Agavins. Agave. Same Thing Right?

Recently we brought you news about the research being done on a sweetener made from the agave plant in Mexico. The sweetener is called Agavins and it’s in the news because it has been shown to stimulate insulin production; be absorbed into the body very slowly; and, promote weight loss in mice..IN MICE. No human testing, yet. And, it will be years until you can find it on store shelves.

Agavins, derived from the agave plant that’s used to make tequila, were found in mouse studies to trigger insulin production and lower blood sugar, as well as help obese mice lose weight.

You can read about it in Forbes. The same basic article has appeared in a number of places. Please note where the research was presented: the American Chemical Society. I am trying to consume less processed food and where was the research presented? Go figure.

Why am I writing this all, again? Because I was looking at search terms today and, “Where can I buy Agavins” was there multiple times. So, to answer that question, you can’t. It’s not available. Still in the research stage, and it will be there for some time.

Pretty clear, right?

So, if you can’t get Agavins, what about Agave? It’s made from the same plant; should have the same properties, right? To put it succinctly – no. Really, no.

So, what is agave? Like Agavins, it’s a product of the agave plant; the same one that ultimately produces tequila. But, the similarities end there. Agave has a low glycemic number, which means the body absorbs it slowly, which is good. But it comes with 20 calories per teaspoon. Good ol’ sugar comes with 16 calories per teaspoon. Hmmmm.

Agave also increases insulin resistance – not a good thing. As a diabetic, I want whatever insulin my body produces to be fully functional. I don’t want to make it harder for it to work; I want to make it easier.

The bottom line is that agave is not a great substitute for sugar, which is not something we should be eating. That is just a fact. If you need more information, read what Dr. Joseph Mercola wrote. Here’s another short article about agave you might find interesting.

No, Agavins and agave are not the same thing. And, do you really want to consume anything that was presented to the world at a chemical meeting?

As always, thank you for reading.

Reposted with permission from War on Diabetes