Agave plants, a member of the lily family, are grown in Mexico, the southwestern United States and parts of South America. Almost every part of the plant can be used by humans, including the flowers, spine, stems, roots and nectar. The nectar of the plant, also known as raw agave, is used as a natural sugar replacement as it is 1.4 times sweeter than refined white sugar, according to the Madhava Agave website.
Agave Plant
The agave plant has more than 300 species, according to the Food and Beverage Industry's Wellness Foods site. Plants can grow up to 12 feet in diameter with 8-foot-long leaves. The plant is used for fiber; to make beverages, including herbal teas, tequila and mescal; and the juice from the leaves provides water and nutrients. The nectar of several species, including Agave tequilina, or blue Agave, and Agave Salmiana has become a source for a sweetener similar to honey.
Cooking with Agave
Agave syrup can be used to replace sugar in most recipes, according to Wholesome Sweeteners. The website suggests agave can be used as a 1-to-1 replacement for sugar. However, due to the increased sweetness, some cooks prefer to use only 75 percent when replacing white sugar in a recipe. Wholesome Sweeteners also suggests reducing other liquids in the recipe by up to 30 percent, lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and increasing cooking time when replacing sugar in baking goods.
Nutrition Information
Agave has a high fructose content, between 74 and 85 percent of the sugars, which makes it sweeter than sugar, so less can be used to sweeten products. "The Journal of The American Dietetic Association" in 2009 published the results of a study comparing antioxidant content of several sweeteners to sugar. The researchers found agave would contribute slightly more antioxidants to the diet if used as a substitute for granulated sugar in a standard cake recipe.
Warning for Diabetics
Agave has been advertised as a sugar replacement for diabetics since it has a lower glycemic index and would be expected to have less impact on blood sugar. However, in 2009 the Glycemic Research Institute banned the product's use in food and beverages after diabetics participating in a clinical trial on agave had severe and dangerous side effects to the sweetener. The institute warns manufacturers who produce or use agave in their products the company could be held "legally liable for negative health incidents" related to ingesting agave.
References
- Wellness Foods: Nutrition Beyond the Trends: Sweet Like Cactus
- Wholesome Sweeteners: Organic Raw Blue Agave
- Madhava Agave Nectar: Agave Advantages
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Total Antioxidant Content of Alternatives to Refined Sugar; Katherine M. Phillips, et al.; January 2009
- Glycemic Research Institute: Notice of Agave Delisting
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