Different opinion in favor of blue agave nectar

[Guest guest]

Here is " different " opinion in favor of Blue Agave Nectar. The reply was written

in response to the Agave Nectar, Fraud article.

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Dear _____,

Thanks for your reference to the article on Agave Nectar at

http://www.perfect-prescription.com/resources/agave.php. I appreciate

the information and viewpoint and personally agree it is best for many

to eat a wide selection of raw fruits over concentrated sweeteners.

There are a few points, however, that can benefit from additional

information. I am speaking purely as an individual consumer with an

interest in health and diet and do not represent any company or

organization. My background includes a BA in chemistry with significant

coursework in biology and biochemistry and 30 years of personal research

and testing of a wide variety of health products including many

sweeteners, herbs and nutritional supplements. I am perfectly healthy

and have no disease conditions.

First, my understanding is the term levulose is synonymous with

fructose. Both words signify the same monosaccharide. I am not

familiar with the use of the word levulose to mean anything else and

would like to see authoritative examples of other uses.

Second, my understanding is that levulose, i.e. fructose is metabolized

in a completely different way than glucose. Levulose is metabolized in

the liver and its uptake is not regulated by insulin. Glucose can be

metabolized anywhere in the body and its uptake is regulated by insulin.

Third, regarding Volcanic blue agave nectar, claims are made for it

stating it is " diabetic friendly " based on its measured glycemic index.

In this case, the term " diabetic friendly " is actually a technical term

that is government approved and with just cause. It does not imply that

the product can or should be used to excess. This is common sense,

because anything can be consumed excessively, even water and fruits.

Fourth, regarding Volcanic blue agave nectar, my understanding is that

it is processed at temperatures lower than 118F. This is the critical

temperature at which proteins begin to be denatured (i.e. cooked) and

vitamins and their cofactors begin to be destroyed. The analysis of

this product is consistent with the claim that low temperatures are used

because of the high inulin content. (Please see

http://www.volcanicnectar.com/agavenectarmanufacturer.html and

http://www.volcanicnectar.com/blueagavefaq.html for reference.)

Fifth, sucrose (i.e. table sugar), is a disaccharide consisting of

glucose and levulose. Since glucose has the same molecular weight as

levulose, sucrose is 50% glucose and 50% levulose by weight.

Six, if you examine the sugars content of fruits and honey, you will

find they all consist of a certain amount of sucrose, glucose and

levulose and the amount of glucose is usually a little less than amount

of levulose. For example, honey typically consists of 38% levulose, 31%

glucose and 1% sucrose. I suspect there is less glucose than levulose

because the bees ate some of the glucose to power their manufacturing

process.

Finally, my personal experience is that honey and certain fruits such as

oranges and mangoes cause a " sugar high " and that is because they have a

high amount of free glucose that is metabolized quickly. I avoid these

things because of this. I have also experience this with some agave

syrups, particularly those made by Nekutli, which also has high free

glucose content. On the other hand, my experience with Volcanic blue

agave syrup is that it provides a long lasting source of energy with no

side effects except moderate appeti te suppression. I personally believe

it is a beneficial product when used in moderation and it is best taken

raw and not cooked because much of its benefit would be destroyed by

high temperatures, and this is generally true for most foods.

T. Nefzger

Baltimore, MD