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My regular readers know that I consider agave to be a BIG enemy to health and beauty- which is very high in fructose (up to 97% fructose). It truly irks me that sly marketing makes the general public think agave is a “healthy” sweetener, and that it continues to be used in “health” products purported to be better than regular baked or other goods, as well as in many restaurants. It is not. There is a myth that exists that fructose is a “healthy” sugar while glucose is bad stuff. In fact, in recent years, there has been a rise in sweeteners that contain this “healthy” sugar, such as the dreaded agave nectar. I sincerely hope that this information (please help spread it!) makes more people aware of the differences in sugar types, and makes more people know to avoid agave at all costs. S.O.S: Save Our Skin!!!
*Some studies show that fructose creates AGE’s up to 10 times more efficiently than glucose Bottom line: A little fruit is just fine – it contains small amounts of fructose the body can easily metabolize. Concentrated fructose in HFCS, agave, and crystallized fructose on the other hand, can cause a real health problem and should be avoided.
Another type of simple sugar is glucose, which is the most common form of carbohydrate. It is derived from starches. When you eat starches, your body converts them to glucose, which raises blood sugar levels and supplies your body with energy. Your body metabolizes glucose via the intestinal tract, causing a rise in blood sugar. In order to return your blood sugar to a normal level, the pancreas releases insulin, which is a storage hormone. The insulin binds to the glucose and carries it to the cells that need extra energy, storing any remaining energy in long-term storage (a.k.a. fat cells). Cells that need glucose have insulin receptors that encourage glucose to enter in order to efficiently utilize it. The problem arises when glucose is continuously high. Eating highly , simple starches (white flour, white rice), and foods containing sugar elevate blood glucose significantly. For a while, the pancreas can handle this workload; however, over time it becomes exhausted and unable toefficiently release insulin any longer. This can result in the chronically elevated blood glucose levels found in type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. At the same time, because insulin release is now inefficient, glucose is no longer being delivered to the cells that need it, resulting in cell starvation. Hyperglycemia over time has been related to:
Bottom line: Your body will cull the glucose it needs from complex carbohydrate-rich foods including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Eating excess levels of starches and simple sugars can break your body’s glucose management mechanism (metabolism), resulting in numerous health problems.
Many people recognize the inherent health risks of sugar and fructose, and thus turn to alternative forms of sweetness. This often occurs in the form of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. Unfortunately, these sweeteners have their own health risks, are artificial chemicals, and are neurotoxic. Artificial sweeteners have been associated with:
When you want something sweet, what can you do? Try some natural sweetness from a piece of fruit, a dried fig or date, or a smoothie. You may also enjoy stevia (different brands taste better than others. I like NuNaturals), which is a sweet herb or xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol that has negligible effect on blood sugar levels. For liquid sweetener needs, raw coconut nectar is great as it is only 10% fructose (compared to agave, which is up to 97% fructose) and is rich in minerals in amino acids. Even maple syrup is a better choice than agave. Besides avoiding refined white sugars and artificial sweeteners, be sure to avoid fructose-loaded sweeteners such as agave and high fructose corn syrup. What’s the one thing I want you to remember from this blog, which I repeated about twelve times? Here it is again: Avoid agave, agave-containing products, and restaurant dishes that include agave in their ingredient list (if you are not sure, ask!).
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