When is a sugar not a sugar?

Genette38

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading this book;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DSUK0JA/ref=oh_d__o00_details_o00__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In chapter 3 the author says "Do not eat sugars (no AGAVE, stevia, molasses, etc)" and then Chapter 7 is called "Choosing the Best Sweeteners" and talks about using honey, maple syrup, AGAVE and dates.

So my questions are this;

1) Is Agave OK or not?

2) I get that refined sugar is bad and that honey and maple syrup are natural, but do natural sweeteners still have a negative effect on weight loss even if the effect is not so pronounced?

3) A lot of the paleo recipes I've seen use some kind of natural sweetener, do you guys bother with those recipes or is it best to just steer clear and not sweeten at all?

Cheers!

Siousix

llfretwell

Bump

EricCowperthwaite

So, honey from local, organic sources is not bad, generally. The question is, do you need that much carbs/sugar in your diet generally? See this post on Mark's Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/is-honey-a-safer-sweetener/#axzz2c3w3sIP4

Agave is even higher in fructose than high fructose corn syrup, without much in the way of redeeming qualities. It is 75-90 percent fructose, which must be processed by your liver and is converted in to triglycerides (ie fat), not in to glucose. See this article from Caveman Bob: http://www.cavemanbob.com/blogs/blog/6025828-why-we-dont-use-agave-nectar

Stevia, molasses, etc. present issues as well. Personally, I don't eat sugars, except what comes naturally in berries, fruits and vegetables.

Sprinkelss

So, honey from local, organic sources is not bad, generally. The question is, do you need that much carbs/sugar in your diet generally? See this post on Mark's Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/is-honey-a-safer-sweetener/#axzz2c3w3sIP4

Agave is even higher in fructose than high fructose corn syrup, without much in the way of redeeming qualities. It is 75-90 percent fructose, which must be processed by your liver and is converted in to triglycerides (ie fat), not in to glucose. See this article from Caveman Bob: http://www.cavemanbob.com/blogs/blog/6025828-why-we-dont-use-agave-nectar

Stevia, molasses, etc. present issues as well. Personally, I don't eat sugars, except what comes naturally in berries, fruits and vegetables.

Check out this post by The Paleo Mom (I love her! She is a scientist!)
Is Sugar Paleo?
"The answer is yes and no. Let’s start with the sugars and sweeteners that I dislike. I am opposed to non-sugar sweeteners (both artificial and natural) for two reasons: 1) some of these sweeteners cause gut irritation; and 2) these sweeteners can cause a spike in insulin which leads to blood sugar crashes because you aren’t consuming glucose which can lead to hormone disregulation and/or sugar cravings (as I explained more in my post Sugar vs. Sweeteners). I am opposed to high fructose content sweeteners, like agave syrup, because the fructose can only be metabolized by the liver, so the amount of toxic byproducts produced is disproportionately high compared to higher glucose content sugars. In addition, high fructose consumption can drastically decrease leptin (the hunger hormone) sensitivity, so your appetite increases. Fiber-based sweeteners like coconut palm sugar, which is predominantly inulin, seem to be a good solution for many people since the glycemic index is very low. However, these concentrated sources of soluble fibers can irritate the gut and contribute to Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, especially in larger doses. Just like sucrose, natural sources of these fibers (like fruit and vegetables) provide health benefits but once you concentrate it and start consuming larger quantities, health issues occur (but, I do think coconut palm sugar is okay in small doses if you have a very healthy gut)."

http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/03/is-sugar-paleo.html

Its essentially what Eric was saying it comes down to the amounts of fructose and glucose. She also has this article as well:

Why is Sugar bad?
http://www.thepaleomom.com/2011/12/why-is-sugar-bad.html

Genette38

Great answers! Thank you very much for your help and the article links. Certainly helped me make a decision about sweeteners - Natural honey as an occasional treat it is!

EricCowperthwaite

Great answers! Thank you very much for your help and the article links. Certainly helped me make a decision about sweeteners - Natural honey as an occasional treat it is!

I think that is the best choice. We certainly do not have the, generally, the energy requirements that our primal/paleo ancestors did.

justaspoonfulofsugar

Mark Sisson does a post about things that are primal or not and agave is in the NO category

Akimajuktuq

Any highly processed sweetening substance is a problem. Agave is usually very highly refined and VERY high in fructose, even higher than HFCS if I remember correctly. However, I'm sure that, as with all things, there are better options and perhaps some products are less refined. However, it is one of those products that has been marketed to sound healthy to trick you and me into buying it.

I think honey in small amounts can be ok. Remember, our ancestors would definitely have eaten honey when the opportunity presented itself but it would not have been a frequent occurence. I'm not convinced that stevia is healthy either. I can't stand the taste of it anyway.

Personally, I have avoided all added sweeteners for a long time now. Even for my child, I can usually sweeten with fruit and it's enough. Since I am now used to things so unsweet, I find a bowl of berries a satisfying and VERY sweet treat.

SirBonerFart

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading this book;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DSUK0JA/ref=oh_d__o00_details_o00__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In chapter 3 the author says "Do not eat sugars (no AGAVE, stevia, molasses, etc)" and then Chapter 7 is called "Choosing the Best Sweeteners" and talks about using honey, maple syrup, AGAVE and dates.

So my questions are this;

1) Is Agave OK or not?

Yes and no

Shadowknight137

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading this book;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DSUK0JA/ref=oh_d__o00_details_o00__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In chapter 3 the author says "Do not eat sugars (no AGAVE, stevia, molasses, etc)" and then Chapter 7 is called "Choosing the Best Sweeteners" and talks about using honey, maple syrup, AGAVE and dates.

So my questions are this;

1) Is Agave OK or not?

2) I get that refined sugar is bad and that honey and maple syrup are natural, but do natural sweeteners still have a negative effect on weight loss even if the effect is not so pronounced?

3) A lot of the paleo recipes I've seen use some kind of natural sweetener, do you guys bother with those recipes or is it best to just steer clear and not sweeten at all?

Cheers!

Siousix

1: I think Mark posted a thing on it being "not okay", but I guess it's up to you.

2: Natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, molasses, etc, may be healthier in saying they're more nutrient dense, but they are also quite calorie dense and will cause weight gain/prevent weight loss if in a surplus of calories. Provided you're still in a deficit and have no problems with sugar, you should have no problem with them.

3: Depends on the recipe. If it's a Paleo baked good - ie, "Faileo", I tend to avoid. Why? I'd rather just bake a gluten-free good with coconut/rice/tapioca/potato flour than make some horrid abomination from nut meal (don't even get me started on the Omega 6's...). However, if it's something like an ice cream recipe or a legit dish, then I'll usually go for it - ie, honey in a stir fry, etc,

In the end, it's up to you, really. I love honey and maple syrup and, on occasion, use brown sugar (gasp!) and sometimes coconut sugar because I enjoy the taste and use a tiny bit in moderation. They taste a hell of a lot nicer than stevia fit into my daily macros. YMMV.