30.03.2016 Pelagia Zuikova Save:
Hello, dear readers! I think everyone has wondered: how to replace sugar? Yes, so that it’s sweet and without harm to your health and figure. Once upon a time, I learned about such a plant as agave, and also tried a product made from it - agave syrup.
The benefits and harms of agave syrup, its properties and contraindications - this is what we will talk about today. Sit down more comfortably, because... I have something to tell you.
Agave is a plant that grows in Mexico. It blooms only once, which attracts the attention of tourists. But the plant itself is useful not only in nutrition, but also in industry.
However, we still know agave as the plant from which tequila is made. But in fact, it's not the only thing they make... How about a sweet syrup from this plant?
The syrup is made from the soft core of the plant, which is about 7 years old. The juice is squeezed out of it into special containers. Then it is evaporated until it thickens and turns into a viscous liquid with a sweetish taste.
Depending on the duration and temperature (usually 55C) at which the liquid is processed, the nectar has a different consistency and color - from transparent to brown. That's why there are light and dark agave syrups on sale.
The recipe for making this “nectar” has existed for several decades, but it only came to widespread use not so long ago. And now the syrup is used as a sweetener by adherents healthy eating being fans of this delicious product.
Chemical composition of agave syrup
The beneficial substances that make up nectar are very diverse and include:
- calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus;
- tens essential oils;
- vitamins E, K, A, group B and D.
The calorie content of syrup is 320 kcal per 100 grams. Yes, about the same as sugar, but due to the high content of fructose, which is absorbed more slowly than sucrose, the consumption of sweets is reduced to a minimum.
That is, the syrup saturates well. This makes drinking syrup more beneficial both for the health of the body and for the figure of those with a sweet tooth. I think you understand that we are all women and that’s normal. So why deny yourself healthy sweets!
Beneficial properties of agave syrup
Considering all of the above useful material, which are contained in this product, its benefits are as follows:
- this is a natural sugar substitute that can be used for weight loss without harming your figure;
- has low glycemic index (15-17);
- contains up to 5% inulin.
Thanks to inulin, which is a polysaccharide, gastrointestinal tract beneficial bacteria and probiotics are produced, which contributes to the proper functioning of intestinal motility.
And proper functioning of the intestines affects the skin of the face and body, making us even healthier and more attractive. Therefore, my dears, this should not be forgotten.
Harm and contraindications
1. Main disadvantage of this product- this is almost 100% fructose content, which is large quantities may cause rapid weight gain.
Therefore, it is necessary to use no more than a spoon or two of this sweetener in food. Don’t worry, this amount is enough to make any drink or dessert sweet without harm to the body. Everything needs moderation, friends.
2. Agave syrup should be consumed with great caution by people who suffer from kidney and liver disease, as well as cystitis.
3. It should not be included in the diet of couples who are planning to have children in the near future. The plant contains substances that suppress the reproductive functions of the body, due to which products containing agave are a natural contraceptive.
4. There is also an opinion that fructose can cause blood resistance to insulin when consumed in large quantities. Therefore, people with diabetes should use this sugar substitute with caution.
How to use agave syrup?
Mainly this unique product used in cooking. Personally, this is how I used it.
- Agave nectar is added to all types of baked goods (cookies, cakes, rolls, muffins, gingerbread, etc.).
- The syrup can also be used in finished form, pouring it, for example, on pancakes, ready-made baked goods, ice cream, giving them a caramel flavor.
- You can't ignore tea - herbal, black, green and white. When combined with nectar, their taste is excellent. Try it yourself!
When purchasing this product, always pay attention to the fact that it is pure syrup without third-party impurities, and even more so chemical additives, which many manufacturers sin with.
Okay, dear readers. So we figured out the benefits and harms of agave syrup, we found out that it is practically an indispensable product in the diet of people who monitor their health and figure, but are terribly fond of sweets.
I hope my article was useful and you learned a lot about a wonderful product that has already captured the hearts of many.
P.S.S. Tell your friends about the article, and share your impressions in the comments. And don’t forget to subscribe to new articles - there’s still a lot of interesting things ahead. See you again, friends!
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Many people are turning to agave syrup as a safe natural sweetener, believing it to be healthier. They want to avoid the known problems of eating sugar, but not give up sweets.
So what is agave syrup and is it as healthy as the manufacturers say?
What is agave?
Agave – exotic plant, growing in the volcanic soil of Mexico. It blooms only once, gathering crowds of tourists who want to see this phenomenon. However, agave is better known to us as the plant from which tequila is produced.
Cut blue agave fruits.
When you hear the word “agave”, pictures of tourist excursions appear in your head, romantic evenings under the starry sky and mysterious shamanic medicine. It is precisely these images that agave nectar producers are counting on when advertising their product as not only a harmless, but also a healthy sugar substitute.
However, given the number of processing steps to obtain the “nectar”, the final product has virtually nothing in common with its noble parent, being just a high fructose syrup. Depending on how the raw material is processed, the syrup may end up containing more or less fructose, but the amount will still be too high to be harmless to humans.
The truth about agave syrup
If the sellers marketing this product knew about the effects of agave syrup on the body, perhaps they would be more careful in touting its supposed miraculous properties.
Agave syrup or “nectar” is nothing more than a laboratory-generated product in which fructose syrup is condensed during the production process.
The calorie content of syrup directly depends on the concentration of fructose and can range, on average, from 307 to 399 kcal per 100 g.
Unfortunately, the wonders of marketing have led to the syrup's astronomical rise in popularity among people who believe they are doing their bodies a favor by avoiding refined sugar in favor of artificial sweeteners. The worst thing is that agave syrup is often advertised as a product approved for use in diabetes mellitus, due to the fact that fructose has.
In addition, in one of the reports on the threat of using corn syrup due to fructose, a group of American specialists published the results of laboratory studies that prove the danger of this monosaccharide as a substance leading to liver damage. This is doubly true when using agave syrup, since its fructose content is sometimes double the average fructose content of corn syrup.
What about companies that have won awards for producing ethical products?
There really are companies that strive for excellence and are guided by ethical standards when producing syrup:
- Working with Indigenous Peoples;
- Using raw materials without pesticides;
- Fermentation process at low temperatures, reducing the loss of natural enzymes;
- Production of syrup with a fructose content as close as possible to 50% instead of more than 90%, etc.
However, most companies produce a product that is, in fact, much harmful than sugar and corn syrup. If you do decide to use agave nectar, it is worth looking for an ethical brand, but their products are much more expensive and it is best to be completely safe.
Fructose is a “metabolic poison” only when consumed more than 25 g per day. However, this applies not only to syrup, but also to all other fructose-containing products. Sweet drinks, sauces, baked goods, etc.
Why is fructose so important for health?
Not all sugars are created equal, despite what you may have heard otherwise. The fact is that all the organs of your body, every cell, moreover, almost all living things on the planet, use glucose as “fuel for life.”
Ordinary cane sugar or sucrose contains two simple sugars: 50% glucose and 50% fructose. However, many, given the choice of consuming glucose or fructose, would prefer the latter. And we can’t blame them, because the word “fructose” itself is associated with fruits, and they, accordingly, are beneficial.
It cannot be said, of course, that fructose is the embodiment of evil, but it increased consumption leads to problems, the basis for understanding which lies in how the body processes it.
There are two main reasons why fructose is so destructive:
- The body metabolizes fructose differently than glucose. Fructose is only consumed in the liver, affecting its function and damaging cells, as well as , which can lead to many of the effects of chronic alcohol consumption, even "beer belly";
- People consume fructose in amounts that are 400-800% higher than a century ago.
Fructose turns into fat
Fructose is almost completely consumed by the liver, since it is the only organ capable of working on this “fuel”, but an excess of this substance hurts the health of the liver itself and, in addition, is almost directly converted into fat. For this reason, fructose is one of the leading causes of obesity.
Unlike fructose, only 20% of glucose is processed in the liver, since almost every cell in your body can use glucose as an energy source directly, so most is burned by the body after consumption.
The irony is that in an attempt to avoid obesity from sugar, people consume the component that leads to obesity to a greater extent.
It's also important to understand that fructose in fruits and vegetables is not the same as synthetic high fructose syrup. Natural fructose comes with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, while fructose syrup has no nutritional value at all.
In addition, in natural foods, the fructose molecule is actually attached to other sugars and in order to be absorbed it must first be “broken,” which increases the amount of sugars that are not absorbed by the body at all and are naturally excreted. At the same time, fructose in syrup is in a free state, which means it will be completely or almost completely converted into fat.
In addition, pure fructose confuses metabolism, which seriously disrupts appetite regulation systems and leads to overeating.
The effects of fructose on the liver, as already mentioned, are similar to the effects of alcohol and can lead to NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).
That's why overuse fructose quickly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity in combination with classic metabolic syndrome.
It is important that fructose is a cheap sweetener, so it is added to almost all imported processed foods with a pronounced taste. However, it is rarely included in product labeling, which is why people often exceed the dose of 25 g per day.
Of course, only exceeding the permitted dosage of agave syrup is harmful. Consumption of high-quality syrup in limited quantities is safe. However, this does not deny it high calorie content, which at the very least will not speed up the weight loss process.
Agave syrup is a popular sugar substitute in the natural food community. I was so naive, thinking that someone somewhere squeezes agave leaves into a jar, does something with it for minimal processing and it turns out just fine healthy substitute Sahara.
But...I spent some time researching and here's what I learned about agave syrup.
Abroad, syrup is not viewed very positively. The Glycemic Research Institute of Washington announced that they have stopped and banned all future clinical trials of agave, and have legally placed a ban on agave for use in food products, drinks, chocolate and other products, in connection with the results of 5 years of natural clinical trials of the effects of agave on humans.
Additionally, they warn that manufacturers who produce and use agave in products may be held legally liable for negative health incidents associated with agave ingestion.
Agave syrup - high fructose content
The fact that agave is high in fructose is often touted as a benefit of its use. But, many people don't realize that concentrated fructose is even worse than a large dose of glucose. Everything should be in moderation.
There are a number of health problems associated with consuming too much fructose:
Fructose interferes with copper metabolism.
This in turn prevents the proper formation of collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are key components of connective tissue, which essentially holds the body together. Copper deficiency can also lead to weak bones, anemia, defective arteries, infertility, high cholesterol, heart attacks, and the inability of the blood to control sugar levels.
When you eat pure fructose, it must first travel to the liver before it is converted into glycogen, a source of energy. But if you don't spend this energy right away, fructose is converted into triglycerides - fats in the blood that cause various heart and cardiovascular diseases.
Therefore, starting with blood, you can gain weight. Fructose causes fat cells to enlarge.
Consuming large amounts of fructose on a regular basis contributes to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Even children who get a lot of fructose from agave syrup in their diet suffer from these ailments. Most brands of agave syrup have more fructose than corn syrup.
When you eat fructose, you increase insulin production to a very high level. high level, which contributes to the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes, heart disease, gout and other circulatory problems.
Consuming fructose has been shown to increase lactic acid levels in the blood, especially for people with diabetes. Extreme increases are what cause metabolic syndrome.
Fructose promotes accelerated aging through oxidative damage. It is the worst of the sugars in this regard, and when it binds to proteins, these molecules harden the cells in your body, preventing them from functioning. This is the cause of atherosclerosis, kidney problems and skin aging.
Whether you are diabetic or not, high fructose intake takes a huge toll on your body.
How is Agave produced?
Agave is naturally not overly sweet. In fact, agave is high in polysaccharides, so to extract the sweetness it requires complex technological process production. Agave juice has the main carbohydrates - complex shapes fructoses, which are called fructosans, one of which is inulin. In this state, the juice is not very sweet.
To obtain agave syrup, the juice is squeezed from the agave pith. The juice is heated from 49°C to 60°C for approximately 36 hours, not only to concentrate the liquid into a syrup, but also for greater sweetness.
When agave juice is heated, the complex fructosans hydrolyze, or break down into smaller fructose units. This solution is then filtered. The product ranges in color from light to dark, depending on the degree of processing.
An alternative method of processing agave juice without heat uses enzymes to hydrolyze the polysaccharide extract into fructose. The excess water is then evaporated using heat lower than 46°C. Only a handful of companies use this method as it is more labor intensive.
And now a spoonful of sugar...
During our long existence on this planet, humans have eaten very little sugar. Most wild fruits are less sweet than hybridized fruits. Wild honey is very rare, you can imagine how difficult it is to get.
It's only in the last 150 years or so that we've started hybridizing our fruits in earnest, and making them sweeter, bigger, and more fruitful.
But we began to use modern industrial and chemical processes for the production of sweeteners that do not occur in nature at all.
Since that time, cane sugar, or hydrolyzed high fructose syrups (corn, rice, agave), have become regular customers on our table.
And with them, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, caries and other diseases began to appear. One might assume that consuming large amounts of sugar from any source is not conducive to our survival.
Hello! ★
I owe my new love for healthy and unusual things in nutrition to my sister, who literally storms online and offline stores in search of superfoods, seeds, syrups that allow her to cook healthy food, and not load the body with sugar, salt and wheat flour products.
In our city there are very few stores specializing in healthy nutrition, and those that exist are located far from my home and in a very inconvenient location.
So I went to the World Wide Web for help...
Having discovered the Royal Forest online store, I was absolutely delighted with the range of long-desired products (which all eco-bloggers and Instagram ladies on PP are talking about). There was everything that I had wanted for so long: syrups, carob, nuts of absolutely all kinds...
My eyes widened... But I held on and ordered, first of all, the most necessary products, in my opinion...
Today I want to tell you about light agave syrup and why I consider its acquisition necessary for me personally.
brief information
- Agave nectar light
- Price 340 rubles for 250 g
- A country origin - Mexico
- Best before date 24 months
- Per 100 g contains 320 calories, BJU: carbohydrates 78.2%, no proteins or fats.
- Compound: concentrated agave juice
- Direct link to the product
I have light agave syrup . There is also a dark agave syrup, which is subjected to less filtration and is additionally enriched with inulin. But I wanted more the light caramel taste of light nectar, and dark syrup, according to people who tried it, has a more tart, rich taste...
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Appearance
On the packaging of the syrup, which, by the way, is not glass, as it seems at first glance, but plastic (which is a huge plus for me personally), there is information about the product from the manufacturer. We are given the composition, calorie content, ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates of the nectar, as well as expiration dates, method of consumption - in general, what is usually interesting to the buyer.
The bottle is closed with a tight black cap, naturally, with control of the first opening - and I am sure that no one has tried my nectar.
A caramel-sunny viscous liquid with a small number of small bubbles is visible through the transparent wall of the bottle.
Smell mind-blowing: caramel with a slight sourness and tint flower honey. A unique aroma that you want to smell...
Taste intensely sweet, but not cloying. Reminds me of warm caramel on a stick. A couple of drops are enough to get enough of this taste - and you don’t need more.
By consistency the syrup resembles honey, but only very liquid, perhaps even warm. It does not flow out of the jar like a glass stream, but flows out in a thin, dense stream.
About the dispenser : in principle it is absent. And many complain and ask the manufacturer to come up with a good dispenser for this product. But I like that the neck is wide: you can take the syrup with a spoon. Or a syringe for dosage accuracy. Quite convenient!
Information from the manufacturer
Light agave nectar is an ideal sugar substitute with a bright caramel taste. It has a low glycemic index, which prevents the development of diabetes, improves metabolism and promotes weight loss.
* Prevents the development of diabetes mellitus
* Improves metabolism
* Promotes weight loss
* Has a calming effect on nervous system
* Helps remove excess fluid from the body
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Let's now move on to the main topic of my review - is agave syrup beneficial or harmful?
Ignorant people will say: of course, it’s useful: it’s natural! Those in the know will shake their heads and talk about the dangers of agave syrup . What do I think?
- Agave syrup/nectar is obtained from the pulp of the leaves of the Mexican agave plant (tequila is also made from it). It was considered incredibly healthy in ancient times - but then it was eaten raw. Now it is subjected to heat treatment, as a result of which some of the beneficial properties are lost.
- But still, only part of the beneficial properties is lost: vitamins K, E, A, and group B remain. The most important microelements necessary for our body are also preserved - calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium...
- Some people believe, often because the syrup consists of 90% fructose, that it is more harmful than sugar. After all, probably everyone now knows about the dangers of fructose for the body.
- However, in large quantities, absolutely everything is harmful! But we're not going to pour a bucket of syrup into our tea, are we? For example, a couple of drops are enough for the drink to acquire a pleasant, unusual sweetish taste. And the calorie content of agave syrup is less than sugar (320 kcal versus 399 kcal). And since agave syrup sweeter than sugar one and a half times, then in order to achieve sugar sweetness, you need to use it in smaller quantities, and therefore we will get fewer calories!
- The same thing applies to the cost of the product: yes, sugar is cheaper to buy. But the amount of “white poison” used is much less than agave syrup.
- Agave syrup has a low glycemic index (17), which means it does not cause a sharp jump in blood sugar. Diabetes patients know how important this is. But you shouldn’t overfill yourself with this product: a large amount of it causes insulin resistance- impaired tissue response to the action of insulin.
How do I use this thing?
- Adding to Herb tea. I don’t like sweet drinks, but a couple drops of nectar gives the drink a special taste and a pleasant honey-caramel aroma. And I don't want cookies. And is it important!
2. I add it to the porridge.
I forgot to say: I really love honey. But I often have an allergic reaction to it (probably depends on the manufacturer and type of product), so I don’t risk eating it. But the syrup in the porridge, which gives unique aroma the dish is just right. And delicious. And it's safe for me.
3. I add it to baked goods: it gains pleasant taste without unnecessary sweetness and cloying. And also a wonderful caramel aroma.
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conclusions:
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- This brand has the most gentle processing of the product, which means more benefits are retained
- Incredibly pleasant taste of nectar
- Mind-blowing aroma
- Lower caloric content of the product than sugar
- It's natural
- Has a low glycemic index
How to use agave syrup without harming the body?
Just don’t get carried away with using it. You will never develop, for example, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as some articles on fructose claim, from a teaspoon of syrup. Well, that won't happen!
People eat handfuls of candy and cookies, load up on cakes and put four spoons of sugar in their tea and coffee five times a day. So, does everyone have health problems?
You need to know when to stop everything. And with agave syrup you will take a small step towards giving up sugar in favor of natural sweeteners. Moreover, you only need a little bit of it: it’s both economical and useful!
Health to everyone! °*”˜˜”*° ●
With growing interest in proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, the demand for dietary products, among which is agave syrup, used as a natural replacement for white sugar. The benefits and harms of agave syrup are the main topic of the article with details about the beneficial properties, contraindications for use, application and existing alternatives.
The history of syrup
The homeland of agave is Mexico. This is a fairly unpretentious plant that does not require fertilizers or pesticides and produces a rich harvest. Outwardly, it resembles a huge aloe with small blue flowers. Valuable nectar is extracted from unopened buds by cold pressing. The resulting product is sweeter white sugar 1.5 times. The ease of growing agave has ensured its popularity and widespread distribution.
How to make agave syrup
The variety used to produce nectar is called blue agave. It is also an ingredient in the preparation of such a popular drink as tequila. The juice is squeezed out of the buds using a press, then the nectar is thickened by heating to 46 o C. There are production technologies that completely eliminate heating: then a thick consistency is achieved with the help of special additives.
Some manufacturers use filtration to produce different shades of the product.
Composition of agave syrup
- fructose - 85 - 95%;
- dextrose - 3 - 10%;
- sucrose - 1.5 - 3.0%;
- inulin - 3 - 5.0%.
This high content fructose and makes the syrup sweet. The total weight of carbohydrates in the product is 76%.
Calories and glycemic index of agave syrup
The glycemic index (GI) is an indicator that determines the ability of a food to raise blood sugar levels. If the foods we eat have a high GI, then the glucose level in the body increases rapidly. The GI of agave syrup is low: from 15 to 17 units, which in combination with low calorie content(310 kcal per 100 g) helped him become world famous popular product in the dietary and special diabetic menu.
The fact that agave carbohydrates do not cause a spike in sugar has a positive effect on maintaining the health of the body. Due to its high fructose content, agave syrup is one and a half times sweeter than white or cane sugar, making it economical to use to achieve the desired taste.
What are the benefits of agave syrup?
If you look at the pages of online health and diet food stores that sell agave syrup, you can find a lot of information about its beneficial properties. Review sites are filled with opinions from satisfied customers. The basis for such statements is the low GI mentioned above. Consumption will not cause a sudden jump in sugar, which is low in calories and high concentration fructose levels favor the use of agave syrup by those who suffer from diabetes or simply follow a healthy lifestyle.
The Aztecs knew the beneficial antiseptic properties of the plant, lubricating wounds with its tincture.
Real, properly prepared agave syrup has beneficial properties:
- contains a complex of vitamins;
- due to the fructose content, it is able to normalize metabolism;
- removes waste and toxins;
- contains saponins, which help fight germs, inflammation, and help strengthen the immune system.
The fructan substances in the product, represented by inulin (in unfiltered dark varieties) and other varieties, have the following properties:
- create a feeling of satiety;
- reduce appetite;
- provide antioxidant effect;
- lower bad cholesterol;
- improve calcium absorption by 20%.
Thanks to fructans, agave syrup is not only successfully used to combat excess weight and in the menu of diabetics, but is also recommended in moderate quantities in old age to increase bone density.
The plant is also used to prevent pregnancy, because the dinordrin and anordrin it contains are herbal contraceptives.
Steroidal saponins in the plant help against rheumatism.
Thus, the numerous beneficial properties make agave a home remedy.
How is agave syrup used in cooking?
Agave syrup can be used in cooking instead regular sugar, but due to its high cost, this practice was not widespread among housewives. More often it is used in confectionery and in the production of expensive drinks: alcoholic (vodka, wine) and non-alcoholic (for example, lemonade).
At home sweet drink It is considered an aperitif - a means to improve appetite before lunch. It is served in pure form and after meals, dosing in 50 ml glasses, as well as in cocktails with tequila and liqueurs.
Harmful effects of agave syrup and contraindications for consumption
In addition to benefits, the product has negative impact for the body. To avoid harm, it should not be abused.
Having discovered the possibility of using agave syrup as an alternative healthy sweetener in dietary nutrition, it was recommended for diabetic patients. At the same time, they did not focus on its possible harm.
Later it was discovered that only plant juice that has not been subjected to heat treatment. When heated, beneficial fructooligosaccharides are converted into fructose, which has a less clear effect on the human body.
Indeed, fructose does not increase blood sugar levels, but its systematic use can suppress a person’s ability to naturally produce and use the hormone insulin, which is essentially a prediabetic condition, fraught with the development of type 2 disease.
Besides, in large quantities fructose causes harm by overloading the liver, as a result of which it is transformed into fats, some of which can pose a danger to the cells of the liver itself and provoke fatty disease of the organ.
Only unrefined nectar will have real benefits. Industrial filtration products partially or completely lose their benefits.
Data on the properties of the plant allow us to conclude that regular inclusion of agave syrup in the diet causes harm to the following irreversible disorders:
- development of hypertension;
- intense fat deposition;
- the appearance of insulin resistance - insensitivity to insulin;
- weakening of liver functions.
There are groups of people who have contraindications:
- suffering diabetes mellitus who should not consume syrup on a regular basis;
- with a tendency to obesity;
- pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Attention! It is not advisable to introduce young children to drinking syrup.
What is the difference between dark agave syrup and light agave syrup?
The color of agave nectar indicates its quality, preparation method and degree of filtration. There is light, dark and amber syrup. Light and dark varieties made from the same raw materials. But in the second case, the product is filtered less: then it is rich in inulin. The properties of a light or dark yellow tint depend on the duration and intensity of heating during thickening. The taste of light syrups is less intense.
How to replace agave syrup
Sometimes those who want to use a recipe with agave syrup as an ingredient are puzzled by the question: what to replace it with? Previously, corn syrup, which had similar properties, served as a substitute. But it was banned for use due to the risk of developing obesity. Preference was given to the more beneficial agave. But this product should not be abused. Maple syrup contains fewer calories.
Alternative natural sweeteners are also considered:
Xylitol - natural sweetener, the benefits of which have been known to medicine for half a century. Human body produces it independently small quantities. In product compositions it is designated as E967. The study of its properties gives grounds to assert that there is no harm to the body.
Erythritol is another natural substitute that is safe for the body. minimum calorie content- only 6 percent of the calories of white sugar.
Stevia is a South American crop whose leaves are used to produce a sweetener in the form of a dry plant, powder or liquid. This is the leader in sweetness among other substitutes: 10 - 15 times higher than sugar. Stevia has almost zero calories, making it useful for weight control.
Important! For those who suffer from diabetes, the selection of a sweetener is permitted only after consultation with an endocrinologist.
Conclusion
The benefits and harms of agave syrup remain a completely unexplored and therefore controversial topic.
The properties discussed represent this exotic sugar substitute in two aspects. On the one hand, produced from organic plant materials using a gentle method, it is very popular and valued in nutrition. But its high fructose content can be a risk factor for people with diabetes and obesity, so the use of an alternative sweetener should be strictly dosed.
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