Blue Agave (Agave tequilana) a low-glycemic sweetener

Organic Blue Agave is much sweeter than sugar, but with a glycemic index of only 11 (sugar has a glycemic index of 68-85). In recipes, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup in place of 1 cup sugar. You may also need to reduce the amount of liquid, just as you would for honey. Use like honey in beverages or on cereal, bread, etc.

The name agave comes from the Greek word for ‘noble.’ Organic agave syrup (and tequila) is made from the sap from hearts (piñas) of the agave or maguey (pronounced ‘mah-gay’) plant. This plant is actually related to the lily and amaryllis (it has its own genus, Agave). It is known as a succulent and, although it shares a common habitat with many cacti, it is not one itself and has a different life cycle. A mature agave has leaves 5-8 feet tall, and is 7-12 feet in diameter. It has a lifespan of 8-15 years, depending on species, growing conditions and climate.

There are 136 species of agave in Mexico , of which the blue agave - Agave tequilana - is the only one allowed for use in tequila production and also the only agave used to make Young Living Agave Syrup. Blue agave is higher in fructose-producing carbohydrates than other types of agave and is considered to be the finest agave in the world. Several different species of agave are allowed for use in the production of mescal, an alcohol similar to, yet quite different than tequila. These other species of agave are also used to make most agave syrups.

Organic agave syrup is a natural product that can sweeten any type of beverage or food. It is derived from the carbohydrates present in the agave plant through a totally natural thermic (heat) process with no chemicals involved. To produce organic agave syrup, juice is expressed from the core of the agave (the piña). The juice is then selected to become dark agave syrup or is filtered to create a light agave syrup.

The unfiltered dark liquid contains many minerals and retains a natural and unique flavor, with a slight hint of a vanilla-like aroma. The light has the natural solids removed through a fine filtration process, creating a liquid that can be used in recipes that require a more neutral base that can be colored.

As with the creation of all agave syrups, the light and dark liquids are then heated, causing thermic hydrolysis which breaks down the carbohydrates into sugars. The main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose called inulin or fructosan. The filtered juice is concentrated to a syrup-like liquid a little thinner than honey.

Fructose
Fructose is a simple sugar found mainly in fruits and vegetables. Due to the predominance of fructose, organic agave syrup is much sweeter than sucrose but has the same caloric value as sucrose (table sugar). Thus, a smaller amount yields the same sweetness but fewer calories than sucrose. This gives agave syrup advantages in both the food industry and the health of the consumer.

Did you know that Americans eat over 150 pounds of sweeteners each year per person?

This represents a 1,500% jump in sugar consumption in the last 200 years. Did you also know that sugar by any other name is still sugar?

For example, evaporated cane juice, corn syrup, dextrose, ethyl maltol, high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, raw sugar and turbinado sugar are all forms of sugar that wreak the same havoc on our bodies as refined table sugar. As we eat more and more sugar, we put undue stress on our bodies (our bodies, by the way, need very little sugar for optimal health).

In response to a rise in blood sugar when we have a sweetener, our pancreas produces insulin, which removes sugar from the blood to be stored as fat. This process results in low blood sugar which means we want to eat more. It should be no surprise, then, that sugar consumption leads to obesity, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and diabetes.

What may be a bigger surprise is that sugar consumption also increases triglycerides, a major predictor of heart disease. Cancer cells feed on sugar. And sugar lowers the body’s production of antibodies, hinders the germ-killing ability of white blood cells, and blocks the transport of Vitamin C.

Buy Blue Agave (item #3224)

Calories: 20 per serving
Carbohydrates: 5.2 grams per serving
Dietary Fiber: 0 grams per serving
Sugars: 5.2 grams per serving
Approximately 189 servings per container

Ingredients: Organic nectar from Agave tequilana.

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.