Bedtime story for a 3 year old child. Russian folk tales

Hello! ★

Your new love I owe the useful and unusual things in nutrition to my sister, who literally storms online and offline stores in search of superfoods, seeds, syrups that allow you to prepare healthy food and not load your body with sugar, salt and wheat flour products.

In our city there are very few stores specializing in proper nutrition, and those that exist are located far from my home and in a very inconvenient location.

So I went to the World Wide Web for help...

Having discovered the Royal Forest online store, I was absolutely delighted with the range of long-desired products (which all the eco-bloggers and Instagram ladies on PP are talking about). There was everything that I had wanted for so long: syrups, carob, nuts of absolutely all kinds...

My eyes widened... But I held on and ordered, first of all, the most necessary products, in my opinion...

Today I want to tell you about light agave syrup and why I consider its acquisition necessary for me personally.

Brief information

Agave nectar light
Price 340 rubles for 250 g
Country origin - Mexico
Best before date 24 months
Per 100 g contains 320 calories, BJU: carbohydrates 78.2%, no proteins or fats.
Compound: concentrated agave juice
Direct link to the product

I have light agave syrup . There is also a dark agave syrup, which is subjected to less filtration and is additionally enriched with inulin. But I wanted more the light caramel taste of light nectar, and dark syrup, according to people who tried it, has a more tart, rich taste...

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Appearance

On the packaging of the syrup, which, by the way, is not glass, as it seems at first glance, but plastic (which is a huge plus for me personally), there is information about the product from the manufacturer. We are given the composition, calorie content, ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates of the nectar, as well as expiration dates, method of consumption - in general, what is usually interesting to the buyer.

The bottle is closed with a tight black cap, naturally, with control of the first opening - and I am sure that no one has tried my nectar.

A caramel-sunny viscous liquid with a small number of small bubbles is visible through the transparent wall of the bottle.

Smell mind-blowing: caramel with a slight sourness and a hint of floral honey. A unique aroma that you want to smell...

Taste intensely sweet, but not cloying. Reminds me of warm caramel on a stick. A couple of drops are enough to get enough of this taste - and you don’t need more.

By consistency the syrup resembles honey, but only very liquid, perhaps even warm. It does not flow out of the jar like a glass stream, but flows out in a thin, dense stream.

About the dispenser : in principle it is absent. And many complain and ask the manufacturer to come up with a good dispenser for this product. But I like that the neck is wide: you can take the syrup with a spoon. Or a syringe for dosage accuracy. Quite convenient!

Information from the manufacturer

Light agave nectar is an ideal sugar substitute with a bright caramel taste. It has a low glycemic index, which prevents the development of diabetes, improves metabolism and promotes weight loss.
* Prevents the development of diabetes mellitus
* Improves metabolism
* Promotes weight loss
* Calming effect on the nervous system
* Helps remove excess fluid from the body

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Let's now move on to main topic my review - is agave syrup beneficial or harmful?

Ignorant people will say: of course, it’s useful: it’s natural! Those in the know will shake their heads and talk about the dangers of agave syrup . What do I think?

Agave syrup/nectar is obtained from the pulp of the leaves of the Mexican agave plant (tequila is also made from it). It was considered incredibly healthy in ancient times - but then it was eaten raw. Now it is subjected to heat treatment, as a result of which some beneficial properties gets lost.

But still, only part of the beneficial properties is lost: vitamins K, E, A, and group B remain. The most important microelements necessary for our body are also preserved - calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium...

Some people believe, often because syrup consists of 90% fructose, that it is more harmful than sugar. After all, probably everyone now knows about the dangers of fructose for the body.

However, in large quantities Absolutely everything is harmful! But we're not going to pour a bucket of syrup into our tea, are we? For example, a couple of drops are enough for the drink to acquire a pleasant, unusual sweetish taste. And the calorie content of agave syrup is less than sugar (320 kcal versus 399 kcal). And since agave syrup is one and a half times sweeter than sugar, in order to achieve sugar sweetness, you need to use it in smaller quantities, and therefore get fewer calories!

The same thing applies to the cost of the product: yes, sugar is cheaper to buy. But the amount of “white poison” used is much less than agave syrup.

Agave syrup has a low glycemic index (17), which means it does not cause a sharp jump in blood sugar. Diabetes patients know how important this is. But you shouldn’t overfill yourself with this product: a large amount of it causes insulin resistance- impaired tissue response to the action of insulin.

How do I use this thing?

I add it to herbal tea. I don’t like sweet drinks, but a couple drops of nectar gives the drink a special taste and a pleasant honey-caramel aroma. And I don't want cookies. And this is important!

2. I add it to the porridge.

I forgot to say: I really love honey. But I often have an allergic reaction to it (probably depends on the manufacturer and type of product), so I don’t risk eating it. But the syrup in the porridge, which gives a unique aroma to the dish, is just that. And delicious. And it's safe for me.

3. I add it to baked goods: it acquires a pleasant taste without unnecessary sweetness and cloying. And also a wonderful caramel aroma.

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Conclusions:

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This brand has the most gentle processing of the product, which means more benefits are retained
Incredibly pleasant taste of nectar
Mind-blowing aroma
Lower caloric content of the product than sugar
It's natural
Has a low glycemic index

How to use agave syrup without harming the body?

Just don’t get carried away with using it. You will never develop, for example, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as some articles on fructose claim, from a teaspoon of syrup. Well, that won't happen!

People eat handfuls of candy and cookies, load up on cakes and put four spoons of sugar in their tea and coffee five times a day. So, does everyone have health problems?

You need to know when to stop everything. And with agave syrup you will take a small step towards giving up sugar in favor of natural sweeteners. Moreover, you only need a little bit of it: it’s both economical and useful!

Health to everyone! °*”˜˜”*° ●

Agave syrup has been used in the West for quite some time as a natural sugar substitute. IN lately its popularity has reached us. Therefore, many people want to get an answer to the question of what are the benefits and harms of agave syrup.

Unfortunately, the answer can only be partially given, since industrially produced agave nectar has no benefit at all. But you can talk about the harm in some detail.

How is agave syrup made?

Agave is a deciduous plant native to Mexico.

To produce syrup, or "nectar" as it is often called commercially, the juice is squeezed from the central stem of a 10-year-old agave plant. And this juice contains sugar, but it also contains fructo-oligosaccharides that are healthy - the same compounds that are abundant in.

However, in the process of further industrial production Agave syrup is heated, causing all fructooligosaccharides to break down into monomers.

Depending on the intensity of heating, agave syrup comes in three main colors:

natural, so-called “raw” - quite dark in color, has a caramel taste, similar to;
light – much lighter than “raw”, has a lighter taste;
amber – the same color and taste as “raw”.

Despite the fact that the “raw” version of the syrup, it seems, should be natural, that is, not heated, in fact, this is often not the case. Usually it is also heated, but a lower temperature is used.

Thus, during industrial processing, refined syrup is obtained from natural agave syrup. The natural syrup of this plant is quite useful, since it does not contain much sugar and contains a lot of fructooligosaccharides. But the syrup they sell in stores is harmful.

This is a product of deep industrial processing, in which all beneficial fructo-oligosaccharides are replaced by extremely harmful fructose.

Myths about the benefits of agave syrup

1. Agave nectar is a natural sugar substitute a, which has been used by the indigenous people of Mexico for centuries.

Only if you prepared it yourself. Everything that is on store shelves today is a refined product that has virtually nothing to do with the natural agave syrup used by the Mayan Indians.

2. Agave nectar is low in calories

There are as many of them in industrial syrup as in regular sugar.

3. Agave syrup has a low glycemic index

Yes. But this is of little use. This only indicates that the product contains a lot of fructose, which does not lead to rapid insulin selection.

But fructose has the following negative properties:

increases production

The homeland of blue agave, from which the world famous drink tequila is made, is Mexico. The juice for its preparation is obtained from large fruits of the plant, weighing up to 90 kilograms. Nowadays, this drought-resistant plant is increasingly grown under domesticated conditions. Blue agave is used not only to produce tequila, but also to prepare a tasty and healthy syrup.

Description of agave syrup

Agave syrup, or nectar, appeared on the shelves of domestic stores relatively recently, but immediately received recognition from supporters of a healthy diet. Later, it was also appreciated by those who are actively fighting excess weight.

The syrup has a fairly simple production technology. To prepare it, juice is first extracted from the fruits of the plant. It is then heated to a certain temperature and slowly evaporated until it obtains a thick, viscous consistency, which is characteristic of most syrups. The shade of the nectar also depends on the duration of heat treatment. Variants from light yellow, amber to dark brown are allowed.

The consistency of agave syrup is very similar to honey. But the taste of nectar is a little different, special. The sweet syrup has a pronounced creamy flavor with pleasant notes of caramel. It is good both as an independent product and as an ingredient in desserts and baked goods.

Chemical composition

Agave syrup contains a large amount of essential vitamins: A, group B, E, K, PP. It also contains many important minerals, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium and manganese. Such a rich composition allows the use of agave syrup as an effective immunomodulatory agent. This is not only a natural, but also a healthy sugar substitute.

Fructose in nectar helps speed up metabolism, removing waste and toxins from the body. When used in large quantities The syrup has a laxative effect on the body. It is recommended for people suffering from constipation.

Agave syrup contains no protein, less than 1 gram of fat, and 75 grams of carbohydrates.

Calories and glycemic index

The calorie content of agave syrup is 310 kcal per 100 grams. This is even less than what is contained in regular sugar - 370 kcal. And this is not the only benefit of nectar obtained from the agave plant.

Its juice has about 20-27 units. This low value of the indicator is explained by the fact that it contains 90% fructose with a low glycemic index and 10% glucose. This is why agave syrup is marketed as For comparison, the glycemic index of sugar is 70 units.

Benefits and harms

Thanks to its rich vitamin and mineral composition, agave syrup is very beneficial for the body. It even has a number of advantages over other sweeteners.

Agave syrup is sweeter than sugar. This means that, despite almost the same calorie content, it needs to be added to dishes or drinks in smaller quantities. Careful care for your figure and dental health is guaranteed.
For people with and suffering from type 2 diabetes, agave syrup is a safe sweetness. This is explained by the nectar’s content of inulin, a polysaccharide that helps reduce cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood. organic matter has the same sweet taste, like fructose.
Agave nectar has a beneficial effect on organ function gastrointestinal tract. Due to the presence of fructose, the syrup is effective against constipation. It carefully cleanses the body of toxins. Inulin in the syrup acts as a prebiotic. It helps to increase the number of lacto- and bifidobacteria in the intestines.
Agave juice removes not only waste and toxins, but also excess liquid from the body. Therefore, it will also be useful during diets.
The rich vitamin and mineral composition of the product provides excellent prevention of viral diseases and strengthens the immune system.

Agave syrups have virtually no contraindications, but their use should be limited:

for all allergy sufferers;
women planning pregnancy, since the sap of the plant negatively affects the production of eggs;
people with overweight bodies.

Excessive consumption of nectar can lead to speed dial weight, cause diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Contraindications to the use of syrup are liver and gall bladder diseases, type 1 diabetes mellitus and diseases associated with impaired hormone production.

What is the difference between dark and light agave syrup?

The color of agave syrup may vary depending on the time it is prepared. The longer the nectar is evaporated, the thicker and darker it becomes. Taste qualities product different colors are also not the same.

The light syrup is more reminiscent of flower honey. It has a mild, slightly caramel flavor. It can be added to cold cocktails or ice cream. Dark nectar is used in preparing sauces or marinades for main courses. It will make the taste of the dish more piquant and interesting. Agave syrup is suitable for baked goods and other confectionery products. They replace sugar in traditional recipes.

Many people are turning to agave syrup as a safe natural sweetener, believing it to be healthier. They want to avoid the known problems of eating sugar, but not give up sweets.

So what is agave syrup and is it as healthy as the manufacturers say?

What is agave?

Agave is an exotic plant that grows in the volcanic soil of Mexico. It blooms only once, gathering crowds of tourists who want to see this phenomenon. However, agave is better known to us as the plant from which tequila is produced.

Cut blue agave fruits.

When you hear the word “agave”, pictures of tourist excursions appear in your head, romantic evenings under starry sky and mysterious shamanic medicine. It is precisely these images that agave nectar producers are counting on when advertising their product as not only a harmless, but also a healthy sugar substitute.

However, given the number of processing steps to obtain the “nectar,” the final product has virtually nothing in common with its noble parent, being just a high-fructose syrup. Depending on how the raw material is processed, the syrup may end up containing more or less fructose, but the amount will still be too high to be harmless to humans.

The truth about agave syrup

If the sellers marketing this product knew about the effects of agave syrup on the body, perhaps they would be more careful in touting its supposed miraculous properties.

Agave syrup or “nectar” is nothing more than a laboratory-generated product in which fructose syrup is condensed during the production process.

The calorie content of syrup directly depends on the concentration of fructose and can range, on average, from 307 to 399 kcal per 100 g.

Unfortunately, the wonders of marketing have led to the syrup's astronomical rise in popularity among people who believe they are doing their bodies a favor by avoiding refined sugar in favor of artificial sweeteners. The worst thing is that agave syrup is often advertised as a product approved for use in diabetes mellitus, due to the fact that fructose has.

In addition, in one of the reports on the threats of corn syrup due to fructose, a group of American specialists published the results laboratory research, which prove the danger of this monosaccharide as a substance leading to liver damage. This is doubly true with agave syrup, since its fructose content is sometimes double the average fructose content of corn syrup.

What about companies that have won awards for producing ethical products?

There really are companies that strive for excellence and are guided by ethical standards when producing syrup:

Working with Indigenous Peoples;
Using raw materials without pesticides;
Fermentation process at low temperatures, reducing the loss of natural enzymes;
Production of syrup with a fructose content as close as possible to 50% instead of more than 90%, etc.

However, most companies produce a product that is, in fact, much harmful than sugar and corn syrup. If you do decide to use agave nectar, it is worth looking for an ethical brand, but their products are much more expensive and it is best to be completely safe.

Fructose is a “metabolic poison” only when consumed more than 25 g per day. However, this applies not only to syrup, but also to all other fructose-containing products. Sweet drinks, sauces, baked goods, etc.

Why is fructose so important for health?

Not all sugars are created equal, despite what you may have heard otherwise. The fact is that all the organs of your body, every cell, moreover, almost all living things on the planet, use glucose as “fuel for life.”

Regular cane sugar or sucrose contains two simple sugars: 50% glucose and 50% fructose. However, many, given the choice of consuming glucose or fructose, would prefer the latter. And we can’t blame them, because the word “fructose” itself is associated with fruits, and they, accordingly, are useful.

It cannot be said, of course, that fructose is the embodiment of evil, but its increased consumption leads to problems, the basis for understanding which lies in how the body processes it.

There are two main reasons why fructose is so destructive:

The body metabolizes fructose differently than glucose. Fructose is only consumed in the liver, affecting its function and damaging cells, as well as , which can lead to many of the effects of chronic alcohol consumption, even "beer belly";
People consume fructose in amounts that are 400-800% higher than a century ago.

Fructose turns into fat

Fructose is almost completely consumed by the liver, since it is the only organ capable of working on this “fuel”, but an excess of this substance hurts the health of the liver itself and, in addition, is almost directly converted into fat. For this reason, fructose is one of the leading causes of obesity.

Unlike fructose, only 20% of glucose is processed in the liver, since almost every cell in your body can use glucose directly as an energy source, so most burned by the body after consumption.

The irony is that in an attempt to avoid obesity from sugar, people consume the component that leads to obesity to a greater extent.

It's also important to understand that fructose in fruits and vegetables is not the same as synthetic high fructose syrup. Natural fructose comes with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, while fructose syrup has no nutritional value at all.

In addition, in natural foods, the fructose molecule is actually attached to other sugars and in order to be absorbed it must first be “broken,” which increases the amount of sugars that are not absorbed by the body at all and are naturally excreted. At the same time, fructose in syrup is in a free state, which means it will be completely or almost completely converted into fat.

In addition, pure fructose confuses metabolism, which seriously disrupts appetite regulation systems and leads to overeating.

The effects of fructose on the liver, as already mentioned, are similar to the effects of alcohol and can lead to NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).

This is why excessive consumption of fructose quickly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity in combination with classic metabolic syndrome.

It is important that fructose is a cheap sweetener, so it is added to almost all imported processed food products with a pronounced taste. However, it is rarely included in product labeling, which is why people often exceed the dose of 25 g per day.

Of course, only exceeding the permitted dosage of agave syrup is harmful. Consumption of high-quality syrup in limited quantities is safe. However, this does not deny its high calorie content, which at least will not speed up the weight loss process.