To further refute Dr. Mercola's fact-less claims about Agave, Stephen Richards the CEO of Xagave takes on Dr. Mercola's Article point by point.We have recently had a number of people contact us regarding the Mr. Mercola article. His article is truly unfortunate and misguided. Below you will find a point by point showing just how incorrect his claims are. I believe in making claims based upon legitimate, objective, number based criteria and it is clear that Mr. Mercola does not. I cannot speak for all agave nectar but I can speak about Xagave, which is a premium blend of Agave Salmiana (white agave) and inulin from agave tequilana. The simple fact is that Xagave is a versatile, low-glycemic sweetener that can be used for cooking, canning and baking and will save a significant number of calories when used. The calories savings comes from both reduced sugar amounts and reduced fat. This is discussed below. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and you may reprint this information in your blogs. I address each of his issues on a point by point basis below.
1. Mr. Mercola claims that agave is process from the "starch" of the agave plant and thus the same process is used to derive fructose as HFCS. Here is what he states:
"In spite of manufacturer’s claims, agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of its pineapple-like root bulb. The root is comprised mainly of starch, similar to corn, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of fructose molecules. The process by which agave starch and inulin are converted into "nectar" is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted into HFCS1."Response: This is absolutely not true. There is no starch in the agave plant. The agave plant contains fructans including inulin. This prebiotic fiber breaks down into two sugars, fructose and glucose when heated. This is a simple, chemical-free process,very different from the conversion of corn starch to fructose. Remember that corn has no fructose in it, just starch and the starch must be converted through a chemical process to create fructose. This is just not the case with agave. Specifically with Xagave, the fructans are broken down into sugars by introducing GMO-free, organically certified enzymes; thus no heat is used in the process and hence the "Raw".
2. Mr. Mercola claims that the process utlizes genetically modified organisms and various chemical agents. Here is what he says:
"The agave starch is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals"Response: In this regard, I cannot speak for all agave nectars. With respect to Xagave, we have a GMO free certificate on file and our product is USDA Organically certified as well as Bioagricert Certified (the European equivalent of USDA Organic Certification). In short, there are no genetically modified organisms or chemicals used in the processing of Xagave brand agave nectar. Conversely, HFCS cannot get an organic certification.
3. Mr. Mercola that there are different colors of agave and the differing colors is a result of poor quality. His statement is as follows:
"Due to poor quality control in Mexican processing plants, some of the syrup gets burnt Hence, the darker amber color. Of course, this poor quality control is marketed as an "artisan" variation, like amber beer, when in fact it contains higher levels of toxic impurities that arise from the sugar-heating process."Response. There are different colors or shades of agave -- light, amber and dark. It is true that the darker the shade, the longer it has been processed, which brings out a stronger agave flavor with honey-nutty-flowery notes to it. It is by no means "burnt" as if it is an accident or under poor quality control situations. This last statement truly shows the ignorance of Mr. Mercola and the statements that he is making. Specifically with respect to Xagave, it is processed in a facility that meet USDA organic certification and European certification requirements. The facility meets Kosher certification, in fact the highest level of Kosher certification which is "Passover certification". It is of the highest quality and I have personally visited the facility several times and reviewed the process. I find Mr. Mercola's comments baseless, demeaning and full of racial overtones.
4. Mr. Mercola claims that agave is bad for you because of it high fructose content and not other nutritional value. He states:
"While agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, so does antifreeze -- that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Agave syrup has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener -- ranging from 70 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent"Response: Besides the utterly ridiculous analogy in which the statement is made, Mr. Mercola again shows his ignorance in hyperbole. Again, I cannot speak for all agaves, but specifically with respect to Xagave, it is comprised of 47% fructose, 17% glucose, 12% inulin, with the balance being water containing vitamins and minerals. Xagave's fructose content is lower than sugar, lower than HFCS and is about the same as honey and Xagave has less total sugars than all these sweeteners. Here is a chart for comparison:
Sweetener Comparison Chart
| Item | Fructose | Glucose | Total Sugar*** | Calories per 100 grams | Glycemic Index |
| Sugar* | 50% | 50% | 97% | 500 | 64 |
| Honey | 38 to 42% | 35 to 40% | 80 to 84% | 304 | 62 |
| Date Paste** | 32% | 34% | 70 to 80% | 270 | 103 |
| HFCS | 55 to 90% | 45 to 10% | 100% | 370 | 62 |
| Xagave | 47% | 17% | 64% | 308 | 30 to 35 |
- Sugar is actually sucrose, but sucrose, upon consumption breaks down into fructose and glucose in roughly equal parts.
- *Information was not readily available on date paste, so the author utilized medjool dates as the metric.
*** Total Sugars exceed fructose and glucose because of other sugars such as sucrose and maltose.
5. Mr. Mercola claims that it is void of nutrient value. His statement is as follows:
"Nutrient Void. Agave syrup is not a whole food -- it is fractionated and processed, devoid of the nutrients contained in the original, whole plant."Response: Again, I cannot speak for all agave, but I can for Xagave. Xagave contains inulin, calcium, iron and other vitamins and minerals. One tablespoon of Xagave contains 17% of your daily requirements of calcium. Inulin, a prebiotic fiber, has been shown in numerous studies to improve digestive health, including improved motality, increased calcium absorption, and increased bone density. In addition, in a study by Johns Hopkins University, Inulin was shown to boost your immune system. This study was based upon consumption of 5 grams of inulin per day with 125 persons. The studied showed that the group consuming inulin experienced significantly less diarreha, fever and absentiesm due to illness. Xagave has 2.5 grams per tablespoon. In addition, inulin has been shown to moderate blood sugar levels.
Summary:
Mr. Mercola is so focused on the tree that he misses the forest. Here are the benefits of Xagave, that are based on numbers and objective criteria and supportable. Xagave is sweeter than sugar so you use less and save calories. The caloric savings depends on whether you are cooking, canning or baking but the caloric impact can be significant. I know this for a personal fact because I created most of the recipes in Delicous Meets Nutritious and we, as a company, spent the time calculating the calories in each recipe and compared that to the sugar alternative. For example, our Whole Wheat Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is 3500 calories less than the traditional sugar recipe and tasted better.
Xagave contains inulin, which the commercial baking industry has been using for years in low fat and low sugar foods to improve the "mouth feel" of foods. This is a little known fact, but in our recipes in Delicious Meets Nutritious you will find that all of our recipes are not only lower in sugar and carbohydrate calories but also lower in fat calories.
Xagave is a low Glycemic Index Food. Xagave is between 30 and 35 on the Glycemic Index and is in the low category. This test was conducted by an independent laboratory -- the actual resorts of the test are copied and incorporated in this article.
Xagave contains Inulin, a prebiotice fiber, that has been shown to improve digestive health. The studies of the benefits of inulin have been conducted by such credible institutions as Johns Hopkins University.
Xagave’s fructose content is lower than sugar, HFCS and roughly equivalent to that of honey and has less glucose and total sugar than all three.
Posts
