Comments on: The Great Agave Nectar Debate

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:21:45 +0000

OK, I’m confused. I always assumed an insect was not considered an “animal” when it came to veganism, especially since the honey the bees make is a result of pollen/sap gathered from plants and flowers. It seems that would make it vegetative and not “animal-related”.

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 03:47:24 +0000

Yikes! That’s really scary. Maybe local honey or maple syrup would be better options?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:25:12 +0000

I recently began using Agave Nectar figuring it would be better than sugar while pregnant. From the moment I began using it I have been getting terrible diarrhea and nausea and could not figure out what it was until I read about it online. To make matters worse I also heard it causes miscarriages?!?! I will be taking this off my food list, at least until I have the baby!

By: Dani

Dani — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:44:37 +0000

I have no issues with Agave Nectar. I’ve heard a lot of the debate and have dove into fairly deeply. I use the Raw Unprocessed kind.. and yes there is a difference even though many cry otherwise. Everything is ‘technically processed’… if you put an apple in a juicer it is ‘processed’. The key is whether there is harmful adulteration during that ‘process’. And there are different types of Agave and ways in which they are processed depending on the manufacturer. It’s key to know and trust those who make the products you take into your body.

A few reasons why I use it.. 1- I don’t have to use as much. So comparing if you eat a pound of each… Is a bad way to assess their merits. With Agave I use WAY less to achieve the same sweetness. 2- Fructose is what you find in NATURAL fruits like apples, etc. Fructose is absorbed into the body slower than sucrose(therefore the much lower glycemic index) so there’s no Spike then Crash of your blood sugar which causes one to lose energy and BURN LESS CALORIES. Regardless of whether you’re Diabetic OF COURSE it matters! It might not kill you, but there is an adverse effect. And finally.. 3- Sugar is processed using Animal products such as BONE CHARCOAL! ICK!

So to sum it up… Agave allows me to moderate my sugar intake a great deal!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 26 May 2010 01:55:35 +0000

Fortunately, many of the accusations that the Weston-Price article have been proven incorrect. Even they themselves have taken down the original article from the WP site.
There are now a handful of responses to these anti-agave articles. One of the better ones is here:
http://www.braintoniq.com/is-agave-bad-for-you-fallacy.php

I also found this response to be sound:
http://www.wellsphere.com/healthy-eating-article/you-ask-i-answer-agave-is-the-new-enemy/1082273

Like most vegans, I’ve tried all of the sweeteners. While I get those that think all concentrated sweeteners are bad for you, I think moderate amounts do me fine. And while Mercola’s and Weston-Price’s article made me do some research, I still find agave to be the easiest sweetener on my body. I don’t get the mental fogginess that sucrose or maple syrup give me. I find agave similar to the way fruit feels.

My 2 cents.

By: stevia brownies

stevia brownies — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:57:33 +0000

Me and my wife have been taking stevia for a while now after reading about it on this website and think its great! Now i can't drink my cappachino without it! i love the fact that its stabilizes blood glucose levels too

By: Diana

Diana — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:31:04 +0000

This is the first I’ve heard of anything negative about agave. As some have suggested, I will take the info with a grain of salt. It’s not conclusive enough for me to abandon it. I buy the raw kind and have only so far been using a teaspoon a few times a week in my tea. Big deal. As a mostly raw raw vegan I think it’s a good alternative to honey.

By: Frances Heneghan

Frances Heneghan — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:32:43 +0000

I would love to know how agave honey is made? I grew up with hives of honey. When summers were bad,and bees didn’t have enough honey to sustain them for the winter,there was a large pot of ‘candy’boiled for them-sugar and water.Now it is difficult to find pure honey,and rarely on the comb.(The wax from the comb was a pure anti-allergenic).Now I buy Manuka honey-not good for carbon footprint-and,although very expensive,is antibacterial and antibiotic.The Manuka essence is now extracted and used as impregnation for bandaging for MRSA and ulcerated flesh.
And most herbal remedies no longer available in lot of Europe.Some available on G.P.’s prescription,but G.P.s untrained in herbal/homeopathic/aromatherapeutic therapies,and difficult to find out if practitioners are qualified and insured.

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:21:12 +0000

Thank you guys for the great comments. I’m really enjoying all of the discussion and am super impressed that things have stayed so civil!

Charlene – Do you happen to remember the name of that documentary? I’d be interested to see it.

Evz – That’s an interesting take. I like the idea of finding local honey that you know comes from good, ethical beekeepers. Thanks also for the info on how agave is grown/harvested!

Trixie – That’s an excellent point about stevia. The story of stevia sounds a lot like the story of Nutrasweet when you frame it that way, doesn’t it? A little spooky.

By: Trixie B

Trixie B — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:14:41 +0000

This is so interesting. It reminds me that stevia was considered bad for you until Coke and Pepsi wanted to put it in their products. Suddenly it received FDA approval. Coincidence? I don’t think so, considering Coke and Pepsi are responsible for Truvia and the other new brand of stevia sweetener, whose name escapes me at this time. It’s always important to check the source, I guess, of everything!