agave not so awesome

Cristofori44

so, I'm a scientist. I'm also someone who has never tried agave stuff, nor do I intend to. BUT, I cannot find any scientific claims supporting these articles. The articles reference a small study on bees. Bees. Humans aren't bees.

I think folks should stick to scientific articles that have a large number of human samples. Double blind studies even better. These types of articles fall in line with the raw milk vs pasturized milk fights or veggie eaters vs meat eaters. In other words, "agave is good. No, wait, agave is bad.......no, I mean, agave is good here, but not here"...etc, etc....

catch my drift?

I agree but you can't expect the vast majority of the American public to delve into the peer-reviewed scientific literature on anything--whether that's global warming or whether fruit is truly the evil that some low-carb fanatics make it out to be.

What complicates the matter on agave is that there's not a lot of studies on it to begin with. The best folks without a scientific background can do is to consider the legitimacy and credentials of those making health claims:

So when you have nutritionists and nutrition professors and public health experts questioning whether it's wise to use agave instead of sugar or honey, people are totally right to be cautious of the stuff.

Some sources:

“Agave syrup is almost all fructose, highly processed sugar with great marketing,” said Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. “Fructose interferes with healthy metabolism when (consumed) at higher doses”, she told me.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jonny-bowden/debunking-the-blue-agave_b_450144.html

"Currently, we don’t have clinical studies as to agave’s safety in diabetes. Unless there is a label stating the exact percentage of fructose in the agave nectar, it can range as we just talked about from 55% up. So if you are diabetic, your blood glucose may or may not be spiked…all depending on how much fructose is in the particular agave product consumed and your particular case of diabetes."
http://www.susanmitchell.org/blog/2009/04/sweetener-update-agave-and-stevia/

Until some studies prove otherwise, I'll stick to sugar and honey.

It's kind of sad that there's so much conflicting nutritional info out there, the story seems to change every few years: Red meat was bad in the 70s; oat bran was the darling of the 80s; and now the rage is Paleo and gluten-free and organic. Agave may very well be a symbol of the "natural" movement gone too far, just like granola. I'm sure there will be other examples.

amanda_ataraxia

I saw this not too long ago. I have personally never used it, but my parents do.

I always stick to pure maple syrup. One of the few sweeteners with actual health benefits.

_granola

Is any "sweetener" really considered "healthy?" No.

No one is really consuming agave in the amounts that would be considered "harmful." It's an alternative sweetener and that's it. Vegans need an alternative to honey and cane sugar. Agave is a fine substitute in moderation, just like any other sweetener.

annie_banannie

While the article is interesting and cause for thought, I don't think we should take it as the truth. We can't believe everything we read or are told. This is merely one side and I see no real science behind it. If, in fact, all of this were true, the makers of the stuff could not put certain things on the label and in their advertising and have it approved by the FDA.

Good points. Readers should keep in mind that the information comes from the Weston A. Price Foundation, which has been called "out of step with the world’s scientific literature" and criticized for promoting "a range of irresponsible and potentially dangerous ideas."

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/fuhrman_dietary_myths.htm#storyContinued
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mndamon

I prefer agave in its more refined and better known state. Tequila.

Thread probably should have ended after this was posted. Not much else needs to be said.

3foldchord

My son is allergis to honey, he uses maple syrup or agave necar- if we need something liquid. I use honey for me.

Cristofori44

While the article is interesting and cause for thought, I don't think we should take it as the truth. We can't believe everything we read or are told. This is merely one side and I see no real science behind it. If, in fact, all of this were true, the makers of the stuff could not put certain things on the label and in their advertising and have it approved by the FDA.

Good points. Readers should keep in mind that the information comes from the Weston A. Price Foundation, which has been called "out of step with the world’s scientific literature" and criticized for promoting "a range of irresponsible and potentially dangerous ideas."

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/fuhrman_dietary_myths.htm#storyContinued
.

Yeah but scroll up and you'll see that legitimate nutritionists have questioned agave. That's enough for me.