Mexican culture. While it’s true that fermented agave is part of Mexican culture, it’s highly unlikely for the agave products commonly sold in stores to have even a remote resemblance to it.8
Most of the agave nectar products available in stores are highly processed and are technically nothing more than hydrolyzed high fructose inulin syrup. Some manufacturers have even resorted to adding high fructose corn syrup and using species of Agave plants containing substances such as saponins that are toxic to humans.1,8 One manufacturer in particular, Western Commerce Corporation, was investigated by the FDA and shut down in 2000 for using high fructose corn syrup in their agave sweetener and deceptively labeling it as certified organic. Unfortunately, even if the FDA’s significant industry bias wasn’t an issue, they don’t have the resources to identify and investigate all of the manufacturers that may be doing things like this.
Better Alternatives
The most nutritious way to satisfy a craving for sweet food is to simply eat a piece of whole fruit. In regard to desserts and other sweet snacks, a nutritious option is to use raw honey. If the calorie content or blood sugar effects of fruit and honey are a concern, then the natural sweetener stevia is a great alternative. In case you believe the claims that agave nectar is a low calorie sweetener, it actually contains about the same amount of calories as maple syrup or honey.
It’s often said that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. This is certainly possible considering the impact sugar can have on your moods. In fact, it’s arguable that sugar can even alter your character. If you think that you’re addicted to sugary foods, I highly recommend reading either The Diet Cure or The Mood Cure by Julia Ross for some effective solutions.
Finally, if you enjoy sweets, which is perfectly acceptable in reasonable moderation, it’s a good idea to consider making your own desserts so that you can choose healthier ingredients. Ice Dream by Rachel Albert-Matesz is an excellent book to help you get started. Although agave nectar is one of the optional sweeteners suggested in the book, Rachel now recommends against using it.
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Hi Vin, this was an extremely useful article and so content dense, as are most of your articles. Thanks!
Thanks, Stephen! As always, I appreciate the feedback.
Glad you brought this issue up. Agave is everywhere is look. It is also used in a few popular organic yogurts sold at Whole Foods (although the agave-sugared vanilla flavor yogurt lists 9g sugar while all counterpart vanilla yogurts on the shelf list anywhere between 16g to 30g.)
I think people should definitely watch the amount of sugar they consume. The less sugar the better. A high sugar lifestyle – as well stated in your previous articles – can lead to a myriad of health problems. Eliminating refined sugars will allow you to lose some unwanted fat. The sheer improvement of diet (from refined foods to more quality nutrition) will allow initial weight loss even if you did not exercise during this food transition.
Phx Suns superstar Steve Nash has been on a strict no/low sugar diet – and he claims he hasn’t felt any better than now. At age 36, he is arguably playing and performing his best. Of course, there are many other factors in this case, but point still being that sugar does affect how one functions.
Hi Arin, thanks for your comment!
I’m glad you mentioned yogurt and Whole Foods. Although most people consider yogurt to be a healthy food, it’s typically sweetened with sugar unless it’s plain yogurt which most people probably wouldn’t like because of its bitter taste. Likewise, just because something is for sale at a health food store like Whole Foods doesn’t mean it’s actually healthy. These are great examples of why it’s so important for us to know what we’re buying and putting in our mouths.
It’s so refreshing to hear a fitness trainer respect the importance of diet in regard to weight loss, particularly the avoidance of refined foods. I never considered myself to be overweight, but when I chose to eliminate refined foods, 30 pounds disappeared effortlessly in 3 months, and because I was recovering from my most difficult point of chronic fatigue, I wasn’t exercising much at all. An unhealthy diet causes poor health in addition to weight gain, and exercising excessively to compensate could compromise health even more. This is why I think it’s so important for people looking to lose weight to refocus their goals to be more health oriented and let the weight loss occur naturally as a result.
Thanks for pointing that out about Steve Nash. I love stories relating to athletes who improve their performance through healthier habits!
i think i would use stevia before agave
I started using stevia 2 weeks ago. Only a few drops are enough often times…
Mallory and Gabe,
As I mentioned in the article, stevia is a great alternative to sugar if you really need to use a sweetener. As you’ve experienced, Gabe, it’s very sweet and a little goes a long way.
Great one, Vin. To me, agave nectar and high fructose corn syrup are more alike than not. The only difference is agave nectar is marketed as a “healthy” sweetener (well, except the latest ads from the corn industry about HFCS). I think the more people see these two as the same the better off we’ll be. Eating high amounts of fructose is simply unnatural. Those two products – and refined sugar – are what make it possible to consume way more fructose than ever before.
Thanks, Elizabeth!
I completely agree and it’s a great example of deceptive marketing at work. The bit of bad publicity that agave nectar has received in the past may be the only reason why the food industry hasn’t totally jumped at this opportunity to make their products appear more healthy.
Great article Vin. I find that sweeteners are a reflection our attitude as a population these days. We pile on the things that make us feel good regardless of the consequences, become addicted and spend precious time and resources to fix the situation. We really don’t need sweeteners. I’ve found that my taste buds have become much more sensitive to smaller amounts of sweeteners as I’ve cut back on them… to the extent that I don’t notice the difference in using half the sweetening that I used 5 years ago. It would be hard to pinpoint, but I think it only takes 6 months or so for your perception of sweetness to change. When you make a change, just give it time, and your body/mind will adjust. I used to put a lot of honey in tea, now many times I won’t sweeten it at all, and it tastes just fine!
Thanks, Jon!
What you mentioned about perception of sweetness changing is a great point. Taste buds do adjust based on the foods we regularly eat! I agree that we don’t need sweeteners and it’s evident by how sweet a piece of fruit tastes after avoiding sugar for a while. I used to love orange juice and can’t drink it anymore even if I wanted to because it tastes so excessively sweet to me now. Likewise, something like a sweet potato or a good piece of fruit is truly as satisfying as a dessert.
I’ve never tried stevia but I heard only good things about it.
Try this to satisfy food cravings: raw honey + nuts (any kind…I love walnuts) + cottage cheese. I probably eat this small snack every day, especially at night when I am very tempted to make unhealthy food choices.
Hi Emily, that sounds like a great snack! Because it’s nutritious, contains honey, and has a good balance of macronutrients, I can see how it could easily satisfy food cravings.
A tasty snack I recently discovered while on vacation is cream cheese, hazelnut cream, and berries. Although it may sound like an odd combination and should probably be considered more of a dessert than a snack, it’s nutritious and very satisfying! Figs or dates are also great snack foods that can satisfy a craving for sweetness.