News

Our monthly nutritional news letter with the latest research and thinking.

Agave syrup health issues

This isn’t so much a product recall as a recommendation recall where I realise I have to change my stance on Agave syrup.

Over recent years I have sometimes recommended agave syrup as a suitable replacement for sugar whilst at the same time pointing out the dangers of high fructose corn syrup .  All of the reasons for not using HFCS(such as the unnatural production process, the genetically modified enzymes, the damagingly high levels of fructose and the strain that this puts onto the liver) can in fact also be attributed to Agave syrup, and perhaps even more so because it has an even higher level of fructose than HFCS. There is a good argument to say that Agave syrup or Agave nectar should really be labelled ‘High fructose agave syrup’ but for some reason it isn’t.

So, just to be completely clear about this … Agave syrup goes through a complicated chemical refining process of enzymatic digestion, which converts the plant starch into the free, man-made chemical fructose that has a direct link to serious the degenerative disease conditions so prevalent in our culture.

While high fructose agave syrup won’t spike your blood sugar levels (and can therefore be called ‘low GI’), the fructose in it may cause: mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, obesity, and may be toxic for use during pregnancy. Lovely. Stop using it now.