Agave

[NoGMO!]

maybe this has been discussed already, but I can't locate any threads about it. what's the deal with rumors of some agave being diluted with corn syrup? I never really used agave much, but recently picked up some raw/organic Whole Foods store brand agave nectar, and naturally don't want to be using it at all if this is true.

[Raene]

never heard that rumor! just hear all the time that agave isn't really raw.

[Dimond]

If you're worried, just stick with the clear agave: http://tinyurl.com/63dvt9

Or a different sweetener altogether. For me personally, I've had more positive health effects using agave versus any other sweetener besides fresh fruit. Yacon Syrup is a good sweetener, but it's not the same as agave which blends into recipes & foods better.

[NoGMO!]

If you're worried, just stick with the clear agave. Or a different sweetener altogether.

Clear agave? I bought 2 bottles of dark brown colored agave.. I need it for the MC. I generally sweeten things with fruit.

[kaybee]

?i dont know why clear would be necessarily better? isnt corn syrup clear too?

yeah, i have heard that rumor. not sure whats up with it. but i know there is alot of debate about whether agave is really raw or not... alot of articles out there. did you try searching this site? im pretty sure there have been previous posts on this.

[Inca_faerie]

I don't know why people who have a problem with HFCS would even touch agave. It contains an even higher amount of fructose than corn syrup does at about 70-90% fructose. The fact that's it's touted as a "healthy" sweetener is beyond hilarious. High concentrations of fructose=glycation (premature aging) and possibly fat gain.

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html

[Dimond]

Comparing it to HFCS is ridiculous as they're not even closely related.

I have always had sugar-related illnesses my whole life, including candida. Using agave while raw hasn't cause me any problems and the candida isn't an issue. This after years of use. All other sugars including honey have caused issues. There are many similar stories.

The clear is what Alissa carries and many believe are healthier.

[NoGMO!]

I don't know why people who have a problem with HFCS would even touch agave. [/url]

one reason is corn is usually gmo'd.

[Inca_faerie]

It's not ridiculous at all since they are related by the fact that they are both high fructose sweeteners, only agave is composed of an even higher percentage of fructose. You're right about that NoGMO, that and the way it's processed are the only 2 main differences I can think of when it comes to agave and HFCS.

[jacsam]

My favorite sweetener is medjool dates but I do use agave in a few recipes and I've really liked it.....now after using the dates and agave, if I use a recipe with raw honey, I have found it is way too sweet for my liking. Before going raw, I really enjoyed honey.

[spicyfull]

The clear is RAW, it's like any other sweeter, when cooked it turns Brown.

[NoGMO!]

The clear is RAW, it's like any other sweeter, when cooked it turns Brown.

uh-oh, fooled again... the WFM label says "RAW Agave Nectar" in giant letters on this dark brown agave.. thanks for clarifying.:(

[Raw Joy]

What about the "Blue" Agave? I thought it was raw also.

[kaybee]

is that really true? arent some things brown naturally? i woudl think the clear is actually just more refined than the brown. honey is brown, raw, so arent dates and date syrup... is "fresh" /raw agave really clear?!!? and yeah, what about the "blue" agave? its brown and says raw....argh. i dunno

[Raene]

Things that say raw aren't always...we know from the cashews and almonds sold in the HFS.

I just base everything on how I feel. I feel fine with clear agave, so I buy it.

[Raw Joy]

Things that say raw aren't always...we know from the cashews and almonds sold in the HFS.

I just base everything on how I feel. I feel fine with clear agave, so I buy it.

I know that there are some acceptable non-raw ingredients that some use. I'm just questioning whether the blue "raw" agave is any better or worse than the clear "raw" agave.

thanks.

[oai]

i wanted to use agave for my mom as an alternative sweetener. i'll just go with dates now.

[Bananna]

but dates...ugh, then you have to check each one for worms.

[Inca_faerie]

So glad I don't eat dates.:D

[curlygirl82]

Seriously?!? You have to check dates for worms?!?!?!:eek::confused:

Also, another voice weighing in on the agave issue:
http://renegadehealth.com/blog/is-there-corn-syrup-in-agave-nectar/

[WendyLouWho]

Okay, seriously? Worms? I've been using dates for a while now and have never seen a worm. I pit the dates by hand, splitting them open...would I see them that way? I guess if one has slipped by me I surely never noticed since I blend them, lol!

I need the scoop on these worms. Or maybe I don't :eek:

[Raw Angel Mom]

Can someone be clear about the blue agave? Because i thought is was raw too. I will buy the clear one for now on until this is resolve. Sadly, i got couple bottle of blue agave.

As for the date, maybe it depends the area and where they come from. I have never, never saw any worm ever. I have been eating date for near 20 years now. Maybe i got lucky.

[Eva]

I am pretty "strict" when it comes to what I use in that I don't use nama shoyu, nutritional yeast, braggs, etc. and shell my own almonds rather than buy prepacked... I do this for my health and for taste reasons. I have had no problems or reactions (personally) to using the "raw" agave made by Madhava. No blood sugar issues, no reactions in any way. A SMALL amount of braggs aminos, nama shoyu, miso, etc. makes a BIG difference in the way I feel, makes me feel awful. But not agave.

That said, when it is possible to use dates, raisins, figs, etc., that's what I prefer to use in recipes. When it is not possible, I use agave. No big deal.

[NoGMO!]

a worm won't hurt you - sadly, it will only hurt the worm. :cool:
imo, it's infinitely better, to accidentally consume an occassional tiny bug
than any amount pesticide.
bugs are everywhere even in processed food; you just can't see'em.

raw angel mom, dunno about the Blue A. sorry can't be of help. i'm back to dates and figs, etc... because I prefer the taste to agave.

[Bananna]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=26796&highlight=dates+worms

I'm fine with agave...it doesn't give me the sugar rush I get when I used to eat dates or honey which are too sweet and overpowering for me. It has only 60 calories per teaspoon, not the standard 100 found in honey, sugar and other syrups. I think it's pretty clean, safe stuff that goes well in recipes. If it says raw and it's not and some say yes and some say no, whatever, I feel fine eating it.

[Imani]

is not fat need for brain function? who care sif you gain fat. Of course not to much but if you are eating raw. Fat is much needed. Right

[Inca_faerie]

is not fat need for brain function? who care sif you gain fat. Of course not to much but if you are eating raw. Fat is much needed. Right

Eating healthy fats (monounsaturated fats, saturated fats in the form of medium chain fatty acids) is important for brain function and overall health. Gaining fat from overconsumption of sugars (including natural ones) is not healthy unless your body fat percentage is too low and you need to put on a bit of jiggle so to speak.:D Gaining fat from overating certian sugars has nothing to do with brain function.

[Lady Green Jeans]

Eva,

Good thread. Will have to phase out the agave when I finish what I have on hand. I'm also giving up Nama Shoyu after I finish the bottle I have. Will switch to Tamari (I understand is truly wheat-free soy sauce). On a recent interview, Jameth Sheridan commented that quite a few individuals cannot ingest Nama Shoyu due to the wheat content.

I check my organic dates for any insect infestation while I am pitting. Have not had one. Personally willing to sacrafice tossing a few dates over eating them conventionally grown.

[iamacranberry]

Eva,

Good thread. Will have to phase out the agave when I finish what I have on hand. I'm also giving up Nama Shoyu after I finish the bottle I have. Will switch to Tamari (I understand is truly wheat-free soy sauce). On a recent interview, Jameth Sheridan commented that quite a few individuals cannot ingest Nama Shoyu due to the wheat content.

I check my organic dates for any insect infestation while I am pitting. Have not had one. Personally willing to sacrafice tossing a few dates over eating them conventionally grown.

I wasn't so lucky with the dates once upon a time....bought a whole 650g box of them and all were filled with worms of some kind.

[Sugar Snap Pea]

I hope you returned it for your $$ back!!

[Eva]

Eva,

I'm also giving up Nama Shoyu after I finish the bottle I have. Will switch to Tamari (I understand is truly wheat-free soy sauce). On a recent interview, Jameth Sheridan commented that quite a few individuals cannot ingest Nama Shoyu due to the wheat content.



I have NO idea why I feel bad after NS and Braggs. Supposedly one has wheat and the other MSG? I feel about the same after both. My problem is actually with my concentration. I had to take Ritalin for ADHD symptoms (pre-RAW!) for many years, and both make me a little loopy. I would look into the "why" more, but I'm just as happy with just not having them for now!

I DID recently have tamari when I got Russell James' Thai ebook. I really debated about this, but I figured it was worth a shot. If it didn't work for me, it would be a lesson learned. I felt just as wonderful as any other day after I ingested it. Very exciting. While I don't intend to have it regularly, at least it's there should I decide I want THAT exact taste for a recipe. :)

Anyways, just sharing in case it's useful to you.

I went to a raw potluck today (where I was once again the only 100% dedicated raw foodie) and brought a tasty chocolate that included BOTH agave AND cacao, two recent controversies. It was a HUGE hit, as my chocolates usually are... I'm actually teaching a class to two people tomorrow who had never heard of raw until they met me. Four months after sharing my treats regularly, they're hooked and want some of my energy and recipes... These things (cacao, agave, tamari, Braggs, etc) do have their place, but they are obviously are not worth including in an individual's lifestyle if the bad is outweighing the good! As simple as that! :)

[Raene]

I too can't tolerate these soy products. Eek.

[Bananna]

I'm the same with NS and Bragg's...and the same with Tamari!

[Eva]

I'm the same with NS and Bragg's...and the same with Tamari!

Hey Bananna! Do you mean that you're OK with tamari, or do you have trouble with it? I'm curious because I was actually pretty surprised that it was totally OK for me...

[Bananna]

No, I'm fine with it! And, like you, very pleased to find out :) ...and I seem fine with agave too, it doesn't seem to send me on quite the sugar rush as dates or honey.

Not saying it's grey zone isn't meritted, it very well may be, but I can't ignore that I feel fine consuming it. ..and that's kinda what I go by, since that's what brought me to raw in the first place, it's a good rule of thumb.

[Eva]

Thanks Bananna! That's good to know! :)

[iamacranberry]

No, I'm fine with it! And, like you, very pleased to find out :) ...and I seem fine with agave too, it doesn't seem to send me on quite the sugar rush as dates or honey.

Not saying it's grey zone isn't meritted, it very well may be, but I can't ignore that I feel fine consuming it. ..and that's kinda what I go by, since that's what brought me to raw in the first place, it's a good rule of thumb.

Probably a good way to go, since everyone's body is ever so slightly different anyway.

[rawstrength]

I don't like the taste of agave, so I don't use it. I haven't done much research into it, because I never liked it.

[Bananna]

I just bought a bottle of blue agave and it says right on the back that it has been processed below 118 degrees....?

[iamacranberry]

I just bought a bottle of blue agave and it says right on the back that it has been processed below 118 degrees....?

It's possible they're telling the truth. In fact, they probably are, since they'd be guilty of false advertising if they were lying...lol. It is indeed possible to process agave at low temperatures. It is just that many companies do not. Hope yours is good!

[Raene]

I hate this post b/c I love agave and I so dislike honey and using honey.

I hate this post only because it's made me think, and I've started noticing that every time I eat agave now I get anxiety/panic attacks. This used to happen when I ate sugar, including cane sugar, and cacao and chocolates do this to me as well. But now agave?! Arg. I guess I'll have to just go with dates since honey really doesn't feel ethically right to me.

[Bananna]

Wouldn't that just be the higher glycemic load? That's really the only thing they all have in common...I find it weird that dates wouldn't...but I don't know, I won't eat dates, lol.

I like agave, but that being said it is such a rare treat that I don't care. Plus, I do believe they aren't advertising falsely, if it specifies the temperature right on the label.

iamacranberry - thanks for your input, I always appreciate your perspective!

[Inca_faerie]

I hate this post b/c I love agave and I so dislike honey and using honey.

I hate this post only because it's made me think, and I've started noticing that every time I eat agave now I get anxiety/panic attacks. This used to happen when I ate sugar, including cane sugar, and cacao and chocolates do this to me as well. But now agave?! Arg. I guess I'll have to just go with dates since honey really doesn't feel ethically right to me.

Raene, I see where your coming from. I used to like agave too, until I researched it and found out what it was composed of. I didn't really feel let down though, instead I felt glad to know about it before I ate anymore of it. I guess that's one way to look at it.

What I really don't get is why people care whether it's raw or not. Your eating the highest of all high fructose sweeteners, and the thing your concerned about is whether or not it's raw?? I'd be more concerned about premature skin aging (including muscles and other body tissues) rather than it's state of rawness.

It's kinda funny to me to see people post in threads about how horrible HFCS is, but then eat agave which is even higher in fructose.

[Bananna]

Ok, after doing some homework it seems that it depends on your source if it has more fructose than HFCS or not. Some quote 92%, some quote only 56%.

...that range is noted on Wikipedia, which I consider a fairly reliable and objective site for info.

Not entirely arguing with you though, through my research I did also learn that concentrated forms of fructose aren't exactly healthy...so yes, raw or not (which I think mine is), doesn't mean it's healthy....because it's not a natural whole food product, etc.

So...what do you eat, no dates, no honey, no agave syrup...do you eat dehydrated foods?
Just genuinely curious...

[Raene]

Check this out!! http://www.naturalnews.com/024892.html

[Inca_faerie]

Ok, after doing some homework it seems that it depends on your source if it has more fructose than HFCS or not. Some quote 92%, some quote only 56%.

...that range is noted on Wikipedia, which I consider a fairly reliable and objective site for info.

Not entirely arguing with you though, through my research I did also learn that concentrated forms of fructose aren't exactly healthy...so yes, raw or not (which I think mine is), doesn't mean it's healthy....because it's not a natural whole food product, etc.

So...what do you eat, no dates, no honey, no agave syrup...do you eat dehydrated foods?
Just genuinely curious...

Hi Bananna,

The percentage of fructose does seem to vary from place to place but on average mostly I've seen it listed as somewhere between 70-90%. I eat low fructose fruits like canteloupe (my fave) raspberries, oranges, mandarines, apricots(fresh), nectarines.

I sometimes use a bit of buckwheat honey which is polyphenol rich so it counteracts the negative effects of it's fructose level. If I'm making some raw cookies or some kind of dessert I use cane juice extract mixed with acacia fiber (to keep the GI level low). I started using yacon root syrup a little while ago too, it's really good over raspberries with some almond slivers on top.

Yup, I eat dehydrated foods, mostly non sweet stuff like crackers or marinated veggie slices.

[lsadeseyens]

dagnabit..... now no agave after reading the link Raene sent....
inca_faerie, I am assuming that yacon syrup is a okay? Haven't really tried it, but have seen it in my local health food store. Has anyone dehydrated dates and run them through a grinder to make a sugar? I know they have a strong flavor, does yacon?

[Inca_faerie]

Check this out!! http://www.naturalnews.com/024892.html

I saw that article a few days ago!


"While high fructose agave syrup won't spike your blood sugar levels, the fructose in it will cause: mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, obesity, and may be toxic for use during pregnancy."

No thanks!:eek:


lsadeseyens, I think it's a great sweetener. It contains mostly oligofructose which the body cannot absorb therefor it's lower in calories than most other sweeteners. It still has some fructose in it so I don't go overboard with it. It has a fairly strong rich flavor, it tastes similar to molasses. Here's a link with some more info on it.


http://www.health.whereanything.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=46

[Nayeli_Raw]

Many raw uncookbooks call for agave and many call for honey which isn't even vegan. I prefer the agave over the honey for the taste. But since i rarely make anything I need it for I don't even have any in the house lol!! But I thought agave was raw as well. I guess i am going to have to start growing whatever cactus the stuff comes from!! Just kidding, but sheesh. Anyway I just noticed the Alissa sells agave on her website, so if you aren't sure about the stuff you have get hers.

[annavon]

I have NO idea why I feel bad after NS and Braggs. Supposedly one has wheat and the other MSG? I feel about the same after both. My problem is actually with my concentration. I had to take Ritalin for ADHD symptoms (pre-RAW!) for many years, and both make me a little loopy. I would look into the "why" more, but I'm just as happy with just not having them for now![/B] :)

I have read that any soy based products naturally contains MSG or glutimates that are similar in chemical structure to MSG. NS and Braggs contain more of these because they are a concentrated product. Does raw help your ADHD? ADD runs in my family, altough I have never been diagnosed or had to take medication for it, I am sure I have it. I am easily distracted. My brother takes medication for his ADD and he says he sees the characteristics in me. I feel more focused on raw, except I get distracted by this website!!!;)

[Eva]

I have read that any soy based products naturally contains MSG or glutimates that are similar in chemical structure to MSG. NS and Braggs contain more of these because they are a concentrated product. Does raw help your ADHD? ADD runs in my family, altough I have never been diagnosed or had to take medication for it, I am sure I have it. I am easily distracted. My brother takes medication for his ADD and he says he sees the characteristics in me. I feel more focused on raw, except I get distracted by this website!!!;)

YES, Raw helps me ADHD! I blogged about tips and info re: ADHD if it's helpful to you: http://readysethealthy.blogspot.com/2008/08/adhd-conquering-it-every-day.html

And I've figured that anything with the capability of breaking the blood-brain barrier is bad -- so things with MSG or that affect seratonin levels, things like that are no good.

Stay raw! And I really am going to update the info I added there -- but it's going to be elsewhere. I'm developing two websites now -- one with heaps of free and detailed info for health and about raw food, and the other for my business. The one for health/raw food is (well actually both are) up but I still need to update the links and get it in more presentable shape. :)