Maple Syrup. For those that struggle with diabetes or simply want to find a healthier sweetener without the impending sugar crash, agave is a good solution. While maple syrup has only 35% of it. Agave syrup is produced from the sap of the agave, a succulent plant related to cactus. They are typically used on top of pancakes, but are also used to sweeten any dish that calls for a liquid sweetener. Honey vs Agave: Which is More Beneficial? It’s about as sweet as honey, but with a slightly thinner consistency. Its flavor is more pure-tasting and neutral than maple syrup or honey and its consistency is between honey and maple syrup. Contains a great deal more carbohydrates, which are likely to be stored as fat. There is also a difference in the amount of fructose. Maple Syrup Grade A maple syrup is categorized into 3 groups: Light Amber, Medium Amber, and Dark Amber. Grade B is the darkest syrup and has a stronger maple flavor, ideal for baking. Your email address will not be published. Agave syrup (also known as agave nectar) is becoming a very popular natural sweetener. It’s the same plant that produces tequila… So, is agave nectar good for you? Actually, no… Agave nectar is highly processed food. You’ll see ‘pure maple syrup’ in recipes throughout the health webosphere. Where it comes from: Maple syrup is a result of processing maple tree sap. Blue Agave is native to Mexico and is regarded for its use in making tequila—but don’t worry, agave syrup is completely safe for the whole family. Agave nectar has been been used in cooking and for medicinal purposes for centuries by South Americans. It has little in common with the traditional sweetener made historically by people in Mexico. If you’re reading this, you’re one of many facing the maple syrup vs agave dilemma. This step is a crucial part in filtering the sap, allowing it to become syrupy, and providing a particular grade. Contrary to popular belief, these grades do not indicate that one syrup is better than the other. Agave syrup makes baked items brown faster, so it’s suggested to bake them longer and at a lower temperature than you would if you were using sugar. Finally, a gluten-free variety of this favorite bread that is dense, moist, and fruity. Sign up for our newsletter and keep informed about our products and services. They undergo less heating and are filtered more thoroughly. Sisana SweetenersArchangelkade 6c1013BE AmsterdamThe Netherlands, info@sisanasweeteners.com   +31(0)20 23 803 00. Agave has 310 calories per 100g while Maple syrup has 260 per 100g. Agave syrup is twice as cheap as maple syrup, making it the more economically feasible option for regular use. It’s an energizing way to start the day, or end your day on a sweet note. It takes approximately 150 liters of raw maple sap to produce about 3.5 liters of finished, ready-to-eat syrup. Agave nectar vs Maple sugar - In-Depth Nutrition Comparison. Full of bananas and walnuts, enjoy a slice or two at breakfast, for an afternoon snack, or even dessert. Try three of Thrive Market’s favorite ideas below. Dextrose, Rice Syrup and Glucose each have a Glycemic Index of above 90, and Glycemic Load of roughly 20. The biggest concern, though, is that agave is typically highly processed and also rather high in fructose. The sweetener commonly sold as agave nectar would be more accurately labeled as agave syrup. Bottom line on maple syrup vs honey vs agave nectar. While not inherently a bad thing, when consumed in large amounts, sucrose has some of the same problems of regular sugar, like contributing to weight gain. The best part though is that maple syrup has many nutrients, including manganese, riboflavin, and zinc (as well as small doses of potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, and selenium). Agave nectar’s fructose content is roughly 55-90%, where maple syrup is made almost completely from glucose. Sap is collected using a tap and the liquid is boiled immediately in order to remove all the water. Moreover, Agave’s glycemic load is much lower than Maple syrup’s too. Both maple syrup and agave can and do substitute for sugar in baking. Agave actually tastes relatively bland, which makes it ideal for those times when you simply want to add sweetness but not change the flavors of a dish or drink. Maple syrup also contains more of the other B vitamins such as B1, B2 and B5. Even though raw honey and maple syrup are natural, they are still broken down in the body as sugar, and will spike your blood sugar. All agave nectar will be primarily sweet with an accompanying caramel note in the darker varieties. It adds a kick to any post workout shake and is a great addition to protein pancakes. Maple syrup, hands down, is the better option between agave syrup and maple syrup. One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 52 calories and 12.4 grams of sugar, roughly the same as table sugar. For a full view of how these sweeteners compare in terms of GI and GL, see our sweetener comparison chart. So which is the healthier choice? Obviously, the more that agave is processed, the more that healthy compounds like fructans (which have a beneficial effect on insulin and metabolism) break down. Being thinner than maple syrup, agave is a great choice for use in liquids for sweetening. It works well in chewy bakes like flapjacks as well as sticky cakes and muffins. And there’s plenty to try: Coconut palm sugar, stevia, honey, and even fruit products like apple sauce and jam can be good replacements. Even more serious is the long-term health implications that come from consuming excess sugar, which contributes to a higher risk of diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. At the moment its stevia. How to Use Agave Nectar: Types, Flavours and Uses, Xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, black maple trees or other maple species. The darker kind undergo more heating and are filtered less than the lighter kind. Agave is a better choice for cooking, but it can be very sweet and contains fructose, which is more likely to be stored as fat than the sucrose maple contains. Message & data rates may apply. Questions? The flavor profile of maple syrup is pretty fantastic (objective fact and certainly not a biased opinion of this writer). Too much of the sweet stuff can prompt the body to start storing glucose as fat instead of using it as it’s intended for fuel. So, which is more beneficial? There is much controversy in the food world about which sugar is the healthiest- raw agave, honey, maple syrup, sucanat, stevia or Truvia (a non-caloric sweetener made from stevia). Agave’s big advantage over traditional white sugar though is its low Glycemic Index (GI), or the numerical value for how a certain food item will affect blood sugar; the higher the number, the more impact it has. However, there is slightly too much emphasis put on the fact that Agave nectar has fructose. Find itÂ. Replace only half the sugar with agave if replacing all of it did not work out as well as you thought it would. Before looking into the glycemic index of maple syrup vs. agave, we’re faced with the question of what the glycemic index actually is. Required fields are marked *. One such health aspect is the percentage of fructose. With a low GI of 15, agave is a better option for diabetics as it doesn’t raise insulin levels as much as white sugar. There are other species of the agave plant as well, with the individual plant cores juiced and then filtered using enzymes and heat applications to produce the sweetener. For more on substituting Agave for other sugars, see this article. However, some aspects can’t be overlooked. When processed, the nectar becomes agave syrup, which is … Oatmeal is a perfectly filling breakfast option, but you’ll swear this recipe was intended for dessert. The answer: the glycemic index or GI is a measurement of the impact of carbohydrates on our blood sugar. Maple syrup has a medium-low glycemic index (54) and glycemic load. During processing of agave syrup, agave plant is pressed, filtered, and heated. Agave nectar is much sweeter than maple syrup, which means that you will need only a small amount to get a similar level of sweetness as a large amount of maple syrup. While some people are actively avoiding high fructose corn syrup with a fructose content of only 55%, they continue to receive Agave due to its low glycemic index while without knowing consuming a product with 90% fructose. Thank you for the effort, keep up the good work Great work. Moreover, Agave’s glycemic load is much lower than Maple syrup’s too. Fructose is a very common sugar for your body to absorb, and as long as it is not taken in excess, there is no problem with it. Because maple syrup offers some nutritional benefits (like vitamins and minerals), it has a slight edge over agave syrup—particularly the more processed varieties. The flavor of dark agave nectar is sometimes compared to that of maple syrup, but they are not identical; agave is more intense, and if you have decided to substitute agave for maple syrup, you’d need to use less. More than anything, they’re classifications. Generally, agave syrup is manufactured by reducing the nectar from the agave plant, which is a type of cactus, to a concentrated syrup. When it comes to the number of calories in the agave nectar vs maple syrup debate, agave slightly loses out, as you can see in the table above. Keep in mind that when substituting white sugar in recipes for baked goods, maple syrup and agave can be quite sensitive to changes in the moisture of various products. Glycemic Index The glycemic index defines foods by how quickly it causes your blood sugar to rise. The only part of the body that can process fructose is the liver, so too much and the liver becomes overloaded and unable to turn it into energy. By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive text messages to this number from Thrive Market. Conversely, the sweeteners on the other end of the scale such as stevia and agave have a Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of nearly zero. And are mainly sucrose vs agave which although hv lower gi is mainly single sugar fructose. Unfortunately, agave isn’t simply a free pass to add into all of your favorite recipes to make them sweeter. White Sugar: For every 1 cup sugar called for use 2/3 cup agave, and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. As agave is an all-natural sweetener with absolutely no additives or preservatives, it does not have a bitter aftertaste. Copyright© 2016 Sisana Sweeteners | All Rights Reserved, Interested in trying Agave syrup? Agave usually comes from the blue agave plant, which is also used to make tequila and grows in the southwestern part of the US and the northern regions of South America. Agave is a syrupy sweetener that comes from the juice of the same-named succulent plant. Then, top them with a bit of yogurt, granola, and maple syrup (instead of the honey called for in the recipe) for a mix of texture and flavor. You can use it instead of maple syrup, or sugar. Simple Syrup vs. Honey, Agave Nectar & Maple Syrup. These agave maple syrup nutrition facts should be helpful in deciding which sweetener works best for you. While maple syrup is delicious in some applications, its strong flavor and sometimes metallic overtones can make it a less versatile ingredient. Which is healthier honey, maple syrup, or agave? Maple syrup has a medium-low glycemic index (54) and glycemic load. It is also important to look at Glycemic Load (GL), which measures the GI per carbohydrates in serving size (different foods have a higher or lower percentage of carbohydrates relative to their serving size). Sugar, whether it’s natural or refined, leads to a spike in blood sugar, a.k.a. Compare Agave nectar to Maple sugar by vitamins and minerals using the only readable nutrition comparison tool. This is then filtered to make sure it is completely pure. They’re both healthier alternatives to sugar. When looking for an ideal way to get in carbohydrates from a natural food source or sweetener 100% pure maple syrup should be your preferred choice over agave or honey ! Agave syrup has a very sweet but mild flavor. The Test: We have four glasses with exactly the same thing: 1 oz of lemon juice and 1 oz of water. For a full view of how these sweeteners compare in terms of GI and GL, see our sweetener comparison chart. Agave syrup is sweeter than maple syrup and tends to be less viscous. If you don’t like the taste of honey, you may find agave’s neutral taste more appealing. Because maple syrup offers some nutritional benefits (like vitamins and minerals), it has a slight edge over agave syrup—particularly the more processed varieties. Would you like to keep up with Sisana Sweetener's news? While the sweetness of agave and maple is comparable (and agave’s caloric count is higher), agave still has the lower glycemic index (between 11 and 30). Increase baking time and reduce the oven temperature by about 4 degrees Celsius (25°F). AGAVE NECTAR. Agave Nectar has a glycemic index of 30 and is defined as having a "low" index - but this is due to its high fructose concentrate. There are no upcoming events at this time. Agave nectar has about the same amount of calories as sugar, so if you’re looking for a low-cal option it’s not ideal. On today's episode of Live Lean TV, I'm sharing which is the healthiest natural sweetener: maple syrup vs honey vs agave nectar. Instead, the leftover fructose is transformed into fat, which can raise blood triglycerides and lead to blocked arteries, weight problems, and heart issues. In sum: maple is not as sweet, has fewer calories but higher GI, and doesn’t work well with certain dishes. The darker the … Eating either, honey, or maple syrup will flood your blood with sugar. Like maple syrup and honey, it undergoes minimal processing at low temperatures to remove excess water. It can be used in place of syrups, such as golden syrup, but because it is sweeter than sugar, you'll need less to achieve the same taste. On the other hand, Agave’s glycemic index is the range of 10 – 19, which is low. To Maple Syrup. While fructose doesn’t raise blood sugar levels on its own, it can raise the risk of diabetes in the long-term with excess consumption. In theory, agave nectar is the unprocessed version of the sweetener, not unlike sap from maple trees. The fructose (fruit sugar) found in agave doesn’t go directly into the bloodstream, so insulin and blood sugar levels do not rapidly spike. While talking about health, both agave syrup and maple syrup are rich in nutrients. Sucanat and evaporated cane juice can also be substituted this way. A very significant aspect in this debate is the price. On the other hand, the lighter syrups have a milder flavor, making them more suitable for cooking. No matter which you choose, always be sure to check the ingredient label and purchase options that are pure agave or pure maple syrup and not pumped full of mystery additives or additional sugars, which can defeat the whole purpose of using them. Agave tastes a bit like honey, although with a slightly more neutral taste. Additionally, it’s vegan-friendly—unlike honey, which is considered an animal byproduct, agave is 100 percent animal- and cruelty-free. Agave nectar is actually a syrup (nectar is really just a marketing term). Download the app for easy shopping on the go, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, which contributes to a higher risk of diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases, more than 10,000 tons of sugar per calendar year, There are other species of the agave plant as well, typically highly processed and also rather high in fructose. Both agave and maple syrup have a lower Glycemic Index than regular table sugar and can be enjoyed by anyone following a vegan diet. Adjusting Agave Nectar to Taste If agave nectar is too sweet for you, try watering it down: Mix nectar and distilled water at a 1:1 ratio (or slightly less water) and stir until it is an even consistency. 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