Question from Debra Lynn Dadd
Last week on Good Morning America there was a segment on sugar. This statement was made.
“Consumers are now also being offered agave, a sweetener promoted as natural but which is all fructose, she said. Agave is processed and has calories. This kind of sugar gets packed on as fat in the liver, she added.” She promoted using Honey instead.
So many people say that they are tired of something coming out as healthy or unhealthy and 6 months later they say the opposite.
What is your take on this.
Debra’s Answer
[Sigh] I just need to say first that after more than 25 years of studying the health and environmental effects of consumer products, it is clear to me that there is a lot to learn and know. At this point in time, there is A LOT of information being put forth through various media channels that is incorrect, simply because the people writing about it don’t have the background understanding to know what the issues are, or, in the general media, time to do the research.
The general media interviews an expert. Then they write their own version of what that expert said, based on their own understanding–or misunderstanding, as the case may be.
Regarding what was said on Good Morning America, first of all, agave is not “all fructose”. Second, it does have calories, but not any more than honey, which is recommended.
Regarding their claim that agave is “processed”…Let’s look at processed sweeteners for a moment. All sweeteners that come from a natural source are processed to concentrate them to some degree or another.
The natural source for honey is the nectar of flowers, which is then “processed” by bees to concentrate it into honey.
The natural source for maple syrup is maple tree sap, which is boiled down to remove water and concentrate the sap into maple syrup. Further removal of water yields maple sugar.
