How can you research which sweetener is the healthiest alternative to granulated table sugar?

A small amount of fructose as found in raw fruit helps your body properly process glucose. But if you eat too much fructose, it may overpower your body's ability to process the sweetener, leading to symptoms of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and high cholesterol in some people.

Diets rich in fruit and vegetables with more vegetables than fruit contain small amounts of fructose. In processed foods, many people are getting up to10% of their Western diet consisting of fructose from products, including some sweeteners they think come from raw fruit, but instead are also processed, and may be high in fructose.

Fructose raises your triglycerides if eaten in high enough amounts. When you eat carbs from vegetables and fruits or bread, the carbs contain chains of glucose. When the glucose hits your bloodstream, your pancreas pours out insulin to regulate your blood glucose levels.

What you don't want is too much insulin going into your blood and your cholesterol being raised by the process. Let's say you baked a pie using a fructose-based sweetener. Fructose is processed in the liver.

By constantly sweetening your foods with fructose, the fructose building up in your live isn't able to process it quickly enough for your body to use the sweetener as it would regular sugar or honey. When the liver can't process the fructose, it begins to turn the fructose into fats that the liver sends directly into your bloodstream resulting in high triglycerides.

You should be trying to lower your triglycerides if they are too high. And fructose isn't the way to lower high triglycerides. Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils or flax oils and fish oils combined help to lower trigycerides. The main reason you want your triglycerides normalized is because high triglycerides is a risk factor for heart disease and related problems of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and coronary problems that result from a diet that promotes high triglycerides.

When fructose ads tell you the product doesn't raises your blood glucose levels or circumvents your appetite signaling system, none of your appetite-regulating hormones are set off. Without any regulation to your appetite, the feeling of being fully fed, weight gain is possible and associated with eating fructose-laden foods or sweeteners.

Beware of sweeteners advertised as coming from fruits because they could be processed and could also be high in fructose. Fruits are part sucrose and part fructose. But in whole, fresh fruits, they appear in small amounts. Sucrose is half fructose and half glucose. See the scientific studies, Elliott, Sharon, et al. "Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 76.5 (2002), or Bantle, John, et al. "Effects of dietary fructose on plasma lipids in healthy subjects." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 72.5 (2000):1128-1134.

"Agave Nectar is 70-90% fructose and the rest is glucose," according to the August 18, 2008 article, "Is Agave Nectar Good or Bad for Our Health?" Is this is a higher percentage of fructose than in most commercial foods or drinks? Ordinary sucrose (table sugar) is 50% fructose and 50% glucose. Apples contain only 6% fructose whereas Agave is 70-90% fructose. You can search the Mayo Clinic's web site for information regarding whether fructose can or cannot cause potential liver damage and obesity.

See the article, "Sugar and Heart Disease." The article ata the Consumer Health Organization of Canada site notes, "Most fat in our bodies and in the food we eat is in the form of triglycerides (three fatty acid chains attached to a glycerol molecule). Elevated triglycerides in the blood have been positively linked to proneness to heart disease but these triglycerides do not come directly from dietary fats: they are made in the liver from any excess sugars that have not been completely burned. The source of these excess sugars is any food containing carbohydrates, but particularly refined sugar and processed carbohydrates."

In the blog, "Going Against the Grain," that the article mentioned on the Cheeseslave site, refers viewers to also notes that, "fructose is only one of the sugars in fruit and it occurs in rather small quantities, very unlike the high concentrations of fructose found in any man-made refined sugar. This article at the Cheeseslave site refers both to Xylitol, that's also used to sweeten some toothpastes because it helps prevent cavities, and to Agave nectar.

After watching some of the cooking programs on TV that shows people how to substitute other natural sweeteners for table sugar, Agave nectar usually had been mentioned as a low-glycemic index sweetener. According to the cheeseslave site, "Agave nectar is made from the agave plant, which is a cactus." But the site reports, "According to Rami, the modern agave nectar that you find in stores is highly processed and refined. This is not the same agave nectar that traditional people used to consume. Not only that, but it’s very high in fructose."

The cheeseslave site notes that Rami writes in his article, "“However, a major concern is the high level of free fructose in agave syrups — much higher than honey and maple syrup. Given what we now now about the deleterious effects of fructose compared to sucrose, honey and maple syrup would seem to be better choices than agave for home cooking.”

The site notes, that "raw, unheated agave syrups 'are' processed and refined, as they are processed with enzymes and not found in nature, nor are they something that previous generations would have made." The problem with this statement on the site is that there are no references to scientific studies that show consumers exactly what's in sweeteners such as agave or Xylitol and how they are processed with what ingredients. There's no way to fact-check even the percentage of fructose in agave or Xylitol on that site from links to scientific studies.

The site recommends staying with maple syrup, raw honey, rapadura, palm sugar, and stevia. On another website, called Gnowfglins, the April 28, 2009 article by Wardeh, "Agave Syrup: Good or Bad?" The article notes that the author prefers to use dates and apples to sweetened baked goods. The article reports, "The reason we preferred agave syrup over the other sweeteners was its very low glucose profile, which prevents a spike in blood sugar when consumed — making it a low glycemic index food. Agave is very good for that. In my recent readings on agave syrup, I have discovered that while agave is low in glucose, it is very, very high in fructose. In fact, it contains more fructose than honey or high-fructose corn syrup."

Over the years, there have been so many conflicting reports on agave nectar/syrup. But none of the posts are including scientific studies in their statements. For example, the fructose in agave is different than the fructose in high fructose corn syrup.

You could use stevia, which comes from a plant you can grow in your garden. Stevia has zero carbs. Also check out the Sweet Savvy site. Finally, the article Agave Nectar contains some scientific information that you can begin to research to do your fact-checking. The site reports, "When pressed from the plant, the agave juice is about 90 percent inulin-fructooligosaccharides. The processing breaks this down into into fructose and dextrose.The fructose that comes from processing corn into high fructose corn syurp is harmful to health. But the article notes, agave is different.

The article reports, "There is a difference, however, between the fructose in agave nectar and the fructose in high fructose corn syrup. Suppliers of agave say that the fructose in agave is a slow release, and does not stimulate the insulin secretion that causes blood sugar rise. High fructose corn syrup does make blood sugar rise."

The authors did an experiment to see how different agaves affect blood sugar, since it is being recommended for diabetics. The site reports, "On the logic that a raw agave would be closer to its natural state than one processed at higher temperatures, I selected out the brands that advertise themselves to be raw. Three brands I eliminated because they do not state they are raw were Sweet Cactus Farms, Rawganique, and Volcanic. Note that some of the raw brands also sell agave processed at higher temperatures, so if you want raw, check the label carefully. We were actually surprised at the results."

The article notes that, "Overall, the light agaves had a greater blood sugar rise than the dark agaves--except...the one "cooked" agave we tested just as a control tested much lower than the light raw agaves! In the range, actually of the dark raw agaves. The first test we did was on the cooked Madhava. The article author's husband tested one teaspoon. There was NO change. So if you eat only one teaspoon, I would say a diabetic could eat agave. Even when we upped the test to one tablespoon, the rise was only 10 points, and this is within the error range of the blood sugar monitor. By contrast, some others elevated blood sugar by 20 to 30 points, which is significant."

The article reported, "Our conclusion was that there is a wide variation in how different agaves affect blood sugar and if this is a concern for you, you should test various agaves in your own body to see how it responds."

Both the articles author stated, "I actually preferred the slightly caramel flavor of the dark agaves." Look at the table ata the site that notes blood sugar rise for only one person based on various brands and varieties of organic agave, according to the article author's web site as reported in the "Agave Nectar" article. Different people would have various numbers for each person' own blood sugar rise.

All the brands tested are organic and not heated over 118 degrees F (this is stated by all except Madhava). Check out the site, "Agave Nectar" to see which brands of agave varieties showed what percentage of rise in blood sugars and what percentage of fructose is contained in each brand. Note that the author's table represents the blood sugar rise for one specific person, not intended to be what it would be in every individual.

At another website, the Whole Health Source, the author has a PhD in neurobiology, from the University of Washington. The article, "Agave Syrup," at that site states, "Agave syrup is made from the heart of the agave plant, which is pressed to release a juice rich in inulin. Inulin is a polymer made of fructose molecules. The inulin is then broken down either by heat or by enzymatic processing. The result is a sweet syrup that is rich in fructose.

"Agave syrup is marketed as a healthy, alternative sweetener. In fact, it's probably as bad or worse than high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). They are both a refined and processed plant extract. Both are high in fructose, with agave syrup leading HFCS (estimates of agave syrup range up to 92% fructose by calories). Finally, agave syrup is expensive and inefficient to produce.

"The high fructose content gives agave syrup a low glycemic index, because fructose does not raise blood glucose. Unfortunately, as some diabetics learned the hard way, using fructose as a substitute for sucrose (cane sugar) has negative long-term effects on insulin sensitivity. In my opinion, sweeteners come with risks and there is no free lunch. The only solution is moderation."

On the other web site, in the article there, "Agave Nectar," the author actually tested various brands of agave to see the percentage of how much one person's blood glucose rose in the author's test. What's also important at that site is the information on what quantities do you serve agave. One tablespoon is one serving. According to the article, "Agave Nectar," one tablespoon contains 60 calories and 16 grams of carbs. Information for diabetics is that two teaspoons equals 1/2 carabohydrae exchange. One teaspoon equals a free food, according to the article.

What couldn't be found on many of the various blogs and sites are actual links or references to various scientific studies done under scientific conditions at research universities such as medical schools or hospitals showing which sweetener produced the least rise in blood glucose levels or the least rise in triglycerides for various people--diabetics, non-diabetics, the elderly, children or any other group. Stevia is still recommended by various sites.

In another article, by book author, Rami Nagel, his article on agave nectar does have a long list of books and resources for the information in his article. Check out his web site as it does have resources and references. Rami Nagel in this article also referes to agave syrup as "refined fructose." Mr. Nagel's books are of excellent quality and research and highly recommended.

Nagel writes, "While high fructose agave syrup won't spike your blood sugar levels, the fructose in it will cause: mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, obesity, and may be toxic for use during pregnancy."

Whole, fresh fruit is recommended. Nagel explains, "If you want to buy something sweet, get a piece of fruit, not a candy bar labeled as a 'health food.' If you want to create something sweet, use sweeteners that are known to be safer. For uncooked dishes, unheated raw honey or dates work well."

What's a healthy sweetener to use for most people? Nagel's article states, "For cooked dishes or sweet drinks, a good organic maple syrup, or even freshly juiced apple juice or orange juice can provide delicious and relatively safe sweetness. In general, to be healthy, we cannot eat sugar all day, no matter how natural the form of sugar is, or is claimed to be. One should limit total sweetener consumption to approximately 10% of daily calories. Or one sweet side dish per day, (like a bowl of fruit with yogurt.)"

The conclusion based on looking at numerous blogs and sites mentioning sweeteners such as agave, is that you have to do your own research based on the individual needs of your own body. The various blogs stated a wide variety of opinions, actual tests with one person, or information resources where you can read various books on the subject of various other sweeteners such as the book, Sweet Deception by Dr. Joseph Mercola. Or you can check out the NaturalNews.com site's article on agave.

That article does list numerous news references and resources. For example, according to that site, "The Associated Press On March 25th, 2004, by Steve Hartose, reported 'Refined Fructose Sweeteners Linked to Obesity Rise' which incorporated the USDA sweetener consumption rate from 1967-2000 by Dr. George A Bray, a longtime obesity scientist at the Louisiana State University System's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, whose conclusive results where published in the April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, linking HFCS consumption and obesity in the American population."

So you'll have to decide for yourself what sweetener to use based on your own research among the article and book archives in print. You might want to read for yourself the article, "Agave Nectar - A Full Report." This article states, "Agave nectar, as a final product, is mostly chemically refined fructose, anywhere from 70% and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites. The refined fructose in agave nectar is much more concentrated than the fructose in high fructose corn syrup. For comparison, the high fructose corn syrup used in sodas is 55% refined fructose. High fructose corn syrup is made with genetically modified enzymes. Is agave syrup (refined fructose) made the same way?"

That article continues it's report, "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", says Mr. Bianchi. Inulin is a chain of chemically refined fibers and sugars linked together, and, this bears repeating, high fructose inulin has more concentrated sugar than high fructose corn syrup."

That's why you'll have to do your own reading. Personally, after watching the Veria TV channel on natural foods, I observed a few recipes in which a teaspoon of agave was used as a sweetener. Thereafter, I started using agave instead of what I used before--raw, unfiltered creamed honey bought at a Farmer's Market or an 1/8th teaspoon of stevia.

Now, with all the blogs reporting on agave as fructose, what my doctor told me to keep away from, I'll have to do my own research for some additional time and find out what sweetener is best for my individual self. For yourself, you'll have to find out what sweetener works best with your own body. Surprisingly, so many of the blogs seemed one person's opinion, but several sites were backed up by a list of resources, articles, and books.

Also see the article, "Agave Syrup: Safe Sugar Alternative or Sweetly Masked Menace? According to that article, "Raw foodist John Kohler (Living and Raw Foods) points to high processing temperatures of between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which lead many raw food dieters to boycott the nectar as not raw enough."

According to the various blogs, agave is still a controversial topic when it comes to talking about sweeteners. See the article at Raw Chef Dan's site on agave. The author at this site notes, "The antisweetener advocates just have to admit that it is the overconsumption of sugars that is the problem." The author also states, "For those who use sweeteners, there are limited choices available, and many choose agave for its particular attributes. It is a good choice. Agave’s neutral flavor suits the purpose. It is in fact low glycemic, organically certified and non allergenic. Many with diabetes and other special diets find it suitable for their use where other sweeteners are not. It’s easy to use and you can use less."

So the moral of this research is there are many conflicting opinions, many blogs with or without scientific resources, and many articles putting down the industry without scientific facts to back up their claims. There are books out there on sweeteners as well as articles. There's one problem. What do you do as a consumer? Perhaps the answer is to use fresh fruit to sweeten your baked goods. The two big pictures for average consumers is who to believe and where can any conclusive scientific studies be fact-checked?

Resources

Agave Nectar

Agave Nectar - A Full Report

Raw Chef Dan

Books on Sweeteners and/or Foods

Sweet Deception by Dr. Joseph Mercola
In Defense of Food by Michael PollanMichael Pollan -
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan -
Sugar Shock! by Connie Bennett
Super Size Me by Morgan SpurlockMorgan Spurlock
Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser
Welcome to Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Bad Foods, Michael Oakes
Food Fight by Dan Imhof
The Sugar Fix, Timothy Gower, Richard JohnsonRichard Johnson
Please Don't Eat the Wallpaper, Dr. Nancy Irven
Understanding R Epidemic, Sylivia Ledoux 2008
Fat Politics by J. Eric Oliver
Obesity Epidemiology, Frank Hu

Photo credits: Flickr.com.