Agave vs Organic sugar

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bceltic
bceltic Posts: 135 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I can not do artificial sweeteners due to headaches. Too much regular sugar also gives me headaches. I switched to organic sugar a while back. Since starting here (almost 2 weeks now) I thought Id give artificial sweeteners a try again. Big headaches! So I grabbed some Agave. Its alright, but the calorie count is actually higher then in the organic sugar I use to use. So my question is , is using Agave much better for my health then using organic sugar?? I'm sure it would be better to give it up all together, but I'm not ready for that right now!! I need my tea! lol
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Replies

  • jayjay12345654321
    jayjay12345654321 Posts: 653 Member
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    I found this website that compares nutrition facts for up to 3 items. If these aren't the right 2, you can enter different names and see if what you're looking for comes up. Agave turns out to be highly nutritious.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=35192&t=19335&h=&s=100&e=100&r=
  • bceltic
    bceltic Posts: 135 Member
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    I found this website that compares nutrition facts for up to 3 items. If these aren't the right 2, you can enter different names and see if what you're looking for comes up. Agave turns out to be highly nutritious.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=35192&t=19335&h=&s=100&e=100&r=

    Thanks, they don't have organic sugar in there that I can find, but I like the site and will bookmark it!
  • NikkiDerrig386
    NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
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    Thats awesome. i was just looking this up. So basically it is about the same calorie count but has sugar but it has health qualities.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    Organic sugar is no better than sugar, and I don't think agave is great either due to its processing (it's like HFCS)

    Have you tried coconut sugar or syrup? Or stevia? Or weaning yourself off adding anything?
  • Natmarie73
    Natmarie73 Posts: 287 Member
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    Organic sugar is no better than sugar, and I don't think agave is great either due to its processing (it's like HFCS)

    Have you tried coconut sugar or syrup? Or stevia? Or weaning yourself off adding anything?

    Coconut sugar YUMMMMM!!!!

    Or you could use plain honey in tea, rice malt syrup or rapadura which is unprocessed cane sugar.
  • NikkiDerrig386
    NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
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    Organic sugar is no better than sugar, and I don't think agave is great either due to its processing (it's like HFCS)

    Have you tried coconut sugar or syrup? Or stevia? Or weaning yourself off adding anything?

    I posted something recently about getting off my adiction to splenda. So I was using sugar bc it was more natural. So I have heard people rave about Agave. I just bought it so I will try it for now but COCONUT sugar yummmmmmm!! That sounds fabulous! It is actually for my black tea w cream. I am starting to calorie count and diet. Thats the one thing I do not want to cut. I dont like honey with milk in my black tea. So I am trying new ways to sweeten.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 987 Member
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    Oh my goodness, no! Heavens no...it's all sugar. One is not "better" than the other. Honey, agave, maple syrup, cane sugar, beet sugar, coconut sugar, sugar-in-the-raw, etc...it's just sugar. The marketers come up with quite the story lines to sell you their new "healthy" product, but in the end, there isn't a difference. If you want sugar, then best not waste your cash and line the pockets of BS marketing and just use sugar.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
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    If too much sugar gives you headaches...use less sugar.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Oh my goodness, no! Heavens no...it's all sugar. One is not "better" than the other. Honey, agave, maple syrup, cane sugar, beet sugar, coconut sugar, sugar-in-the-raw, etc...it's just sugar. The marketers come up with quite the story lines to sell you their new "healthy" product, but in the end, there isn't a difference. If you want sugar, then best not waste your cash and line the pockets of BS marketing and just use sugar.


    ^this. Obviously the sources are different but the effects on your health, weight, body will all be the same. Eat the ones that you like the taste of and keep the amount within your calorie goal.
  • laurelobrien
    laurelobrien Posts: 156 Member
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    Agave is sugar. It's almost entirely fructose, which is really not great for you. If you care about the purity and environmental impact of your sugar, sure, 'natural' sugars like local honey are better. But metabolically it's all the same.
  • NikkiDerrig386
    NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
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    Agave is sugar. It's almost entirely fructose, which is really not great for you. If you care about the purity and environmental impact of your sugar, sure, 'natural' sugars like local honey are better. But metabolically it's all the same.

    Did you look at this site?
    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=35192&t=19335&h=&s=100&e=100&r=

    The site compares them. It has 100X more vitmains and healthy qualities than sugar. It has more vitmins, calcium, iron, etc. So thats what I meant.
  • FitnFeistyLyness
    FitnFeistyLyness Posts: 757 Member
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    coconut sugar in hot drinks

    date sugar in desserts

    this is what i do
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
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    If you really find that organic sugar helps with your headaches and it's been working fine, that's great. I use organic raw sugar made from evaporated cane juice, which is fairly unprocessed. I also use organic brown sugar and organic honey in baking.

    Agave nectar has a lower glycemic index, so it's absorbed more slowly, which may be beneficial if the sugar rush is causing your headaches. Stevia has no GI, so that might work for you as well.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 987 Member
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    Agave is sugar. It's almost entirely fructose, which is really not great for you. If you care about the purity and environmental impact of your sugar, sure, 'natural' sugars like local honey are better. But metabolically it's all the same.

    Did you look at this site?
    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=35192&t=19335&h=&s=100&e=100&r=

    The site compares them. It has 100X more vitmains and healthy qualities than sugar. It has more vitmins, calcium, iron, etc. So thats what I meant.

    Ok, so if I offer you a compound that has, say 1 part per trillion of potassium, and then offer you another compound that has 1 part per million potassium, can you really call the second compound an excellent source of potassium? No.

    Let me repeat the example in a non-science way. Let's say I present you with two envelopes of money. One has one cent, and the other has a dollar. By choosing the envelop with one dollar, will that make you a rich person? No.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Agave is sugar. It's almost entirely fructose, which is really not great for you. If you care about the purity and environmental impact of your sugar, sure, 'natural' sugars like local honey are better. But metabolically it's all the same.

    Did you look at this site?
    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=35192&t=19335&h=&s=100&e=100&r=

    The site compares them. It has 100X more vitmains and healthy qualities than sugar. It has more vitmins, calcium, iron, etc. So thats what I meant.

    Something does not add up with that site.

    100g of agave but only 16g of it carbs? What is the remainder made of? Water! So they are not comparing 16g of agave sugar to 16g of granulated sugar.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 987 Member
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    Agave is sugar. It's almost entirely fructose, which is really not great for you. If you care about the purity and environmental impact of your sugar, sure, 'natural' sugars like local honey are better. But metabolically it's all the same.

    Well, I think you are half right there. There is a difference in the metabolism of different forms of sugar. For instance, fructose is metabolized differently than glucose. This results in different organs being involved, insulin is affected differently, as well as other hormones like leptin. But, essentially, I do agree with you, they are all sugar. And, yes, procuring honey from a local supplier does seem like less of a carbon foot print than say refined sugar, produced in another country, and shipped via an extensive supply chain network, all the way to your grocery store.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 987 Member
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    Agave is sugar. It's almost entirely fructose, which is really not great for you. If you care about the purity and environmental impact of your sugar, sure, 'natural' sugars like local honey are better. But metabolically it's all the same.

    Did you look at this site?
    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=35192&t=19335&h=&s=100&e=100&r=

    The site compares them. It has 100X more vitmains and healthy qualities than sugar. It has more vitmins, calcium, iron, etc. So thats what I meant.

    Something does not add up with that site.

    100g of agave but only 16g of it carbs? What is the remainder made of? Water! So they are not comparing 16g of agave sugar to 16g of granulated sugar.

    That doesn't add up. The MFP database has 21 grams of agave syrup containing 16 grams carbs. I did a google search and found the same numbers as MFPs database. So, it looks like agave syrup is 5 grams water, and 16 grams carbs (sugar).

    The 100 g agave with 16 g carbs makes no sense. That's more like agave sweetened water, and not syrup.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Agave is sugar. It's almost entirely fructose, which is really not great for you. If you care about the purity and environmental impact of your sugar, sure, 'natural' sugars like local honey are better. But metabolically it's all the same.

    Did you look at this site?
    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=35192&t=19335&h=&s=100&e=100&r=

    The site compares them. It has 100X more vitmains and healthy qualities than sugar. It has more vitmins, calcium, iron, etc. So thats what I meant.

    Something does not add up with that site.

    100g of agave but only 16g of it carbs? What is the remainder made of? Water! So they are not comparing 16g of agave sugar to 16g of granulated sugar.

    That doesn't add up. The MFP database has 21 grams of agave syrup containing 16 grams carbs. I did a google search and found the same numbers as MFPs database. So, it looks like agave syrup is 5 grams water, and 16 grams carbs (sugar).

    The 100 g agave with 16 g carbs makes no sense. That's more like agave sweetened water, and not syrup.

    Uh oh. Math wins again. :drinker:

    They must be using the actual plant is all I can think. Which is really misleading because people are not eating the plant but still under the impression they are getting all those other nutrients.
  • twhaley1990
    twhaley1990 Posts: 140 Member
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    I don't know what ingredients from the artificial sweeteners gave you headaches, so be careful with certain Stevia brands if you go that route.

    http://www.eatingrules.com/2011/10/stevia/
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    The site compares them. It has 100X more vitmains and healthy qualities than sugar. It has more vitmins, calcium, iron, etc. So thats what I meant.

    yeah, but 100 times nothing is still nothing.

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