agave

Question
i have heard mixed results about using agave...lately i have come across this link from mercola (a trusted site)...is this true??

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agav...

thank you for your help! peace

Answer
Hi Mahdiya,

I'm really glad you asked this. Every day, I receive my Google alerts on agave nectar/syrup, and there have been hundreds of articles like the one you quote above. Because I believe in doing research, I went straight to the source and talked with Craig Gerbore from Madhava about the issue. You can read his statement on my blog here: http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2008/12/madhavas-craig-gerbore-responds-to.htm...

Additionally, Xagave has issued a formal response very much along the same lines: http://blog.xagave.com/formal-response-to-dr-mercola/

I'm not sure why they continue to attack agave like this, but what I can tell you is that less is more. From personal experience, I've found that I use far less agave than I ever did sugar or any other sweetener, and it goes much further to impart sweetness. Also, I am very sensitive to sweetness, so I tend to use less of it in general.

I'd recommend using less than you think you need, simply because it is so sweet. Otherwise, I've been using agave nectar for more than 5 years exclusively with no ill effects (I do get my glucose tested while fasting for other reasons, and no issues at all).

Hope this helps.
Deb

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