One of the big enemies of those who follow a clean eating lifestyle is sugar. Sugar is a hard habit to break and luckily there are several sugar substitutes on the market. However, if you don't like sugar substitutes that are created in a lab, then you may opt for natural substitutes like stevia or agave nectar
I have only recently heard of agave nectar myself as I was researching sugar substitutes after coming across the different ones available in the sugar aisle of the supermarket. I was wondering what other natural substitutes were available besides stevia
The Facts About Agave Nectar
Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) is derived from the agave plant. If you are not familiar with the agave plant, it is also used to make tequila (Blue Agave). The syrup is commercially produced in Mexico. It is much sweeter than honey but less viscous.
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It is popular for use as a sugar substitute and has a low glycemic index, but I am not sure how safe it is for diabetics. It is usually used as replacement for honey in recipes and is about 40% sweeter than sugar.
Overall, it seems to be a good natural sugar substitute but it's always good to do your own research. Have you tried agave nectar
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_nectar
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I use agave syrup a lot!!! My nutritionist recommends it over the chemical sweeteners, and I do not like Stevia.
Agave Syrup works best for me in drinks (tea), on my hot cereals, and other items you would normally put honey on.
I have not baked with it yet, but have found some recipes I am interested in trying it out on.
That is great to hear. I think I may try a bottle myself to test out.
Use it all the time….it’s great!
the agave nectar (syrup) is fantastic. i use it in teas, cereals both hot and cold, on sweet potatoes, on waffles or in my plain yogurt, fresh fruit or on anything you want to add a hint of sweet too. i recommend it to people all the time.
I just bought some of this yesterday. I keep seeing it listed as an ingredient in recipes in Clean Eating Magazine. I can’t wait to try it out!
I had recently bought some agave nectar after seeing it used in many recipes I wanted to try. I like the taste in the ways I have used it so far. I do have some concerns about this product being healthier for you, though. I’ve read about how it is mostly fructose and that high amounts of fructose can damage the liver (main reason I stay away from high fructose corn syrup). So is this a better alternative to sugar or should we just realize that sweets should come from whole fruits and not processed goods? What do you think? Has anyone else heard any of these warnings?
When I first went looking for Agave, I had lots of questions about it. Fortunately, I found a very knowledgable person at my local health food store.
She told me that Agave is great for people with blood sugar problems because your body digests Agave like a complex carbohydrate instead of a simple sugar, making it a far better choice for those who struggle with blood sugar highs and lows.
My mother in law is diabetic, and she always tells me that her blood sugar remains stable after I’ve served her an Agave sweetened dessert.
I can’t say enough for this wonderful stuff. It’s the only sweetener my young son is allowed to have. I wouldn’t dream of giving him the white stuff.
i too used agave a lot when i first began eating clean.. i have decreased my usage because it became somewhat addicting. i would use it on everything to replace sugar!! fruit, protein shakes, oatmeal, tea, coffee, etc. i found if you try to stay away from sweeteners (natural or not) period, you don’t crave it as much.
For baking i used brown rice syrup once purchased at wholefoods… very good
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_rice_syrup
Do some research on the dangers of agave. I have a mildly fatty liver and was warned away from agave by my doc. It is processed by the liver just like fructose and the body stores it as fat.
I love the mild taste of agave, but like some of the other commenters, I have read that agave, as a fructose is digested by the liver and is highly processed.
I do use Agave Nectar at times but I also use Honey in moderation… Honey is a superfood and is not processed. Honey – inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeast, fungi and viruses. Antioxidant due to phenolics, peptides, organic acids, enzymes. Salicylic acid, minerals, alpha tocopherol, and oligosaccharides (increases the number of good bacteria in the colon), reduces levels of toxic metabolites in the intestine, helps prevent constipation, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. The darker the color of honey, the higher the level of antioxidants.
I use Agave and honey both. I stick with the darker version because they have the better nutrient cotents. Agave has a great taste but I limit my intake because it is as with all sweet things… the more you use it the more you want it. I also use Stevia which I like. You do have to get used to the taste at first though. I rarely use sugar anymore. If I do I use sugar I use sucanat which is unrefine sugar cane which retains it’s molasses content. Good stuff.