Allegedly it is considered low on the glycemic index -- 90% fructose to 10% glucose -- so it's become trendy with people constantly on the look out for how to eat sweets without eating 'sugar'. There have been a slew of articles in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that strongly suggest fructose is actually worse for the body -- causing problems with liver function, insulin resistance, increases in uric acid and mineral absorption -- than glucose. It's being marketed heavily as a 'healthy' option for people with diabetes, but some recent studies are showing results that it may actually be harmful to diabetics. The article I link to below is a very brief overview of the perceived problems.

Then there is the marketing flood that has taken a product almost no one had heard of ten years ago and put it front and center. The companies that produce agave often have divisions that produce tequila (made from the same plant.) They see it as a way to expand their market, and have plenty of money to flood the market with 'testamonials' and marketing hype. Hey, they got both of us to buy something we'd never heard of before, right? :)

I tried it out of curiosity, looking for a way to sweeten cold tea easily. I wasn't impressed. We didn't hate it, but we didn't particularly like it either.

Here is a link that might be useful: article on agave testing

From what I've read, agave nectar is similar to high fructose corn syrup, though, perhaps, easier for diabetics to metabolize.

I'm with you. Limón and salt.

It makes a wonderful margarita.

We have a lot of it since it's a product of the same plant as tequila, so I use it in place of sugar, but out of convenience. While it is lower on the glycemic index, it's still sugar, so don't go thinking it isn't. And I would recommend anyone with IBS stay far away.

But definitely try it in your next margarita.

AM

Grainlady is one who has studied and used agave nectar extensively, so perhaps she will come into this discussion.

I have also used it sparingly when on the Glycemic Index diet.

SharonCb

Beanthere, no one had heard of it 10 years ago because it was invented in the 1990's!

I don't find it sweet enough for me and it is expensive so I don't use it. Dh and I did a 3 week fast last January and I tried it then. It was ok at the time but not something I would purchase unless I had to.

Ok, so I should have said "a few years ago". It was meant as a a general phrase, not a specific. Either way, the claims about it being some cherished Aztec sweetener for centuries is marketing hype. The Aztecs may have used a sweetener that may have been somehow derived from agave, but I doubt that bears much rresemblence to this modern "invention" of tequilla distillers.

I have a bottle in my pantry and I only use it in my son's kefir smoothie, just a tablespoon at a time. Don't even know if it's really better than other sweeteners but little man doesn't seem to mind the taste of it.

Al

I would like to personally vouch for this recipe. It's good exactly as written. I'm serving it at a party Saturday and modifying it a bit. Instead of muddling and shaking, I'm pureeing the ingredients in my food processor, portioning the results into 4 oz jelly jars, and burying them in a tub of ice so I don't have to fuss with drinks all night. When done this way, the results are BRIGHT GREEN. Mine is a spring party, but these would be good at a St. Patrick's Day party too...

I have no idea about agave nectar's nutritional value, but it really enhances the flavor of the tequila in this drink. ;o)

Oh, Beahthere, I didn't mean that as a challenge! Just meant what you said: That it's a new product. You can get a syrup if you boil the heck out of agave, and that might be traditional to someone, but, as you say, the distilled stuff is different.

I'm very intrigued by the use of it as a tequila enhancer! I wonder if you can do the same thing with molasses and rum, or Karo syrup and Bourbon?

I purchased it only because of the "low glycemic index" claims. I use it only in hot tea. I can't tell the difference in taste -but- I don't get a sugar rush after a cup of tea. After careful research I will go back to sugar. I tried Stevia but I can taste the Stevia and it does not taste like sugar - to me. Just have to limit my tea to one cup a day. (I like it sweet.)

DL

No worries Pllog. I dind't take it as a challenge, just noticing that I threw out a careless phrasing. Text doesn't translate well sometimes, eh?

Actually honey or maple in bourbon works. I've did it for a suace once when I thought the bourbon was a little edgy.

DL, I can taste that odd offputting taste in the stevia tablets and powders, too. Didn't notice it with the plant leaves.

I also don't care for stevia, and if you use the plant leaves they are not consistent, the sweetness varies from plant to plant.

Agave is "fashionable", but I don't believe it's any better for anyone than honey or maple syrup, it's still sugar. I don't care for the flavor either.

The ex and I had a health food store for years and he's got a handful of degrees and certificates in natural foods and herbal healing and homeopathic remedies and he just smiles when people ask for agave nectar. He happily sells it, but says it is not a health food, it's simply another "natural sweetener".

Oh, and Dad's doc told him to absolutely not use it in place of sugar, that as a diabetic he'd only be fooling himself, that he should stick to artificial sweeteners or learn to use much much less of the natural sweetener of his choice.

Annie

My son is a Type I diabetic and works for an international medical company in their diabetic unit. He & his nurse practitioner also teach new diabetics nutritional info. They tell their patients to avoid agave until, and if, further research is conducted specifically for diabetics. For now, their stance is "rather safe than sorry" on the agave nectar.

/tricia

Agave nectar has been our primary sweetener for more than a decade. The early information provided by the "authorities" in the area of glucose metabolism indicated the safety of this low-glycemic sweetener, but that may now be contradicted by new research/information.

I'm 57-years old and hubby 58, and we don't have any health conditions that were mentioned by beanthere_dunthat indicated by "fructose" use. I've used it primarily because diabetes runs in hubby's family, of the 8 siblings, he's one of two who never had glucose problems. So perhaps we're doing something right....

Because I use so little sweeteners of any kind in our diet, I really don't have concerns using agave nectar until I find some defining science on it. I'm beginning to think it's the new "eggs" or "coffee" debate - now it kills you, now it doesn't, well, maybe it's okay in moderation. It depends on who's research you read.

We consume basically whole foods, choose foods from the lower half of the glycemic index, so there are few foods high in added "sugar" of any kind used in our diet. I even make our bbq sauce and ketchup in order to avoid "sugar".

I use 1/4 c. to sweeten a loaf of banana bread, as an example of how little I use. Agave nectar is added to all yeast breads (2-T. per 2-pounds of dough) - and I make all our breads and baked goods and use freshly-milled flour for the task. We consume one 1-pound loaf of bread every week. I could substitute honey (another high-fructose sugar - 40.1 grams fructose per 100-grams) - most people don't consider the fructose in honey. Agave nectar has great hygroscopicity, so it helps retain moisture in the crumb of breads. It also aids in preventing mold growth, another benefit for homemade yeast breads.

In our diet, we consume well under 50-grams of fructose per day. Most of those sources are "natural" forms of fructose, such as whole fruit. We avoid processed foods that tend to be loaded with chemical forms fructose, such as high-fructose corn syrup.

-Grainlady

I've used agave nectar for several years due to the low glycemic level claims. I did read an article in the past few months mentioning that some agave nectar may be diluted with corn syrup though.

I love it in my oatmeal.

Could one substitute agave for corn syrup in recipes like pecan pie, or when only a couple of tablespoons are needed in baked goods - to make it kosher for passover?

Not sure if beanthere's link included more info because I didn't read it, but a couple of days ago, I read in a reputable magazine (not a "rag"), that research with diabetics and agave had been stopped because some of the diabetics in the study would pass out after ingesting it. That's kinda serious, don't ya think?

If you're diabetic and have been using it successfully without any increase in blood glucose or any other effects, well, that just goes to show everyone's mileage varies.

For sweetening tea, just try using your pinkie finger--after all, we're all naturally sweet and can sweeten our tea that way, right? (wink)

Like trudymom said, I use it on my oatmeal, and in coffee too (I don't sweeten my tea) -- I enjoy the taste.

Jessyf's question has been on my mind too -- I've been wondering how it would work as a replacement for corn syrup in recipes. I've run out of Karo and feel a bit guilty about buying more.