• Agave Syrup is advertised as “low glycemic” and marketed towards diabetics. It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic. We have to consider why agave syrup is “low glycemic.” It is due to the unusually high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the small amount of glucose (10%). Nowhere in nature does this ratio of fructose to glucose occur naturally. One of the next closest foods that contain almost this concentration of glucose to fructose is high fructose corn syrup, which may contain up to 80% fructose. Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners:

A. Fructose appears to interfere with copper metabolism. This causes collagen and elastin being unable to form. Collagen and elastin are connective tissue which essentially hold the body together.1 A deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility, anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough an inability to control blood sugar levels.2<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

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Henry

B. Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. This is because glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body, and fructose must be metabolized by the liver. 3 <SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrohosis of the liver. This is similar to the livers of alcoholics.

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Henry

henry, looks like the board is having trouble with the styling on the cut and paste you're trying to do. try pasting it into a notepad document first, and then from there into the forurm, or contact me for assistance.

update_ i see you figured it out! yay.

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EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

C. “Pure” isolated fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and may rob the body of these nutrients in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.4

D. Fructose may contribute to diabetic conditions. It reduces the sensitivity of insulin receptors. Insulin receptors are the way glucose enters a cell to be metabolized. As a result, the body needs to make more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.5<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

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Henry

E. Consumption of fructose has been shown to cause a significant increase in uric acid. An increase in uric acid can be an indicator of heart diease.6<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

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Henry

F. Fructose consumption has been shown to increase blood lactic acid, especially for people with conditions such as diabetes. Extreme elevations may cause metabolic acidosis.7<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

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Henry

G. Consumption of fructose leads to mineral losses, especially excretions of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc compared to subjects fed sucrose.8<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

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Henry

H. Fructose may cause accelerated aging through oxidative damage. Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose. These changes are thought to be markers for aging.9<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

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Henry

and finally


I. Fructose can make you fat! It is metabolized by the liver and converts to fat more easily than any other sugar. Fructose also raises serum triglycerides (blood fats) significantly.10<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">

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Henry

Kerry,
My favorite sweetner to use is a combo of the Sweetzfree and SteviaPlus.
It's very synergistic and honestly, I can NOT detect any after-taste.
It only takes a wee-little bit of both when you use them together, so play with it to see what works for you if you try the combo. And this combo really works well in baking; I often use just a small amount of Erythritol for volume, but for the majority of the sweetness in a recipe, I rely on the sweetzfee/steviaPlus combo.
Just my 2 cents.

hth
s

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Shelley
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Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

Henry, thanks for all the info. I guess all this on fructose also includes high fructose corn syrup, which is in everything, from bread to sausage & ham, to anything else they can put it in. No wonder so many people are addicted to sweets, hfc is in all their foods.

I usually grab my bottle of FiberFit for the OMM & my tea & such. It's just convenient for me, and I like the fiber in it.

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Nita

Shelley,

I tried the combo and its wonderful. I have a 64oz jug that I put the juice of a lemon in and I used the sweetfreeze and a little SteviaPlus...Fantastic.

Kerry

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restart 06/07/2008

244/172.0/150

What do folks think of Z Sweet? I havent tried it but have heard good things about it.

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restart 06/07/2008

244/172.0/150

Kerry, apparently this is erythritol, which is an acceptable sweetener for low carb. I've used erythritol before, and it works well. Haven't tried this brand, though.

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Nita

anyone heard of truvia? saw it today in the grocery store next to the splenda and thought i would give it a try.
ingredients are erythritol and rebiana, some kind of derivative of stevia. it does list 3g carbs/packet, from where though? no listing for fiber.
have not done a taste test yet, just wondering if anyone has heard anything good/bad.
also, the new splenda with fiber does not list any maltodextrin or dextrose, just sucralose. anyone have any thoughts about that?