Hold the Agave, Please

Walk up to any coffee counter these days and you’re bound to find a big bottle of agave syrup nestled in between the cane sugar and half & half. Touted as an all natural, healthy alternative to other sweeteners, agave seemed the go to choice for people who like it sweet by need something with a lower glycemic index and diabetics.

Unfortunately, agave ain’t all that.

The truth behind agave, which is derived from the succulent agave plant in Mexico, is it’s almost all fructose. Fructose, a naturally occurs sugar, is fine when consumed in its natural state. An apple, for instance, contains 7% fructose. Agave nectar contains a whopping 90% fructose.

And what’s the problem with fructose? In highly concentrated amounts, fructose has been linked to liver disease.

So when it comes to sweetening your coffee, tea or recipe, honey and sugar are still the sweeter deal.