One seemingly endless market is for “healthy sugar”. There is a lot of money in the marketing of various products as “healthy sugar” and “Agave” is certainly one of the success stories. The most important thing to understand about High Fructose Agave Syrup is that it is made in an almost identical way to High Fructose Corn Syrup. The root bulb of the Agave plant is chemically broken into fructose, producing a syrup that may be as high as 97% fructose (though often in the 60%-70% range). High Fructose Corn Syrup, by comparison, is generally added to products in forms that are 42% or 55% fructose (with the bulk the remainder being glucose). Many of the concerns people have over High Fructose Corn Syrup are shared by High Fructose Agave Syrup. So if you’re someone that understands the dangers posed by High Fructose Corn Syrup it’s best to avoid products with “Agave” and “Agave Nectar” as well. If you want a lot more information on the dangers of High Fructose Agave Syrup here’s some substantial reading:

• Shocking! This ‘Tequila’ Sweetener is Far Worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Can Agave Syrup Spike Uric Acid into the Danger Zone?
• Debunking the Agave Myth – That’s Fit
• Agave Nectar: Worse Than We Thought – Weston A Price Foundation

The healthiest way to ingest fructose is by eating whole fruit and the best way to sweeten foods is by adding whole fruit. That way you’ll get the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and a lower dose of fructose than you would with a concentrated, refined, denatured sweetener.