Agave syrup abortifacient for depopulation?

[hermajesty]

Agave "nectar" makes me feel horrible (sick to my stomach), so I did some research to find out why. Turns out there are a lot of unsavory things about agave syrup, but the worst, IMO, is that it contains saponins, which are abortifacients.

[T]he truth is that the saponins found in many varieties of agave plants are toxic steroid derivatives, capable of disrupting red blood cells and producing diarrhea and vomiting,39 to be avoided during pregnancy or breastfeeding because they might cause or contribute to miscarriage by stimulating blood flow to the uterus.40 At the very least, agave products should carry a warning label indicating that the product may cause a miscarriage...

Agave Nectar: Worse Than We Thought
Written by Sally Fallon Morell and Rami Nagel
2009-Apr-30
http://www.westonaprice.org/Agave-Nectar-Worse-Than-We-Thought.html


...Agave “nectar” also contains high levels of saponins, which can cause miscarriage, making it unsafe for pregnant women. Saponins are steroid derivatives capable of disrupting red blood cells and causing diarrhea and vomiting, making agave problematic for all consumers...

AGAVE WORSE THAN SUGAR, NUTRITION FOUNDATION WARNS
http://wholefoodusa.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/caution-contains-agave-nectar/

Saponin:

A type of toxic glycoside that forms a frothy colloidal solution on shaking with water. Saponins occur in many plants (such as horse chestnut). They break down red blood cells and have been used for poisoning fish. On hydrolysis they yield a variety of sugars.

http://www.answers.com/topic/saponin

[hermajesty]

Why Agave Nectar is Worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup

Why Agave Nectar is Worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup - YouTube

More On Agave, HFCS and How Fructose Affects the Liver #374

More On Agave, HFCS and How Fructose Affects the Liver #374 - YouTube

Agave Nectar Clinical Trials Stopped Due to Severe Side Eff

Agave Nectar Clinical Trials Stopped Due to Severe Side Eff - YouTube

[metacomet]

Thanks for bringing this up!

I wonder where we could find a list of foods or drinks using this?

[hermajesty]

Hi, Metacomet!

I just did a search for foods/drinks with agave, but didn't find anything. I will post anything I find. :)

[stelios]

Shite i wish i read this before.
I always avoid aspartame and high fructose syrup.
But i picked up some DORSET CEREAL BARS which were half price in tescos, i DID notice they contained Agave as the sweetener and i thought that mean they were good.
But after eating 2 bars with a mug of tea i noticed my face went red blushed and now that i have read this i guess it might be the agave nectar.
I wont ever buy it again but it is getting hard to find healthy clean stuff to eat that isnt dressed up crap.

http://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/static/images/our-recipes/bars-slices/super-high-fibre-bar.jpg

ingredients
Dates (19%), agave nectar, toasted & malted oat flakes (oats, barley malt extract), toasted and malted wheat flakes (wheat, barley malt extract), sunflower seeds (7%), dried apricots (6%) (apricots, preservative: sulphur dioxide), sweetened puffed rice (rice, sugar), toasted coconut (6%), finely ground hazelnuts (4%), chopped roasted hazelnuts (4%), Chilean flame raisins (4%).

[hermajesty]

Hi, Stellos!

Agave makes me flush red, too. I had a little teaspoon today, & it put me out for a couple of hours. The reaction for me is a little bit like w/ MSG, but the pain in my stomach was pretty severe.

[syllabear]

Since it's something that David Wolfe heavily pushes i'm not surprised it's bad for us.

[wakeuptime]

So glad you brought this up. I had no idea agave was bad for you and was really surprised to find it on a healthstore shelf in France (where generally they try to ban anything that's good for you). Out goes my bottle of it.

Very informative videos. Any idea where you can get the green leaf stevia he mentions? I've got the white powder stuff and who knows what's in there.

As for lacuma (sp?) powder, sounds like a good substitute. Is it readily available?

[princessofwands]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :(

thanks for the warning! another nasty to watch out for....

[gaias child]

Thanks for posting this information.

Since it's something that David Wolfe heavily pushes i'm not surprised it's bad for us.

Ha Ha

DW used to be great until he sold out.

[sofa king]

Hi, Metacomet!

I just did a search for foods/drinks with agave, but didn't find anything. I will post anything I find. :)



tequila

this explains why it ruins people more than any other spirit

[phildee3]

So glad you brought this up.



:D

[hermajesty]

Since it's something that David Wolfe heavily pushes i'm not surprised it's bad for us.

Hello, Syllabear!

Thanks for bringing David Wolfe to my attention. I had never heard of him before. Here is a link for anyone else who might be unfamiliar with him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wolfe_(raw_foodist)

[hermajesty]

So glad you brought this up. I had no idea agave was bad for you and was really surprised to find it on a healthstore shelf in France (where generally they try to ban anything that's good for you). Out goes my bottle of it.

Very informative videos. Any idea where you can get the green leaf stevia he mentions? I've got the white powder stuff and who knows what's in there.

As for lacuma (sp?) powder, sounds like a good substitute. Is it readily available?

Hey, Wakeuptime!

"was really surprised to find it on a healthstore shelf in France (where generally they try to ban anything that's good for you)."

lol - everything seems to be opposite in France :p

I wish the videos had talked about the saponins. I was thinking I was just allergic to agave until I came across that information.

I just did a search on Goodsearch (goes to charity) & came across some places where you can get green leaf stevia. Here is one: http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/green_stevia_leaf_Jar.html
Or you might be able to find something in France...

Here is a place selling lucuma powder:
http://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/lucuma-powder/

[hermajesty]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :(

thanks for the warning! another nasty to watch out for....

You are most welcome! I had no idea until yesterday :eek:

[hermajesty]

Thanks for posting this information.


Ha Ha

DW used to be great until he sold out.

I am really intrigued about this David Wolfe character now. Is the consensus that he is a NWO stooge or what?

[hermajesty]

tequila

this explains why it ruins people more than any other spirit

Yes, thank you for bringing that up.

While great for distilling tequila, the blue agave plant, when transformed through a chemical process into refined fructose, may contain many properties that make them dangerous and toxic for regular human consumption.

Blue Agave Nectar is Not a Safe Sweetener
http://wholefoodusa.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/caution-contains-agave-nectar/


Here is some more info from the article cited above about saponins:

“Yucca species, together with other agaves, are known to contain large quantities of saponins,” according to Tyler’s Honest Herbal. Saponins in many varieties of agave plants are toxic steroid derivatives, as well as purgatives, and are to be avoided during pregnancy or breastfeeding because they might cause or contribute to miscarriage. These toxins have adverse effects on non-pregnant people and many health compromised consumer categories as well. They are known to contribute to internal hemorrhaging by destroying red blood cells, and they may gravely negatively harm people taking statin and high blood pressure drugs. Agave may also stimulate blood flow in the uterus.(10) Other first hand reports indicate agave may promote sterility in women. Since the agaves used for agave syrup are not being used in their traditional way, there should be a warning label on the sweetener packages that it may promote miscarriage during pregnancy, through weakening the uterine lining.

[phildee3]

Yes, thank you for bringing that up.



You're the third.

It must be all up by now!

[wakeuptime]

Hi Hermajesty! thanks for the lucuma sweetener link. I'll def get some since I tossed the agave. Out goes the xylitol too.

Yeah, France has the whole health store concept backwards. Vitamins are mostly prescription and come in miniscule potencies to be used for one month; they don't help anyone. Flaxseed oil was banned in the 40's because supposedly someone had a "toxic" reaction.

On the other hand, food is not as bombarded by GMO (although they're trying right now) and most food has much more flavor than in the US.

Thanks again for bringing up agave. A health food loving friend of mine told me it was the new miracle sweetener. Now I know better....

[sofa king]

Yes, thank you for bringing that up.






yup.

tequila does that too

:D

[metacomet]

tequila

this explains why it ruins people more than any other spirit

Oh yikes, good point... hadn't thought about that.

Yes Tequila has Agave.

My friends alcoholic dad was drinking a fifth (giant bottle) of tequila to himself almost every night. That kind of alcoholism is full on possession... and I always wondered why he was so in love with Tequila.

The stuff tastes terrible in my opinion, I'd rather drink whiskey, vodka, almost anything else besides Tequila. Really not sure why it is so gross to me.

[krakhead]

The organic ginger beer I drink all the time has this in it! :eek: And I thought it was doing me good :(

[sofa king]

Oh yikes, good point... hadn't thought about that.

Yes Tequila has Agave.

My friends alcoholic dad was drinking a fifth (giant bottle) of tequila to himself almost every night. That kind of alcoholism is full on possession... and I always wondered why he was so in love with Tequila.

The stuff tastes terrible in my opinion, I'd rather drink whiskey, vodka, almost anything else besides Tequila. Really not sure why it is so gross to me.


within spirits I have noticed that brown spirits bring out something far more nasty in people than white spirits. Something about sitting in wood having toxins leached into it.

Then when you see how tequilas base ingredient is so nasty...


In 20 years of being legally allowed to drink, I have never seen any good come of drinking tequila.

[hermajesty]

Yeah, France has the whole health store concept backwards. Vitamins are mostly prescription and come in miniscule potencies to be used for one month; they don't help anyone. Flaxseed oil was banned in the 40's because supposedly someone had a "toxic" reaction.
I've heard that they want to do this in USA, too. Maybe w/ the Codex Alimentarius? Haven't researched it much. And flaxseed oil banned? That's just ridiculous. Have you tried hempseed oil? Do they even allow that? lol :p

On the other hand, food is not as bombarded by GMO (although they're trying right now) and most food has much more flavor than in the US.
Yeah, GMO, nano-particles, herbicides, pesticides - yum!

[hermajesty]

The organic ginger beer I drink all the time has this in it! :eek: And I thought it was doing me good :(

Hi, Krakhead!

What kind of ginger beer is it? (Just so people will know to avoid it) Does it make you ill at all? I noticed that my reaction got steadily worse over time.

[hermajesty]

That kind of alcoholism is full on possession... and I always wondered why he was so in love with Tequila.
Yeah, I've got my theories about that, too :eek:

The stuff tastes terrible in my opinion, I'd rather drink whiskey, vodka, almost anything else besides Tequila. Really not sure why it is so gross to me.

I have to admit I think tequila tastes pretty good in margaritas :p

[lyrag]

I use to use agave regularly in the past being a raw foodist, though i cannot afford it at the moment. At £16-20 a 500ml bottle agave is expensive but the main thing that stopped me buying it is that apparently it takes 10 years for an agave cacti to grow, which personally it made me feel very unethical and unnatural, to be regularly consuming a plant that takes 10 years to grow.
With regards to how it made me feel healthwise, well i cannot remember it making me feel ill, but most of the raw 'superfoods' make me feel light headed, and like i have been consuming drugs/alcohol, i also get mild come downs from them. But compared to what 'normal' food does to me, i guess they are positive and minimal. I would say agave is okay to eat, but in moderation like most foods.

[hermajesty]

it takes 10 years for an agave cacti to grow, which personally it made me feel very unethical and unnatural, to be regularly consuming a plant that takes 10 years to grow.
That is a good reason not to eat it!

I would say agave is okay to eat, but in moderation like most foods.
Hmmm... I don't know about that. The saponins are pretty worrisome, imo, & definitely make me sick.

While high fructose agave syrup won’t spike your blood glucose levels, the fructose in it may cause mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

Agave Nectar: Worse Than We Thought
Written by Sally Fallon Morell and Rami Nagel
http://www.westonaprice.org/Agave-Nectar-Worse-Than-We-Thought.html


And speaking as someone who has had some liver issues, the possible damage to the liver is also worrisome:

All the fructose must be metabolized in the liver. The livers of test animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrhosis, similar to problems that develop in the livers of alcoholics.17 Excessive fructose consumption is also believed to contribute to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.18

Id.


I definitely feel like agave has been misrepresented.

[syllabear]

Hello, Syllabear!

Thanks for bringing David Wolfe to my attention. I had never heard of him before. Here is a link for anyone else who might be unfamiliar with him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wolfe_(raw_foodist)
I am really intrigued about this David Wolfe character now. Is the consensus that he is a NWO stooge or what?
Ha Ha
DW used to be great until he sold out.

lol.. he began as a sell out. The first book he ever published was something he plagiarised almost word for word from a book that was out of print and he never gave any credit at all to the original author... and then sold it for $30 as if it was his own work. Does that sound like a man of integrity to you?

The products he most heavily recommends are cacao with AGAVE on them. Most scientists and even dr's in the raw food movement agree that cacao is highly toxic and not only that it's highly addictive. It will ruin your kidneys and adrenals along with everything else. Just look around youtube and google and you will find a lot of people who have had problems with cacao.

Also.. He is Jewish and his last name is Wolfe ;) How many more hints do we need?
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/messages/20056.html <-- see his plagiarism here.

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/messages/21615.html

[tenzingnorgay]

Thank you very much. It's so hard to keep on nutritional issues

[motleyhoo]

We have to be very careful about making blanket statements without correct supporting data. You can google this yourself, but the Rami study was no study at all. They looked at the one type of Agave that is high in Saponins, processed it in a way that promoted the Saponin level, and then classified all Agave nectar as unsafe before going on a wild anti-agave crusade across the internet. There are in fact quality Agave nectar products on the market that do not exhibit what Rami and his cohorts claim.

The same is true for raw cacao. The people going across the internet mounting an anti-cacao campaign are misrepresenting reality. Cacao is actually an important superfood, but like anything else you eat, you have to know what you're buying because quality and source varies.

I include Agave nectar and raw cocao in my diet, with the undertsndung that everything should be consumed in moderation, and I have had no ill affects what so ever.

I'd suggest doing the following google searches: "agave disinfo" and "cocao disinfo". I have no idea what their motivations are, but there are a handful of self-proclaimed "health experts" out there making claims that simply cannot be backed up with hard science or experience. There are millions of people out there using these products, and in quantities greater than I would, who are not having mutant kids, miscarriages, and organ failure.

.

[gaias child]

lol.. he began as a sell out. The first book he ever published was something he plagiarised almost word for word from a book that was out of print and he never gave any credit at all to the original author... and then sold it for $30 as if it was his own work. Does that sound like a man of integrity to you?

The products he most heavily recommends are cacao with AGAVE on them. Most scientists and even dr's in the raw food movement agree that cacao is highly toxic and not only that it's highly addictive. It will ruin your kidneys and adrenals along with everything else. Just look around youtube and google and you will find a lot of people who have had problems with cacao.

Also.. He is Jewish and his last name is Wolfe ;) How many more hints do we need?
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/messages/20056.html <-- see his plagiarism here.

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/messages/21615.html

Here is a thread you might find interesting on this subject

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1281057#post1281057

and another one

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2659

[gaias child]

We have to be very careful about making blanket statements without correct supporting data. You can google this yourself, but the Rami study was no study at all. They looked at the one type of Agave that is high in Saponins, processed it in a way that promoted the Saponin level, and then classified all Agave nectar as unsafe before going on a wild anti-agave crusade across the internet. There are in fact quality Agave nectar products on the market that do not exhibit what Rami and his cohorts claim.

The same is true for raw cacao. The people going across the internet mounting an anti-cacao campaign are misrepresenting reality. Cacao is actually an important superfood, but like anything else you eat, you have to know what you're buying because quality and source varies.

I include Agave nectar and raw cocao in my diet, with the undertsndung that everything should be consumed in moderation, and I have had no ill affects what so ever.

I'd suggest doing the following google searches: "agave disinfo" and "cocao disinfo". I have no idea what their motivations are, but there are a handful of self-proclaimed "health experts" out there making claims that simply cannot be backed up with hard science or experience. There are millions of people out there using these products, and in quantities greater than I would, who are not having mutant kids, miscarriages, and organ failure.

.

The thing is all processed sugar is no good for you, doesn't matter how raw it is, I think the only one that is raw is the clear agave, those raw agave syrups are not even raw.

I think is ok to use these things is very small moderation but so many people who have moved to raw food now eat tons of cacao superfoods and agave, which has got nothign to do with healthy eating or eating in balance with human body.

I'm a long term raw foodist and I hate to see the way it has become corrupted.

[gaias child]

We have to be very careful about making blanket statements without correct supporting data. You can google this yourself, but the Rami study was no study at all. They looked at the one type of Agave that is high in Saponins, processed it in a way that promoted the Saponin level, and then classified all Agave nectar as unsafe before going on a wild anti-agave crusade across the internet. There are in fact quality Agave nectar products on the market that do not exhibit what Rami and his cohorts claim.

The same is true for raw cacao. The people going across the internet mounting an anti-cacao campaign are misrepresenting reality. Cacao is actually an important superfood, but like anything else you eat, you have to know what you're buying because quality and source varies.

I include Agave nectar and raw cocao in my diet, with the undertsndung that everything should be consumed in moderation, and I have had no ill affects what so ever.

I'd suggest doing the following google searches: "agave disinfo" and "cocao disinfo". I have no idea what their motivations are, but there are a handful of self-proclaimed "health experts" out there making claims that simply cannot be backed up with hard science or experience. There are millions of people out there using these products, and in quantities greater than I would, who are not having mutant kids, miscarriages, and organ failure.

.

Of course I agree to be very discerning about all research. However the truth is no processed sugar is good for you, doesn't matter how raw it is the only one that is raw anyway is clear agave, those raw agave syrups are not even raw. You may get away with consuming agave or any sugar for a while but long term it will cause you problems

And then most vendors making blanket statements saying it was safe for diabetics when it is not. Although that might not be there fault if that is what they have been told by manufacturers.

The whole thing about cacao being a health food is laughable, no animal in the wild will touch cacao and it is more toxic raw than cooked, because it has certain substances and I don't mean theobromine but worse than that and are toxic and has to be heat treated and fermented to reduce them. I've read too tht most raw cacao is not truly raw anyway. So the whole raw food thing has just been corrupted. Cacao is extremely addictive, it only tastes good if drenched in sugar. it is just a drug like coffee and certain herbs. I had bad reactions to raw cacao and it was a good quality one from sunfood nutrition, and far less reaction to cooked cacao from green and blacks, although I won't buy that either as it is owned by Cadbury. I do not trust its quality or that it is fair trade

Raw Cacao is being bought from the indigenous people for about a dollar a pound, and this is claimed to be fair trade, and then sold at huge profit

I think is ok to use these things is very small moderation too,but so many people who have moved to raw food just think raw food is eating tons of cacao superfoods and agave, which no longer has got nothing to do with raw food, or eating in harmony with nature which is the reason I was drawn to raw food .

If anyone has an agenda it is whoever is behind the manufacturing processing and putting these products out that they know are not healthy but do not care as it is very lucrative rather than those who are concerned with wht the truth is.

.

[hermajesty]

Thank you very much. It's so hard to keep on nutritional issues

You're welcome! Yes, it is hard to stay on top of things, especially when there is blatant consumer fraud involved.

[hermajesty]

We have to be very careful about making blanket statements without correct supporting data.
The study did provide supporting data. Agave makes me & my mother very sick. That is why I started looking into it in the first place.

You can google this yourself, but the Rami study was no study at all.
That is your opinion. Are you a representative for an agave producer? Just wondering.

They looked at the one type of Agave that is high in Saponins, processed it in a way that promoted the Saponin level, and then classified all Agave nectar as unsafe before going on a wild anti-agave crusade across the internet.

Apparently, the agave industry boasts of the saponins in agave:

The industry describes saponins in agave syrup as beneficial: “Agave’s rich density of saponins increases hydration as the soapy, surfactant nature of saponins change the wetting angle of water it contacts. This eases and accelerates cellular water uptake, especially when used with a high-quality salt.”38

http://www.westonaprice.org/Agave-Nectar-Worse-Than-We-Thought.html


They just happened to leave out the part about how saponins can cause diarrhea, nausea & miscarriage (inadvertently, I'm sure).

There are in fact quality Agave nectar products on the market that do not exhibit what Rami and his cohorts claim.
And which ones would those be?

I include Agave nectar and raw cocao in my diet, with the undertsndung that everything should be consumed in moderation, and I have had no ill affects what so ever.
That's really great for you. Other people, such as I, get sick from agave.

I'd suggest doing the following google searches: "agave disinfo" and "cocao disinfo". I have no idea what their motivations are, but there are a handful of self-proclaimed "health experts" out there making claims that simply cannot be backed up with hard science or experience.

I'm sure their motivations are to inform people of the truth about agave, just like that's my motivation. I don't want people to get sick. It also really bothers me how consumers are being defrauded w/ blatant misrepresentation. They have backed up their claims w/ science. Who is the disinfo agent here?

[hermajesty]

The thing is all processed sugar is no good for you, doesn't matter how raw it is, I think the only one that is raw is the clear agave, those raw agave syrups are not even raw.



Hi, Gaias Child!

One of those videos I posted mentioned how raw agave is made using black mold. That is pretty shocking, b/c black mold is obviously not healthy.

I don't think people even realize that agave is highly processed sugar. People are misled into thinking it comes from agave juice somehow, since they call it "nectar."

[hermajesty]

If anyone has an agenda it is whoever is behind the manufacturing processing and putting these products out that they know are not healthy but do not care as it is very lucrative rather than those who are concerned with wht the truth is.


Well said. People who are trying to warn about the ill effects of agave aren't making any money off of it. It's the agave producers who make their product very cheaply, misrepresent it as "healthy," & then sell it at outrageous prices who have the agenda.

[gaias child]

Hi, Gaias Child!

One of those videos I posted mentioned how raw agave is made using black mold. That is pretty shocking, b/c black mold is obviously not healthy.

I don't think people even realize that agave is highly processed sugar. People are misled into thinking it comes from agave juice somehow, since they call it "nectar."

Thanks for posting this information my gut feel always told me this stuff was no health food , and this info is pretty shocking.

The food industry including health foods is just one big corrupt industry even the little grassroot health companies that started out small have been bought up by global corporates now such as green and black, by cadbury, and lara raw food bars,as well as toms of maine tooth paste now being owned by colgate etc etc.

[hermajesty]

This is the video that had the black mold info. At 2:00:

The AGAVE SYRUP Controversy: Friend or Foe? Episode 82

The AGAVE SYRUP Controversy: Friend or Foe? Episode 82 - YouTube

The AGAVE SYRUP Controversy: Friend or Foe? Episode 82 - YouTube

[motleyhoo]

That's really great for you. Other people, such as I, get sick from agave.


Yeah, and some people will die if they eat nuts. That doesn't mean we should all stop eating nuts. I know someone who is allergic to nuts. Maybe I should post about how almonds are deadly to humans. If Agave makes you sick then eat something else.

http://catsandjammers.net/scottsblog/blog2.php/2009/04/26/lcentergdissecting-the-agave-controversy

Raw agave nectar is raw agave nectar. If you need to see an example of this then do a simple amazon search. Madhava Organic Agave Nectar - Raw, 17-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 12): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417YKTC9PHL.@@AMEPARAM@@417YKTC9PHL. Note that it is heated below 115F. That is considered raw, and it is what it is.

This notion that all sugar is bad for you is total nonsense. What is bad for you is eating the wrong kind of sugar or eating way too much of the good kind. I'd get sick too if I drank down a quart of agave everyday, and so would everyone else. That's not how sugar is supposed to be used, and it has gotten a bad rap because most people abuse it like they do everything else on the grocery store shelves. That's why 70% of the Western world are fat, lazy hogs.

Raw sugar, such as that produced by squeezing organic cane or organic agave is NOT processed sugar. Do you understand the difference? I see you interchanging the words raw, processed, and refined as if you think they're the same. They are not. Refined sugar is that which you find in granulated form on commercial shelves. Processed is that which is cooked over 115F, and or bleached or mixed with other chemicals. Raw, unrefined, unprocessed syrup from cane or agave is exactly what it says.

I really do not care, I don't work for an agave company, nor do I go around preaching about agave. Hell, one small bottle of it lasts me almost a year. But it really irks me when I see people who have food reactions going on crusades about how the thing they cannot tolerate has to be bad for everyone. Why can't those of us who tolerate it and enjoy it in moderation be left alone without being told we're poisoning ourselves?

.

[motleyhoo]

This is the video that had the black mold info. At 2:00:

The AGAVE SYRUP Controversy: Friend or Foe? Episode 82

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiJwuWMFcGc


Notice the common theme running through that video. In moderate amounts it has helped many people, especially diabetics without any ill effects, and the people who had problems were those consuming it in "large amounts". That subtle difference is the key, and this is true of most foods if not all, even water.

.

[hermajesty]

Raw agave nectar is raw agave nectar.
It's not "nectar." It's misrepresentation and flat-out fraud to call it "nectar." It's syrup made in much the same way as corn syrup.

I'd get sick too if I drank down a quart of agave everyday, and so would everyone else.
Who said anything about drinking "a quart of agave everyday?" One teaspoon gave me a terrible stomachache that lasted an hour.

Raw sugar, such as that produced by squeezing organic cane or organic agave is NOT processed sugar. Do you understand the difference?
I think you should probably review how agave is made.

But it really irks me when I see people who have food reactions going on crusades about how the thing they cannot tolerate has to be bad for everyone.
.
It really irks me that something that causes nausea, diarrhea & miscarriages is marketed as "healthy." Yes, I'm trying to inform people that agave is not healthy. So sue me :rolleyes:

[hermajesty]

In moderate amounts it has helped many people, especially diabetics without any ill effects, and the people who had problems were those consuming it in "large amounts".

If you would bother to watch the videos or read the information I posted, you would see that agave is NOT healthy for diabetics, & one study even had to be stopped b/c of the negative effects it was having on diabetics.

[hermajesty]

Agave Nectar: Good or Bad?
Thursday, January 07th, 2010 | Author: KristenM
http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/

... [A]gave nectar is not a “natural sweetener.” Plus, it has more concentrated fructose in it than high fructose corn syrup...

Agave Nectar Is Not A Natural Sweetener

... According to one popular agave nectar manufacturer, “Agave nectar is a newly created sweetener, having been developed in the 1990s.” In a recent article now posted on the Weston A. Price foundation’s website, Ramiel Nagel and Sally Fallon Morell write,

Agave “nectar” is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like, root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules.Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.

The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into “nectar” is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS. The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrup—anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites.

Compare that to the typical fructose content of high fructose corn syrup (55%)!

In a different article, Rami Nagel quotes Russ Bianchi, managing director and CEO of Adept Solutions, Inc., a globally recognized food and beverage development company, on the similarities between agave nectar and high fructose corn syrup:

They are indeed made the same way, using a highly chemical process with genetically modified enzymes. They are also using caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches into highly refined fructose inulin that is even higher in fructose content than high fructose corn syrup.

So there you have it. Agave nectar is not traditional, is highly refined, and actually has more concentrated fructose than high-fructose corn syrup. It is not a “natural” sweetener. Thus far, the evidence definitely points toward the conclusion: Agave Nectar = Bad.

“But,” you ardent agave nectar enthusiasts say, “agave nectar has a low glycemic index. I’m a diabetic, and it’s the only sweetener I can use!”

What’s wrong with fructose?

First, we need to clarify something. Concentrated fructose is not found in fruit, or anywhere else in nature. When the sugar occurs in nature, it is often called “levulose” and is accompanied by naturally-occurring enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fruit pectin. Concentrated fructose, on the other hand, is a man-made sugar created by the refining process. To clarify:

Saying fructose is levulose is like saying that margarine is the same as butter. Refined fructose lacks amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pectin, and fiber. As a result, the body doesn’t recognize refined fructose. Levulose, on the other hand, is naturally occurring in fruits, and is not isolated but bound to other naturally occurring sugars. Unlike man-made fructose, levulose contains enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fruit pectin. Refined fructose is processed in the body through the liver, rather than digested in the intestine. Levulose is digested in the intestine. (source)

I want you to pay special attention to those last two sentences, for they are a huge key that will help unlock the mystery of why fructose is bad for you.

Because fructose is digested in your liver, it is immediately turned into triglycerides or stored body fat. Since it doesn’t get converted to blood glucose like other sugars, it doesn’t raise or crash your blood sugar levels. Hence the claim that it is safe for diabetics.

But it isn’t.

That’s because fructose inhibits leptin levels — the hormone your body uses to tell you that you’re full. In other words, fructose makes you want to eat more. Besides contributing to weight gain, it also makes you gain the most dangerous kind of fat.

This has been verified in numerous studies. The most definitive one was released just this past year in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The full study is available online, but for the sake of space I’m including Stephan’s (of Whole Health Source fame) summary here:

The investigators divided 32 overweight men and women into two groups, and instructed each group to drink a sweetened beverage three times per day. They were told not to eat any other sugar. The drinks were designed to provide 25% of the participants’ caloric intake. That might sound like a lot, but the average American actually gets about 25% of her calories from sugar! That’s the average, so there are people who get a third or more of their calories from sugar. In one group, the drinks were sweetened with glucose, while in the other group they were sweetened with fructose.

After ten weeks, both groups had gained about three pounds. But they didn’t gain it in the same place. The fructose group gained a disproportionate amount of visceral fat, which increased by 14%! Visceral fat is the most dangerous type; it’s associated with and contributes to chronic disease, particularly metabolic syndrome, the quintessential modern metabolic disorder (see the end of the post for more information and references). You can bet their livers were fattening up too.

The good news doesn’t end there. The fructose group saw a worsening of blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity. They also saw an increase in small, dense LDL particles and oxidized LDL, both factors that associate strongly with the risk of heart attack and may in fact contribute to it. Liver synthesis of fat after meals increased by 75%. If you look at table 4, it’s clear that the fructose group experienced a major metabolic shift, and the glucose group didn’t. Practically every parameter they measured in the fructose group changed significantly over the course of the 9 weeks. It’s incredible.

...

The conclusion is clear. Agave nectar is bad for you. It’s not traditional, not natural, highly refined, and contains more concentrated fructose than high fructose corn syrup.