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An article that is pro-
(Disclaimer: this article does not represent the opinions of the owner of this site.)
‘Shocking! There’s a huge misinformation about agave syrup and
its process, find here the facts and the truth of this product.
We’ve been following with interest the article “Shocking! This 'Tequila' Sweetener is Far Worse
than High Fructose Corn Syrup” in the past few days. It is amazing how powerful internet is in
terms of informing or in this case misinforming people.
It is obvious that this article was written by a person that knows significant things about HFCS
but nothing about agave syrup, maybe this is the reason he’s constantly confusing or mistaking
one with the other. The first thing that rises up is that the article is not really talking about
a Tequila Sweetener as the head line states, it is about Agave Syrup. Just to make a quick
distinction, in order to make tequila the piñas (agave cores) are cooked then crushed to extract
the juices for distillation process; in the case of agave syrup the piñas are crushed in cold for
extracting the juices and then go through hydrolysis.
Going over all the available information, we are certain that most of the things written in the
mentioned article are inferences lacking of documented research. Plus, the affirmations done
about the agave syrup processing only denote a deep lack of knowledge about this industry as
well. We would seriously recommend and welcome Mr. Mercola to pay a visit to our factory or
even visit any one else’s factory in Mexico and learn as much as possible about the product and
the process before write anything else about this topic.
The mentioned article is very irresponsible since without really having proved facts, there are
affirmations that could hurt an industry that had been working hard to emerge during the past
9 years and had brought honest living for many families not only in Mexico but in the countries
that this product is being commercialized.
The Facts
Absolutely not refined at all
Due the agave plant provides naturally enough fructose, it does not require to be modified by
any external chemical or natural substance to increase the percentage of fructose, therefore no
need to refine it, it is just pure and natural.
Absolutely not highly processed
The process of the agave syrup in any modern factory does not involve enzymes or chemicals of
any kind. The mentioned chemicals in the article are used specifically in the HCFS industry, not in
the blue agave syrup industry. It seams there was no research at all to back up such affirmation.
Agave is not super-
There is only an evaporation step in the process and it is done because there is no intention to
fool anyone selling a diluted product. The promise to customers is to deliver pure agave syrup
and that’s how it‘s done.
Agave syrup is 100% natural
As you can see in the process description below, agave has a very simple and neat process free
of any terrible substances such as modified enzymes, chemicals or even lab creations. There is
absolutely nothing added in the process to the agave “piñas” except for a small amount of water
in the mechanical extraction step, which later on is removed during the evaporation process. It
is fair to say then that agave syrup is one of the most natural sweeteners existing, perhaps the
most natural one.
Description of the agave syrup process
1 ) Picking the agave from the fields. Only the core also known as “piña” is used, the leaves
and root are cut off and left in the fields.
2 ) Mechanical extraction of the juices (inulin) and filtration of the solid fibers
3 ) Hydrolysis or cooking of the juices to brake the inulin chains into fructose
4 ) High vacuum evaporation to extract the water excess and concentrate the obtained
carbohydrates.
5 ) Bottling
Blue agave syrup is produced according to the applying law or “norma” (NMX-
Productos Alimenticios – Jarabe de Agave Explicaciones y Métodos de Prueba) in which states
the characteristics the product must have in order to be called blue agave syrup.
About quality control
We can not speak for every facility that produces agave syrup but in our case we are open for
anyone to eyewitness how we work and what kind of controls we have. We can say that we
have SGS third party audit, HCCP plan, BCS organic certification, KMD Kosher certification and
work in continuous improvement basis. Regarding the fields, those are being systematically
tested looking to preserve the optimums conditions of the plants and the soil, and there
is a strategy applied in order to have enough blue agave available for present and future
productions.
Also, our facilities have the latest in technology and equipment, walls and ceilings are of
stainless steel, we have a sustainable process since we reutilize the water extracted from the
agave. Also we work under a fair trade commitment in which we pay over 30% more of the
commercial price for the agave so the farmers involved can improve their living conditions.
Varieties on the color of the agave syrup
Regarding the colors available they can go from the very light yellow to the dark ambers, the
only thing that needs to be controlled in the process in order to provide the different colors is
temperature, it is very simple to do. We can provide 4 different colors as per client’s request. In
spite of the contrary affirmation this is been an issue that always had been under control at least
in our factory.
Raw Agave Syrup
The raw agave syrup is not produced from the sap because that would implicate to use the
leaves of the agave. For the raw agave it is applied the same process but with a very significant
differentiation, the temperature never goes over 118ºC during the hydrolysis step in order to
guarantee a raw product.
Mixing?
As producers we never mixed agave syrup with corn syrup and never will, also we’ve never
heard about any of our distributors or customers do that. It would simply represent to kill our
business; we are not intended to do that.
Is there Blue Agave shortage in México?
There is not such a thing with blue agave and there is nothing farther from the true. Actually
there are huge amounts of blue agave; Mexico alone has about 80,000 hectares of it. In some
cases agave is even getting rotten and wasted since farmers over cultivated it in the past years.
Once again no research was done to back up the mentioned article.
Regarding HMF
This element is present in honey and it is allowed up to 40 Mlg/Kg and in some cases up to 80
Mlg/Kg. (Alimentary Codex Norma para la miel STAN 12-
HMF is allowed too up to 40 Mlg/Kg but we strictly control it on an average of 14 Mlg/Kg.
No metabolic misfortune at all
It is absolutely incorrect to believe that the agave syrup could be a metabolic misfortune to
consumers, on the contrary and because the agave syrup contents up to 5% of inulin there are
studies (Universidad de Guadalajara has them available, they are pioneers in agave topics) that
prove agave syrup contributes to improve metabolism by stimulating the intestinal flora, we
need to keep in mind that inulin is a natural prebiotic and that’s exactly what prebiotics do, they
help digestion and metabolism.
Low GI = Diabetic friendly
Yes that’s correct, agave syrup has very low GI and ours in particular is 17. Based in the research
made by Dr. Jenkins Laboratories (among others) we can assure that in normal-
of consumption the agave syrup is a diabetic friendly product, obviously we do not and ever will
recommend anybody to drink an entire 660gr bottle for breakfast.
Is fructose bad?
If someone is inferring that since HCFS is bad then anything that has fructose is bad, then
we would have to infer that every fruit is dangerous for human consumption and there is no
real scientist that would stand for such an inference. Even the article mentions that fruits
have fructose but they are good; so, is it good or bad? The answer is simple: Fructose is
good for you, you need it in the right portions to function, just like any food ever existing.
Laura Gabriel Sanchez Lozada / My Phuong Lee / Mark Segal / Richard Johnson from the division
of Nephrology, Hypertension and Transplantation of the University of Florida wrote in an
article published by “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” named “How safe is fructose
for persons with or without diabetes” that as a conclusion of an analysis of fructose intake
clearly states that ANY PERSON WITH OR WITHOUT DIABETES CONDITION CAN SAFELEY EAT
UP TO 90GR OF FRUCTOSE AND EVEN GET A BENEFIT OF THE LOWERING CONCENTRATIONS OF
GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN (HbA1c). 90gr is almost 1/3 of a small bottle of 330gr! So how bad can
fructose be? Zero, again it is all in the portions you eat.
The true thing about the mentioned article is that people are eating more fructose now days
than in the past and there are tow reasons:
1) People in general is changing from glucose to fructose as a global tendency
2) People love the sweet taste of sugars, no matter if it is glucose or fructose
The real problem here is not fructose or glucose, is the overdose many people is eating, it has a
negative impact because (far beyond of any metabolic issues) sugars will store in your body as
fat if you don’t burn it.
About the caloric content of blue agave syrup
It is true that the caloric value between sugar table and agave syrup is very similar, but the tiny
detail that was not explained is that you need 30-
edulcorant effect in foods so that allows you to use less agave syrup and there is were you can
save calories compared to sugar, that is a fact.
Fructose elevates your uric acid levels?
It sounds dangerous but it is not quite true. Let’s see the whole picture; it’s been generally said
that uric acid condition is caused by abusing of alcohol and excessive food intake but the truth
is that it is purely attached to heritance. There are people that watch closely what they eat but
having such a thing in their genes they just cant avoid it. Obviously once some one
finds him-
her self in such condition must be very careful with the foods to eat, surprisingly the prohibited
foods for uric acid patients are not related to fructose. Actually what you should avoid if that
was your case is fish, seafood, liver, kidneys, hearts, meat in general (beef, pork, lamb, etc.)
also fats like butterfat, cream and pork butter and regarding beverages you must stay away of
alcohol, caffeine and cola drinks. It is RECOMENDED to eat fruit such as bananas which by the
way have the highest fructose content for a fruit. You can check the chart on the link below.
http://www.hacerdieta.com/category/dieta-
Does Fructose make me fat?
Any kind of sugar you eat including glucose that don’t’ get burned by your body will be stored
in it as fat; that’s what the body does preparing for the bad times. The question is: Are you
eating poorly amounts of sugars, the right amount of sugars or just too many sugars? We would
suggest you to estimate your requirements with the help of a specialist and control efficiently
your portions. There are no secrets or magic.
Does Agave Syrup cause Insulin Resistance?
We have no information whatsoever about any institute or university that performed a research
related to agave syrup causing insulin resistance, if anyone has it please share it with us, keep
in mind that agave syrup is not HCFS they have different contents so do not assume any wrong
inferences.
Actually, there are nutritionists who recommend the Agave Syrup consumption for PREVENTING
the insulin resistance based on its inulin content, it’s been proved that this prebiotic
helps keeping the sugar and glucose levels in balance and that will keep you safe from
insulin resistance condition. (www.enbuenasmanos.com/articulos/muestra.asp?art=324).
Also Dr. Rafael Valle Rivera, in his article “Tratamiento de la Diabetes por medio de la
alimentación” explains that the inulin contained in the agave syrup is a soluble fiber which
decelerates the digesting process in a way that avoids the rush of glucose incorporation to the
blood stream and also helps you to avoid excessive (not eliminating) levels of insulin improving a
propitious organism sensitivity to this hormone (insulin).
Are the agave syrup and HCFS the same?
First of all, we must notice there are 3 main types of HFCS that are used in food industry:
Crystal Fructose / 100% fructose CP or Chemically Pure
High fructose corn 55 / 55% fructose
High fructose corn 42 / 42% fructose
The obvious but significant differences:
1 ) Raw material
2 ) Process
Blue Agave Syrup content:
Fructose 80%
Glucose 10%
Inulin 5%
Having this 5% inulin content makes a huge difference of agave as a healthy sweetener since
it will help you to assimilate all nutrients you get on other foods such as calcium, vitamins
and minerals plus giving you the chance to help your digestive system eliminating potential
cancerigenous elements in your intestine.
Saying HCFS is the same as Agave Syrup is a flagrant mistake just as it would be to say
that Agave Syrup and Fruit is the same, and by the way, the 3 of them have fructose.
Does agave syrup have saponins?
This is again the result of writing something without a little research to back it up. Saponins are
present in several plants like lettuce, onions and that is right agave has saponins too. The good
thing about getting to know the agave plant and the agave syrup process is that anyone would
notice the saponins are present only in the leaves of the agave and when farmers do the picking
and the “jima” the leaves and roots are cut off and left in the fields so this natural substance
never really gets to the factory. Therefore no saponins in the agave syrup you enjoy with your
favorite foods.
Conclusion
Agave Syrup is a 100% Natural, safe, healthy and even diabetic friendly product. It has ha great
taste and sweetens 30-
keep this in mind when you use it. It is very important to eat the proper amount of sugars you
are supposed to so you are not lacking of them or storing them.