Wholesome Organic Blue Raw Agave cancelled sugar. When the stores ran out of raw sugar at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic I was hot on the trail of an alternative natural sweetener. This path led me to Wholesome Agave syrup.
Agave syrup, also known as agave nectar, comes by way of the agave plant that is native to the Southern United States and Latin America. It has been used for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.
Most use agave for it’s health benefits. It’s a diabetic-friendly sweetener that doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels. This is because agave has a lower GI than most other sweeteners, which means that it is less likely to cause blood sugar spikes.
Now some argue that since the agave plant also produces nectar containing large amounts of a sugar called fructose it’s another form of high fructose corn syrup. So let’s take a moment to chat about this fructose situation.
Fructose, or “fruit sugar,” is a monosaccharide like glucose. It is sourced from sugar cane, sugar beets and corn. Meanwhile, high-fructose corn syrup is made from cornstarch and contains more fructose than glucose, compared to regular corn syrup. That said, Wholesome Agave is not high fructose corn syrup.
As for the agave hating that has been going on, there is nothing in existence that is perfect. All things have their flaws and polarities. Hence, like all things agave nectar should be consumed in moderation. With agave this is easier than ever to do because it is 3 times as sweet as cane sugar so you use less.
Now I get the raw agave, which means that it is processed using low heat so that it retains its nutritional benefits. It’s a bit pricier than the more processed options, but I’m cool with that in the interest of nutrient density.
Overall, I have found a new love in this natural sweetener. I use it for everything. I cook with it, sweeten my tea with it and use it as syrup on my waffles. Sugar was never that versatile! However, I’ll still keep some raw cane sugar in the house for some things. At the same time, when cane sugar is cancelled again in the event that there are any future pandemics, I’m happy to have Wholesome Organic Blue Raw Agave come to the rescue.
Have you tried agave? What do you use it in and how do you like it?
