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Agave nectar (Pronounced "a-gah-vay"), also called agave syrup, is another one of those products that has been snapped up by marketers, health nuts and people who love jumping on the next "healthy" alternative without really looking into the actual properties of the stuff.
Agave nectar, while it has a sexy name and comes from the same plant that makes tequila - which is actually my alcoholic drink of choice - is certainly not the healthy sweetener it is claimed to be.
The claimed health benefits include being low on the glycemic index (13-19) and that you require less of it than other sweeteners making it a lower calorie alternative to sugar without being "artificial". And, wow, it is all natural, gluten free and vegan friendly… no cruelty to bees. Namaste.
My skeptical self would like to add that it is relatively new on the scene, sounds exotic and unfortunately hasn't been condemned yet like good old cane sugar, which all add to it's current popularity.
So how healthy / unhealthy is this stuff, really? Let's look at the facts...
