You may have heard that agave is a healthy alternative sweetener. Unfortunately, you heard wrong.

In the search for a healthy sweetener, you may have heard about agave. If so, I’m afraid your search will have to continue.

Agave is typically described as a “natural” product. Natural? Riiiight. It appears they’ve duped us again.

If you’re traveling in Mexico, you might actually find a natural agave sweetener. It’s produced from concentrated agave sap and looks like molasses. But it’s difficult to make, so it’s not widely available.

Picture a remote dirt road. An adobe hut. A makeshift shelf. Mismatched bottles filled with thick, dark syrup.

But commercial agave syrup (or agave nectar) is something else entirely.

According to an article from the Weston A. Price Foundation, agave syrup producers use a chemical process to break down the plant’s large root bulb. The substance of the bulb is similar to cornstarch. And you can probably see where this is going.

The end product is a syrup that’s 70% fructose or higher. And that fructose level is MUCH higher than the fructose content in soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

Don’t be fooled. Agave syrup is not a healthy alternative sweetener.

Sources:
“Agave Nectar: Worse Than We Thought” Sally Fallon Morell and Rami Nagel, The Weston A. Price Foundation, 4/30/09, westonaprice.org