Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hi Sierra; Where did you read that about Agave? On this website, Agave is listed as the lowest on the GI. Agave is 14 whereas table sugar (sucrose) is 92. http://www.elitefitness.com/articledata/glycemic.html Deborah , " Jae Jones " <recyclednew wrote: Agave nectar is a good sugar substitute and a low glycemic index > food. I've been reading lately that this is not true. Too bad--I love agave! Sierra . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 I read it on a blog as a quote from Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Here's some additional info: -My answer to the question, " Is agave nectar good for us? " would be " NO " based on my research. Here is a sample of my findings: Agave Syrup is not a " whole " food. It is a fractionated and processed food. Manufacturers take the liquid portion of the agave plant and " boil " it down, thus concentrating the sugar to make it sweet. This is similar to how maple " sap " that comes directly from a tree is heated and concentrated to make maple " syrup. " Agave Syrup is missing many of the nutrients that the original plant had to begin with. Agave Syrup was originally used to make tequila. When Agave Syrup ferments, it literally turns into tequila. The enzymatic activity therefore MUST be stopped so that the syrup will not turn into tequila in your cupboard. Raw or not, if there is no enzymatic activity, it is certainly not a " live " food. As Raw Foodists, we want the enzymes intact. According to my research, there are three major producers of agave syrup. Some of these companies also have other divisions that make Tequila. For the most part, agave syrup is produced in the Guadalajara region in Mexico. There are those within the industry who I have spoken to at various trade shows who say that some of the agave syrup is " watered down " with corn syrup in Mexico before it is exported to the USA. Why is this done? Most likely because Agave Syrup is expensive, and corn syrup is cheap. Agave Syrup is advertised as " low glycemic " and marketed towards diabetics. It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic. We have to consider why agave syrup is " low glycemic. " It is due to the unusually high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the small amount of glucose (10%). Nowhere in nature does this ratio of fructose to glucose occur naturally. One of the next closest foods that contain almost this concentration of glucose to fructose is high fructose corn syrup, which may contain up to 80% fructose. Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners: A. Fructose appears to interfere with copper metabolism. This causes collagen and elastin being unable to form. Collagen and elastin are connective tissue which essentially hold the body together.1 A deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility, anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough an inability to control blood sugar levels.2 B. Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. This is because glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body, and fructose must be metabolized by the liver. 3 Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrohosis of the liver. This is similar to the livers of alcoholics. C. " Pure " isolated fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and may rob the body of these nutrients in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.4 D. Fructose may contribute to diabetic conditions. It reduces the sensitivity of insulin receptors. Insulin receptors are the way glucose enters a cell to be metabolized. As a result, the body needs to make more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.5 E. Consumption of fructose has been shown to cause a significant increase in uric acid. An increase in uric acid can be an indicator of heart diease.6 F. Fructose consumption has been shown to increase blood lactic acid, especially for people with conditions such as diabetes. Extreme elevations may cause metabolic acidosis.7 G. Consumption of fructose leads to mineral losses, especially excretions of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc compared to subjects fed sucrose.8 H. Fructose may cause accelerated aging through oxidative damage. Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose. These changes are thought to be markers for aging.9 I. Fructose can make you fat! It is metabolized by the liver and converts to fat more easily than any other sugar. Fructose also raises serum triglycerides (blood fats) significantly.10 Agave Syrup and other concentrated sweeteners are addictive, so you end up trading a cooked addiction (eating candy bars or cookies) for a " raw " addiction which is not much better. Eating concentrated sweeteners makes it harder to enjoy the sweet foods we should be eating – whole fresh fruit since they don't seem as sweet by comparison. Long-time raw foodist and medical doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. says that agave nectar raises blood sugar just like any other sugar. Dr. Cousens wrote a book, " There Is a Cure for Diabetes " . Whole fruits generally contain a much smaller amount of fructose compared to sucrose and glucose. In addition, fruits contain vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and other nutrients. Our bodies are designed to digest a complete " package " of nutrition that appears in whole, fresh, ripe fruits. Could nature be wrong? For example, it's always better to eat fruits whole or blend them rather than juice them. When you juice fruits you remove the fiber which helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars. Concentrated sweeteners also contain no fiber and have much greater concentrations of simple sugars than are found in fresh fruit or even juices. -- In , " Deborah Pageau " <dpageau wrote: > > Hi Sierra; > > Where did you read that about Agave? On this website, Agave is listed as the lowest on the GI. Agave is 14 whereas table sugar (sucrose) is 92. > > http://www.elitefitness.com/articledata/glycemic.html > > Deborah > > > , " Jae Jones " > <recyclednew@> wrote: > Agave nectar is a good sugar substitute and a low glycemic index > > food. > > I've been reading lately that this is not true. Too bad--I love agave! > > Sierra > > . > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Thanks Sierra. I see that Dr. Cousens is saying (below), that in fact, it is low on the GI. Even so, since he is a raw foodist, it makes sense for him to come down on it so hard. It's not raw; I imagine he would come down equally hard on any cooked foods. Referring to the parts of his statement below, I certainly agree with him about whole fruit being preferrable to it's fractionated parts. My family and I ate 100% raw for about 2 1/2 years. It was definitely good for us for awhile, although it was very hard on our social life and it was impossible to get warm in our damp, cold Canadian winter. That second winter, we went back to a more conventional gluten-free, low-fat, low-sodium vegan diet without any problem. Personally, I think a lot of the benefit gained by raw diets may be because they tend to gluten free! When I asked Dr. John McDougall his opinion of 100% raw diet, he answered " Most people don't have to go that far to get the results they want. " I agree. Even so, the reality is that Agave syrup is clearly lower on the GI index. Let's bear in mind that eating any food, raw or cooked, raises blood sugar. The trick is raising it gradually and less intensely. As part of a diet that contains cooked foods, Agave syrup is a good choice as a sweentener because it will, in fact, raise it more slowly and less strongly than many whole foods. For example, as we can see on this webpage about GI, http://www.elitefitness.com/articledata/glycemic.html Agave is listed as 14. The smaller the number, the slower and less the raise in blood sugar. Pineapple is 94. Dates are 141. Fresh apricots are 82. Pawpaw (papaya) is 83. If you go through the list, you will see that many whole grains and legumes are also higher than Agave on the GI. So if you want a natural sweentener that is easy on your blood sugar, Agave is a good choice. That was all I wanted to clarify. Deborah I read it on a blog as a quote from Dr. Gabriel Cousens. <snip> Agave Syrup is advertised as " low glycemic " and marketed towards diabetics. It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic. <snip> Long-time raw foodist and medical doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. says that agave nectar raises blood sugar just like any other sugar. Dr. Cousens wrote a book, " There Is a Cure for Diabetes " . Whole fruits generally contain a much smaller amount of fructose compared to sucrose and glucose. In addition, fruits contain vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and other nutrients. Our bodies are designed to digest a complete " package " of nutrition that appears in whole, fresh, ripe fruits. Could nature be wrong? For example, it's always better to eat fruits whole or blend them rather than juice them. When you juice fruits you remove the fiber which helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars. Concentrated sweeteners also contain no fiber and have much greater concentrations of simple sugars than are found in fresh fruit or even juices. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Agave info... http://www.blueagavenectar.com/notallagavesarecreatedequal.html I'd also like to note that a lot of the studies doctors do takes things to the extreme! It doesn't state how much agave is being consumed for these studies or the health of the participants starting out. Anything in excess is bad for you. You can develop serious health problems taking too many vitamins! The average person is only using a small amount of agave to sweeten coffee, tea or baked goods. If your using a cup or more a day then obviously your going to suffer some serious consequences! Moderation is key. As far as addictiveness goes, some people are naturally prone to addictive behaviors, which are more psychological than anything. I generally tend to have an addictive personality, but I have not had any problems with agave! In fact, since I've started using agave, I have cut way back on my sweets to the point where sometimes I go 2-3 weeks without any sweets or agave! Before I was consuming a diet of virtually all junk food and I craved sweets non stop, even after overindulging on them! I don't crave sweets any more and usually pass on offers to have some! From my personal study, I conclude that it's actually beneficial to people with addictive personalities! The bottle of agave I have had for over a month and I haven't even used 1/4 of it! I simply don't need sugar anymore! As far as raw diets go, 60-80% raw is sufficient for most people. I tried the 100% raw diet and couldn't do it. I am always cold and when trying to go all raw, the cold was so deeply penetrating that with my house temperature at 75 degrees, 3 layers of clothes and 4 blankets wrapped around me, I could not get warm! Being anemic doesn't help either, but my iron was at normal levels and I was taking the supplements! Raw diets are not appropriate for everyone. I don't believe any type of diet is appropriate for everyone! We have different blood types, genetic predispositions, and health concerns, which all need to be taken into consideration before adapting to a diet. Pick up any random diet book and one of the first things you see inside it is a disclaimer that a doctor should be consulted before making dietary changes! Activist have tunnel vision and only see what they find right for them as a universal truth that all should believe and adapt to. What I believe and what I do in my life is right for me and I appreciate when others respect my choices, and in turn, I respect their right to choose what works for them. Many wars have been fought and much blood spilled over intolerance and lack of understanding. I do not care for activist (especially when they are doctors) because they have a tendency of forcing their will on to others. J On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:58 AM, Deborah Pageau <dpageau wrote: > Thanks Sierra. > > I see that Dr. Cousens is saying (below), that in fact, it is low on the > GI. Even so, since he is a raw foodist, it makes sense for him to come down > on it so hard. It's not raw; I imagine he would come down equally hard on > any cooked foods. > > Referring to the parts of his statement below, I certainly agree with him > about whole fruit being preferrable to it's fractionated parts. My family > and I ate 100% raw for about 2 1/2 years. It was definitely good for us for > awhile, although it was very hard on our social life and it was impossible > to get warm in our damp, cold Canadian winter. That second winter, we went > back to a more conventional gluten-free, low-fat, low-sodium vegan diet > without any problem. > > Personally, I think a lot of the benefit gained by raw diets may be because > they tend to gluten free! When I asked Dr. John McDougall his opinion of > 100% raw diet, he answered " Most people don't have to go that far to get the > results they want. " I agree. > > Even so, the reality is that Agave syrup is clearly lower on the GI index. > Let's bear in mind that eating any food, raw or cooked, raises blood sugar. > The trick is raising it gradually and less intensely. As part of a diet that > contains cooked foods, Agave syrup is a good choice as a sweentener because > it will, in fact, raise it more slowly and less strongly than many whole > foods. > > For example, as we can see on this webpage about GI, > http://www.elitefitness.com/articledata/glycemic.html Agave is listed as > 14. The smaller the number, the slower and less the raise in blood sugar. > Pineapple is 94. Dates are 141. Fresh apricots are 82. Pawpaw (papaya) is > 83. If you go through the list, you will see that many whole grains and > legumes are also higher than Agave on the GI. So if you want a natural > sweentener that is easy on your blood sugar, Agave is a good choice. > > That was all I wanted to clarify. > > Deborah > > I read it on a blog as a quote from Dr. Gabriel Cousens. <snip> > > > Agave Syrup is advertised as " low glycemic " and marketed towards > diabetics. It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic. <snip> > > Long-time raw foodist and medical doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. > says that agave nectar raises blood sugar just like any other sugar. > Dr. Cousens wrote a book, " There Is a Cure for Diabetes " . > Whole fruits generally contain a much smaller amount of fructose > compared to sucrose and glucose. In addition, fruits contain > vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and other nutrients. Our > bodies are designed to digest a complete " package " of nutrition that > appears in whole, fresh, ripe fruits. Could nature be wrong? For > example, it's always better to eat fruits whole or blend them rather > than juice them. When you juice fruits you remove the fiber which > helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars. Concentrated > sweeteners also contain no fiber and have much greater concentrations > of simple sugars than are found in fresh fruit or even juices. > > . > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Excellent information. THANK YOU!!! Linda ---- snowdrift52003 7/21/2008 12:20:04 AM Re: Agave and the Glycemic Index I read it on a blog as a quote from Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Here's some additional info: -My answer to the question, " Is agave nectar good for us? " would be " NO " based on my research. Here is a sample of my findings: Agave Syrup is not a " whole " food. It is a fractionated and processed food. Manufacturers take the liquid portion of the agave plant and " boil " it down, thus concentrating the sugar to make it sweet. This is similar to how maple " sap " that comes directly from a tree is heated and concentrated to make maple " syrup. " Agave Syrup is missing many of the nutrients that the original plant had to begin with. Agave Syrup was originally used to make tequila. When Agave Syrup ferments, it literally turns into tequila. The enzymatic activity therefore MUST be stopped so that the syrup will not turn into tequila in your cupboard. Raw or not, if there is no enzymatic activity, it is certainly not a " live " food. As Raw Foodists, we want the enzymes intact. According to my research, there are three major producers of agave syrup. Some of these companies also have other divisions that make Tequila. For the most part, agave syrup is produced in the Guadalajara region in Mexico. There are those within the industry who I have spoken to at various trade shows who say that some of the agave syrup is " watered down " with corn syrup in Mexico before it is exported to the USA. Why is this done? Most likely because Agave Syrup is expensive, and corn syrup is cheap. Agave Syrup is advertised as " low glycemic " and marketed towards diabetics. It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic. We have to consider why agave syrup is " low glycemic. " It is due to the unusually high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the small amount of glucose (10%). Nowhere in nature does this ratio of fructose to glucose occur naturally. One of the next closest foods that contain almost this concentration of glucose to fructose is high fructose corn syrup, which may contain up to 80% fructose. Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners: A. Fructose appears to interfere with copper metabolism. This causes collagen and elastin being unable to form. Collagen and elastin are connective tissue which essentially hold the body together.1 A deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility, anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough an inability to control blood sugar levels.2 B. Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. This is because glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body, and fructose must be metabolized by the liver. 3 Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrohosis of the liver. This is similar to the livers of alcoholics. C. " Pure " isolated fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and may rob the body of these nutrients in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.4 D. Fructose may contribute to diabetic conditions. It reduces the sensitivity of insulin receptors. Insulin receptors are the way glucose enters a cell to be metabolized. As a result, the body needs to make more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.5 E. Consumption of fructose has been shown to cause a significant increase in uric acid. An increase in uric acid can be an indicator of heart diease.6 F. Fructose consumption has been shown to increase blood lactic acid, especially for people with conditions such as diabetes. Extreme elevations may cause metabolic acidosis.7 G. Consumption of fructose leads to mineral losses, especially excretions of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc compared to subjects fed sucrose.8 H. Fructose may cause accelerated aging through oxidative damage. Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose. These changes are thought to be markers for aging.9 I. Fructose can make you fat! It is metabolized by the liver and converts to fat more easily than any other sugar. Fructose also raises serum triglycerides (blood fats) significantly.10 Agave Syrup and other concentrated sweeteners are addictive, so you end up trading a cooked addiction (eating candy bars or cookies) for a " raw " addiction which is not much better. Eating concentrated sweeteners makes it harder to enjoy the sweet foods we should be eating – whole fresh fruit since they don't seem as sweet by comparison. Long-time raw foodist and medical doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. says that agave nectar raises blood sugar just like any other sugar. Dr. Cousens wrote a book, " There Is a Cure for Diabetes " . Whole fruits generally contain a much smaller amount of fructose compared to sucrose and glucose. In addition, fruits contain vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and other nutrients. Our bodies are designed to digest a complete " package " of nutrition that appears in whole, fresh, ripe fruits. Could nature be wrong? For example, it's always better to eat fruits whole or blend them rather than juice them. When you juice fruits you remove the fiber which helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars. Concentrated sweeteners also contain no fiber and have much greater concentrations of simple sugars than are found in fresh fruit or even juices. -- In , " Deborah Pageau " <dpageau wrote: > > Hi Sierra; > > Where did you read that about Agave? On this website, Agave is listed as the lowest on the GI. Agave is 14 whereas table sugar (sucrose) is 92. > > http://www.elitefitness.com/articledata/glycemic.html > > Deborah > > > , " Jae Jones " > <recyclednew@> wrote: > Agave nectar is a good sugar substitute and a low glycemic index > > food. > > I've been reading lately that this is not true. Too bad--I love agave! > > Sierra > > . > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 All good points Jae. I experience Agave as less addictive than table sugar too. I suspect this is due to it's low GI. The more slowly a food digests and the less it raises the blood sugar, the less addictive it tends to be. Since Agave is also free of any active narcotics (such as caffeine, etc), it provides less of a " hit " . High GI foods tend to be more addictive than lower ones because they enter the blood stream quickly and with more intensity. This results in a sudden increase in energy. That " charge " is the experience that can be addictive for many people. Regarding raw diet, your description of that bone-deep cold when eating a raw diet in cold weather was the way I felt too. However, I do tend to gravitate naturally more in that direction in summer when fresh fruit and salad veggies are more abundantly available then anyway. I find that there is nothing more pleasant and refreshing as a large slice of watermelon on a hot day! :-) Deborah Agave info... http://www.blueagavenectar.com/notallagavesarecreatedequal.html I'd also like to note that a lot of the studies doctors do takes things to the extreme! It doesn't state how much agave is being consumed for these studies or the health of the participants starting out. Anything in excess is bad for you. You can develop serious health problems taking too many vitamins! The average person is only using a small amount of agave to sweeten coffee, tea or baked goods. If your using a cup or more a day then obviously your going to suffer some serious consequences! Moderation is key. As far as addictiveness goes, some people are naturally prone to addictive behaviors, which are more psychological than anything. I generally tend to have an addictive personality, but I have not had any problems with agave! In fact, since I've started using agave, I have cut way back on my sweets to the point where sometimes I go 2-3 weeks without any sweets or agave! Before I was consuming a diet of virtually all junk food and I craved sweets non stop, even after overindulging on them! I don't crave sweets any more and usually pass on offers to have some! From my personal study, I conclude that it's actually beneficial to people with addictive personalities! The bottle of agave I have had for over a month and I haven't even used 1/4 of it! I simply don't need sugar anymore! As far as raw diets go, 60-80% raw is sufficient for most people. I tried the 100% raw diet and couldn't do it. I am always cold and when trying to go all raw, the cold was so deeply penetrating that with my house temperature at 75 degrees, 3 layers of clothes and 4 blankets wrapped around me, I could not get warm! Being anemic doesn't help either, but my iron was at normal levels and I was taking the supplements! Raw diets are not appropriate for everyone. I don't believe any type of diet is appropriate for everyone! We have different blood types, genetic predispositions, and health concerns, which all need to be taken into consideration before adapting to a diet. Pick up any random diet book and one of the first things you see inside it is a disclaimer that a doctor should be consulted before making dietary changes! Activist have tunnel vision and only see what they find right for them as a universal truth that all should believe and adapt to. What I believe and what I do in my life is right for me and I appreciate when others respect my choices, and in turn, I respect their right to choose what works for them. Many wars have been fought and much blood spilled over intolerance and lack of understanding. I do not care for activist (especially when they are doctors) because they have a tendency of forcing their will on to others. J . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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