Agave Nectar-Startling Facts

Confess, a lot of us are familiar with agave as the plant where tequila, and many other things we would rather not remember have taken place after downing it, comes from. Did that come across sounding jumbled or did that seem logical?

However, you’ll be surprised to find out that the plant is also parent to a whole other group of products that don’t come in a cheesy shot glass at the saddest hour of the bar crawl. Agave nectar, a syrupy liquid milked from the agave plant, has been used for decades by populations in South America to flavor foods and beverages, as well as in a tonic capacity. The Aztecs used a combination of agave nectar and salt to heal wounds and prevent infection, a solution which continues to this day in so-called “folk medicine.” Tasty and restorative? No wonder the Aztecs maintained that Agave was a gift from the celestirals.

In case you didn't know your grandma and her “folk remedies” were significant, modern health researchers have confirmed agave’s healing features. When applied to the skin, agave nectar
is most effectual against pyogenic (or pus producing) bacteria such as Staph aureus, often referred to as a typical species of staphylococci bacteria to cause Staph infections. Agave nectar has also been shown successful against bad intestinal bacteria. Besides anti-bacterial properties, agave nectar contains saponins, which can be identified in quinoa and a long list of plant roots, and have anti-inflammatory and immune system-boosting tendencies.

Perhaps the most prominent area in which agave nectar is really great for your wellness is that of granulated sugar ingestion. It’s no shocking secret that our foods today are perilously packed with processed, refined sugars like granulated sugar and high fructose corn syrup, that have absolutely no nutritional worth other than calories. Foods bearing these sugars have un unhealth glycemic index, or glycemic load. That is, they are more liable to bring about a fast and instant increase in blood sugar levels, ultimately triggering the production of insulin. Extreme production of insulin and, more notably, chronically high blood sugar and insulin levels are linked to type II diabetes, abdominal weight increase and obesity, raised triglycerides and cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure.

The tastiness in agave nectar comes from a strain of fructose called inulin, which has been associated with reducing cholesterol and optimizing the absorption of calcium and magnesium. It is a carbohydrate with a low glycemic index, meaning it does not give your body a sudden spike in blood sugar levels. As a consequnce of this, it will also not cause that nasty feeling you must go through when the sugar levels hit the floor. What's more, you will not rush to the candy machine for that sugary sweet bag of cookies in spiral B-6, which will cost you an additional guilty 45 minutes on the life cycle. Truth is with the sugar rollercoaster you keep racing on all day and night, you may not even get to the rowing machine. Different story altogether with agave nectar. If you definitely must rush to the vending machine, go for that granola bar livened up with agave nectar. Did we bring up agave nectar enough? There should be no doubt about what this article is about.

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