Agave Nectar – Sugar Substitute or Just More Sugar

Agave syrup (also known as agave nectar), long since used to make products with less than desirable health effects (like tequila), is actually very sweet, much sweeter than sugar. As a result, due to the lower amounts required to sweeten a food item, among other factors, some companies have started marketing agave nectar/syrup as a natural sugar substitute for diabetics. But, is it actually better for diabetics than sugar is?

Well, the answer lies in a little bit of science. Just a tiny bit, I promise! You see, the standard table sugar is split 50/50 between glucose sugars and fructose sugars. Fructose sugars are absorbed into the body much slower than glucose sugars, which causes it to encourage obesity when too much of it is used, but it can also result in a better sugar for diabetics since it can help them avoid dangerous blood sugar level spikes.

Agave syrup, which is 90% fructose and 10% glucose in most cases, has a lower glycemic index than table sugar. However, there is one problem. Agave syrup has variations that have 45% glucose and 55% fructose, making it hardly any better for diabetics than standard sugar. In fact, that is the same distribution of glucose and fructose that normal high fructose corn syrup has. It’s just not good enough.

It is important to note that standard sugar and agave syrup both have the same number of calories per ounce. See, the thing is that sugar isn’t nearly as sweet-tasting as agave nectar is, so it will take less agave syrup to create the same level of sweetness, which means that less sugar would be consumed.

So, which is better for diabetics? Agave syrup or sugar? If you get the right version of it, it is. However, the benefits are limited as it is still sugar. In addition to that, since agave syrup fructose and glucose concentrations can vary, it only serves to emphasize that diabetics should be researching what exactly they are heating, especially since consuming large amounts of something you think is healthy when it isn’t can be quite dangrerous.

While I have covered a fair amount of information, you should always do more research on anything like agave syrup before deciding if it is good or bad for diabetics. Just as a diabetic should always do, if you try a new substitute for sugar, you should carefullly monitor your blood sugar levels to insure that you aren’t having a negative reaction. Good luck, and happy eating!

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