Agave Syrup???

Whenever their is something "new" on the market, even if billed as new super healthy etc. , I am skeptical. So goes with the Agave nectar. I had heard about it for quite a while and checked opinions after opinions. They were divided. Only raw, only organic most said but I still wasn't sure. I finally gave in and started using it, sometimes. Still not sure. I have read the bad things about it but also read that it isn't all processed like that. I think for now I am just going to stick with honey. I know, they say bad things about that too but raw honey is just taken straight from Bee to bottle, like God made it. Maybe Raw agave is the same. I would love some feedback. Below is an article a fellow EH sent me. Read for yourself and leave a comment on your opinion.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_syrupProductionTo produce agave nectar, juice is expressed from the core of the agave, called the piña.[1] The juice is filtered, then heated, to hydrolyze carbohydrates into sugars. The main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose called inulin or fructosan. The filtered, hydrolyzed juice is concentrated to a syrup-like liquid a little thinner than honey and ranges in color from light to dark depending on the degree of processing. The syrup naturally contains quantities of Iron, Calcium, Potassium & Magnesium which contribute to the resulting color.[citation needed]An alternative method used to process the agave juice without heat is described in a United States patent for a process that uses enzymes to hydrolyze the polyfructose extract into fructose, using an enzyme derived from Aspergillus niger (black mold). [2] A. niger fermentation is "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS) by the FDA.[3]CompositionAgave syrup consists primarily of fructose and glucose. One source[4] gives 92% fructose and 8% glucose; another[5] gives 56% fructose and 20% glucose. These differences presumably reflect variation from one vendor of agave syrup to another. Due to its fructose content and the fact that the glycemic index only measures glucose levels, agave syrup is notable in that its glycemic index and glycemic load are lower than many other natural sweeteners on the market. [6].However, the extremely high percentage of fructose (higher than that of high-fructose corn syrup) can be deleterious and can trigger fructose malabsorption, metabolic syndrome[7], hypertriglyceridemia, decreased glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and accelerated uric acid formation.[8][9][10] Low-carb diet advocate Dr. Michael Eades M.D. advises to "avoid it [Agave syrup] like death".[11]Some criticism [12] has targeted agave syrup. In the late 90s, the agave syrup on the market contained 90% thermally or chemically hydrolyzed fructose, the salmiana variety syrup on the market today is still primarily fructose, but is enzymatically hydrolyzed using a black mold enzyme.[13]