Agave

What is Agave Nectar?

Agave (uh-gah-vay) nectar (or syrup) is a plant-derived sugar alternative originating from the agave plant. Many people disagree if agave is actually a healthier sweetener or if it’s just another refined sugar.
To be produced, the agave plant is cut and pressed to extract the sap. The sap is then processed into sugar using high temperatures, enzymes, and in some cases with the help of a mold called Aspergillus.
The extensive refining and processing practically destroys the health benefits. The end-product is a highly refined syrup.
Agave is primary made of fructose and has very little glucose compared to regular sugar. Fructose has been known to not cause as high of spikes in blood sugar as glucose or other sweeteners. Although it may not spike blood sugars as much as a typical sweetener, the high concentration of fructose is not preferable.
In rats, two studies showed that long-term fructose intake during gestation causes chronic maternal metabolic stress and created neurodevelopmental disturbances and altered fetal brain development in offspring [1, 2]
Paired with its low nutrient content and high fructose levels, agave may not be the best choice for a natural sweetener. Read more on sweeteners here.

Nutrient Breakdown

Agave contains very trace amounts of some vitamins (various B vitamins and vitamin C) and minerals (potassium, calcium, and selenium). Due to the small serving size, the nutrient benefit is minimal.

Some will claim that agave nectar contains antioxidants. While the actual sap of the agave plant does contain some, the processed agave nectar has little. In fact, in a study looking at different types of sweeteners, refined sugar, corn syrup, and agave nectar contained minimal antioxidant activity compared to maple syrup, brown sugar, and honey, which showed intermediate antioxidant capacity, and dark and blackstrap molasses which had the highest antioxidant capacity [3].

Foods Containing Agave Nectar

Baked goods
Sweets (marshmallows, gum, chocolate, etc)
Fruit spreads (jelly, jams, marmalades, etc)
Sweetened packaged goods
Sweetened beverages
Certain alcoholic beverages (i.e. tequila)

Agave Alternatives

Food Reactions

The body can respond to foods in many different ways including food allergies, food sensitivities, or food intolerances. If you suspect a food reaction, you can either choose to avoid the food or seek food reaction testing. Click here more information on the difference in types of food reactions and testing options.

Agave & Autism in the Research

While there are no research studies between autism and agave, there are a couple studying fructose and autism. In rats, two studies showed that long-term fructose intake during gestation causes chronic maternal metabolic stress and created neurodevelopmental disturbances and altered fetal brain development in offspring [1, 2].

[1] Erbas O, Erdogan MA, Khalilnezhad A, et al. Neurobehavioral effects of long-term maternal fructose intake in rat offspring. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2018;69:68-79.
[2] Saad AF, Alshehri W, Lei J, et al. Maternal Fructose Consumption Disrupts Brain Development of Offspring in a Murine Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Am J Perinatol. 2016;33(14):1357-1364.
[3] Phillips KM, Carlsen MH, Blomhoff R. Total antioxidant content of alternatives to refined sugar. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(1):64-71.

Author

Brittyn Coleman, MS, RDN/LD, CLT