July 25, 2023
Ingredients and Blood Sugar
Blood sugar levels, glucose levels, why blood sugar matters and how it is impacted by processed food and healthy food
Agave Nectar
Sugar
Added Sugar
Definition
A thick, sweet liquid produced from the center of the agave plant.
Also Known As
Agave Syrup, Organic Raw Blue Agave, Blue agave, Raw blue agave
Health Impact
Agave syrup is a highly refined and processed sweetener. It is made by treating agave sugars with heat and enzymes, destroying all of the beneficial health effects. It is also high in fructose, of which overconsumption can lead to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Excessive added sugar intake is associated with adverse health conditions, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory diseases. Excessive sugar consumption may trigger neuroadaptations in the brain that decouple eating behavior from caloric needs and leads to compulsive overeating. The American Heart Association suggests an added-sugar limit of no more than 24 grams of sugar for most women and no more than 36 grams of sugar for most men each day.
Sources
- Agave Nectar
Cambridge Dictionary
- Adverse metabolic effects of dietary fructose: results from the recent epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies
Pub Med
- Added Sugar in the Diet
Harvard School of Public Health
- Impact of sugar on the body, brain, and behavior
Pub Med
- Effects of agave nectar versus sucrose on weight gain, adiposity, blood glucose, insulin, and lipid responses in mice
National Library of Medicine