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Vanilla Agave Nectar Decoded |
2009-07-25 - MP3 Audio - David & Raw Food Gurus Talk About Agave Nectar Facts & Fictions
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Agave Nectar is a hot topic today. Some experts say it's good. Some say it's bad.
Saying Agave is good or bad is like saying a tomato is good or bad. Ripe, fresh, chemical free, heirloom tomatoes grown in nutrient and humic rich soil are a Super Food. Grow the same tomato from GMO seed, or add pesticides, or pick it green or cook it and you no longer have a tomato which tastes like a tomato. In many cases, the resulting tomato will no longer contain human compatible nutrients.
The same can be said about soy products. Many soy products start with GMO soy beans, then process with intense heat and pressure. This manipulation creates artificially high concentrations of MSG. So while it's true there's no "added MSG", high levels of MSG have been added through backhanded processing.
Many companies process Cacao (Chocolate) in a similar way. The best way to addict people to Cacao products is to process Cacao products so they contain artificially high caffeine concentrations. Then mix Cacao powder with highly caffeinated substances like highly heated Guarana (different than Adaptogenic Guarana) and call it "Cocoa Solids". Adding other nutrient blockers - chemicals, milk and sugar further reduce uptake of Cacao nutrients. This causes people's bodies to register Cacao's rich nutrient content, be unable to absorb the nutrition then have cravings which can never be satisfied due to added nutrient blockers.
This said, Tomatoes, Agave, Soy & Cacao may be health supportive or disease supportive, based on many criteria.
This short article talks about the criteria I used to select our Agave Nectar.
There are three colors of Agave Nectar - Amber/Dark, Golden, Clear.
The difference between Amber and Golden primarily relates to soil nutrient profile, altitude, temperate and moisture. Golden Agave has a bit more moisture in the air, thus the flavor is more neutral. Amber/Dark Agave can taste as strong as molasses which limits it's uses. Golden Agave Nectar has a similar nutrient profile with an almost neutral flavor.
Clear Agave Nectar is created by heating and/or filtering darker Agave Nectar. Filtering removes Inulin, Saponins and Antioxidants.
Inulin is a liquid fiber which balances blood sugar by deferring digestive function to the small intestine and colon, rather than the stomach.
Saponins are natural surfactants (flowing/hydrating agents) which act as nutrient carriers and greatly enhance cellular hydration.
Antioxidants or Colored Pigments scavenge free radicals, which most people agree are the primary substances which accelerate aging. Anytime a substance is filtered or bleached to normalize color antioxidant and longevity activity is reduced or completely destroyed.
My choice is Golden Agave Nectar for near neutral flavor with maximum nutrients including high Inulin, Saponin and Antioxidant content.
Many of the Agave Nectar products I tested created intense digestive discomfort including gas, acid indigestion and slight nausea.
My choice is Agave Nectar which produces no effect on my digestive system.
Testing done with any $15 Blood Sugar Meter from Amazon. Try blending 1 & 1/2 Cup Chocolate Bliss with 1 Gallon Water with no Agave or other ingredients added. Blood Sugar level checked for baseline, then 8oz. Bliss taken with 1 Tbsp. Agave Nectar, then Blood Sugar level checked again one hour later. I also reduced my water intake to 16oz. or less during each hour of testing.
Testing Blood Sugar and Glycemic Index is a challenge when a person has strong pancreatic function and is using a high octane enzyme product like Primal Digest and drinking Hexagonal Kangen Water which rapidly balances Blood Sugar Levels through increased urination.
First I had to cease taking Primal Digest to see any effects at all. This reaffirmed the importance of using Primal Digest on a daily basis as a powerful digestive system optimizer. After a day off Primal Digest I could see some large blood sugar swings, sometimes as high as 50% Blood Sugar Level increase.
My choice is the one Agave Nectar product tested which many times lowered my Blood Sugar Level.
Blood Sugar Levels are primarily managed through a feedback loop of water and sugar turnover through brain cells. If Blood Sugar Level drops, urination increases to expel water and increase sugar concentration. If Blood Sugar Level increases, then hunger and thirst increase attempting to reduce sugar levels. If this fails, water is leeched from tissue and organs.
Sometimes Agave Nectar elevates Blood Sugar Levels as part of a cleansing and rebooting process. This can occur if sugars are bound with fats either on artery walls, in tissue or floating in fluids. As these fat complexes dissolve (emulsified by Agave's Saponins) Blood Sugar Levels rise and urination increases to expel excess sugar.
One of the oddest findings occurred when I took the Agave Nectar which created the largest increase in Blood Sugar Level and drank if for a day. This produced special effects which may relate to immune system response. Specifically visual distortion, dizziness, low grade fever and continuous, low grade head pressure and headache.
My choice is Agave Nectar which creates no sensory distortion, fever or headache.
Vanilla is a powerful Super Food. Until the advent of Vanilla Agave Nectar, Vanilla had to be decocted (flavors extracted) by heat combined with alcohol, glycerin (far more dehydrating than alcohol) or wet, cane sugar compounds.
Vanilla is nearly as complex in composition as Cacao and has nearly as complex a range of activities as Vitamin-C.
My choice is Agave Nectar which facilitates easy liberation of Vanilla flavor when infused with nanoized Pure Vanilla Powder. I'll know better after our first production run and I'm guessing all will be well for this.
My choice for supply chain is a balance of quality and size of production. Large enough to meet current and near future demands. Small enough to eventually have a large say in processing details. Just to be on the safe side, I recommend you keep 3-4 months supply of Vanilla Agave Nectar on hand in case of temporary shortages.
© Copyright 1995-2011 - David Favor