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Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and different information than what is shown on our website. We recommend that you do not rely solely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. Please see our full disclaimer below.
Product Description
Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave is a natural sweetener extracted from the core of the Blue Agave plant. Organic Raw Blue Agave Nectar is perfect for everyone, including raw-food enthusiasts!. This amber nectar has a distinct and delicious flavor that genuinely enhances foods' natural sweetness. It is certified Organic and GMO-Free, and appropriate for vegan and plant-based diets. It is stable, non-crystallizing and quick dissolving.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful
We all know that too much sugar, or fructose, is bad for you. And that includes agave, which is concentrated fructose. However, I like the taste of agave, especially as compared to other sugar substitutes, and I can use less of it than sugar (see below). It has a lower glycemic index (meaning the body metabolizes it slower reducing the risk of an insulin spike), and it is natural rather than chemically engineered like high fructose corn syrup. The key to all sugars is moderation. Unfortunately, almost all baked or processed foods that we buy are loaded with sugars, especially high fructose corn syrup. At least by baking my own foods I can have more control over my family's sugar consumption and I am happy to have found agave so that when I do occasionally bake sweets, at least I can use less of it.
Raw organic blue agave is not chemically processed as some have indicated. It is the pure juice from the blue agave plant. The juice is extracted by stripping the leaves of the plant, then chopping up the bulbous base of the plant which is heated to no more than 118° to get the juice flowing. The actual extraction is accomplished through centrifugal force and the juice obtained is then bottled. (I should mention there are other processes that can be used which would entail heating to a higher temperature, but which still results in juice without additives--although any natural enzymes would be killed at higher heat.) Blue agave has a glycemic index of 11 as compared to sugar which is 68-85. Calories are the same as sugar but it takes half as much to three quarters as much agave to be as sweet as sugar, meaning less calories for the same sweetness.
Compare this process to how High Fructose Corn Syrup is made. Corn kernels are soaked in warm water along with sulfur dioxide (a toxic gas). This makes it easier to separate the starch, hull, protein and oil components. The kernals are then milled wet to remove the oil. The remaining corn starch is washed. Next, three types of genetically-engineered enzymes are added to the resulting starch and water mixture. This breaks down the starch into glucose and fructose to create the desired balance of the two. The final step is an evaporation process to obtain the desired consistency.
So, you decide. Agave, (which does retain some minerals and nutrients found in the agave plant), highly refined table sugar with no nutrients, chemically engineered high fructose corn syrup, chemical sugar substitutes, which may have side effects or health risks, or other sweeteners such as Stevia, which is natural but leaves a bitter aftertaste?
Raw organic blue agave is not chemically processed as some have indicated. It is the pure juice from the blue agave plant. The juice is extracted by stripping the leaves of the plant, then chopping up the bulbous base of the plant which is heated to no more than 118° to get the juice flowing. The actual extraction is accomplished through centrifugal force and the juice obtained is then bottled. (I should mention there are other processes that can be used which would entail heating to a higher temperature, but which still results in juice without additives--although any natural enzymes would be killed at higher heat.) Blue agave has a glycemic index of 11 as compared to sugar which is 68-85. Calories are the same as sugar but it takes half as much to three quarters as much agave to be as sweet as sugar, meaning less calories for the same sweetness.
Compare this process to how High Fructose Corn Syrup is made. Corn kernels are soaked in warm water along with sulfur dioxide (a toxic gas). This makes it easier to separate the starch, hull, protein and oil components. The kernals are then milled wet to remove the oil. The remaining corn starch is washed. Next, three types of genetically-engineered enzymes are added to the resulting starch and water mixture. This breaks down the starch into glucose and fructose to create the desired balance of the two. The final step is an evaporation process to obtain the desired consistency.
So, you decide. Agave, (which does retain some minerals and nutrients found in the agave plant), highly refined table sugar with no nutrients, chemically engineered high fructose corn syrup, chemical sugar substitutes, which may have side effects or health risks, or other sweeteners such as Stevia, which is natural but leaves a bitter aftertaste?
46 of 51 people found the following review helpful
By J. Stenulis
Amazon Verified Purchase
Anyone with or WITHOUT insulin issues should use this in place of table sugar or artificial sugars! It taste like a good maple syrup, with half the calories and a very low glycemic load. I use this in my hot tea, over fresh fruit, in baking recipes, etc. It has endless possibilities.
As for price, you cannot beat the price here on Amazon! I order this two pack for the price of 8 bottles at Whole Foods. Try a smaller bottle from WF and if you like it, come back here to Amazon to save BIG.
As for price, you cannot beat the price here on Amazon! I order this two pack for the price of 8 bottles at Whole Foods. Try a smaller bottle from WF and if you like it, come back here to Amazon to save BIG.
132 of 158 people found the following review helpful
By R. Yoo
Agave syrup (nectar) is basically high-fructose corn syrup masquerading as a health food.
Agave nectar has a low-glycemic index for one reason only: it's largely made of fructose, which although it has a low-glycemic index, is probably the single most damaging form of sugar when used as a sweetener. With the exception of pure liquid fructose, agave nectar has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener.
All sugar -- from table sugar to HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) to honey -- contains some mixture of fructose and glucose. Table sugar is 50/50, HFCS is 55/45. Agave nectar is a whopping 90 percent fructose, almost -- but not quite -- twice as high as High Fructose Corn Syrup!!!!
Based on the labeling, I could picture native peoples creating their own agave nectar from the wild agave plants. Surely, this was a traditional food, eaten for thousands of years. Sadly, it is not.
Native Mexican peoples do make a sort of sweetener out of the agave plant. It's called miel de agave, and it's made by boiling the agave sap for a couple of hours. Think of it as the Mexican version of authentic Canadian maple syrup.
But this is not what agave nectar is. According to one popular agave nectar manufacturer, "Agave nectar is a newly created sweetener, having been developed in the 1990s." In a recent article now posted on the Weston A. Price foundation's website, Ramiel Nagel and Sally Fallon Morell write,
Agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like, root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules.Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.
The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into "nectar" is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS. The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrup--anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites.
"Agave syrup is almost all fructose, highly processed sugar with great marketing," said Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "Fructose interferes with healthy metabolism when (consumed) at higher doses", she told me. "Many people have fructose intolerance like lactose intolerance. They get acne or worse diabetes symptoms even though their blood [sugar] is OK".
Agave nectar syrup is a triumph of marketing over science. True, it has a low-glycemic index, but so does gasoline -- that doesn't mean it's good for you.
If you simply must have some sweets, a small amount of agave nectar every once in a while isn't going to kill you. Just don't buy into the idea that it's any better for you than plain old sugar or HFCS.
Info is taken from Jonny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S.
So please. I implore each and every one of you to do your own research on this sham of a product and tell everyone you know. Write letters and let the world know that we won't fall prey to loopholes in "Organic Marketing". The fact that so many people use this because they are diabetic is quite frightening.
Agave nectar has a low-glycemic index for one reason only: it's largely made of fructose, which although it has a low-glycemic index, is probably the single most damaging form of sugar when used as a sweetener. With the exception of pure liquid fructose, agave nectar has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener.
All sugar -- from table sugar to HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) to honey -- contains some mixture of fructose and glucose. Table sugar is 50/50, HFCS is 55/45. Agave nectar is a whopping 90 percent fructose, almost -- but not quite -- twice as high as High Fructose Corn Syrup!!!!
Based on the labeling, I could picture native peoples creating their own agave nectar from the wild agave plants. Surely, this was a traditional food, eaten for thousands of years. Sadly, it is not.
Native Mexican peoples do make a sort of sweetener out of the agave plant. It's called miel de agave, and it's made by boiling the agave sap for a couple of hours. Think of it as the Mexican version of authentic Canadian maple syrup.
But this is not what agave nectar is. According to one popular agave nectar manufacturer, "Agave nectar is a newly created sweetener, having been developed in the 1990s." In a recent article now posted on the Weston A. Price foundation's website, Ramiel Nagel and Sally Fallon Morell write,
Agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like, root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules.Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.
The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into "nectar" is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS. The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrup--anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites.
"Agave syrup is almost all fructose, highly processed sugar with great marketing," said Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "Fructose interferes with healthy metabolism when (consumed) at higher doses", she told me. "Many people have fructose intolerance like lactose intolerance. They get acne or worse diabetes symptoms even though their blood [sugar] is OK".
Agave nectar syrup is a triumph of marketing over science. True, it has a low-glycemic index, but so does gasoline -- that doesn't mean it's good for you.
If you simply must have some sweets, a small amount of agave nectar every once in a while isn't going to kill you. Just don't buy into the idea that it's any better for you than plain old sugar or HFCS.
Info is taken from Jonny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S.
So please. I implore each and every one of you to do your own research on this sham of a product and tell everyone you know. Write letters and let the world know that we won't fall prey to loopholes in "Organic Marketing". The fact that so many people use this because they are diabetic is quite frightening.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Quantity is not accurate
The bottle of this agave nectar has 32 ounces NOT 44 ounces. I measured the liquid in the new bottle and it measured 32 ounces.
Published 2 months ago by Donald V. Schick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Low Glycemic Index.
First of all, the price is right. I love using it to sweeten my teas. I would love to use it for baking as well.
Published 2 months ago by Sonrisa
5.0 out of 5 stars
agave great!
I love this product. I am a diabetic and it helps substitute everything that I want to eat that is sweet and savory.
Published 2 months ago by Georgette Collier
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Raw Blue Agave
The Blue Agave sweetener is good, but I prefer sugar, so Ihave not used it as much as I should
Published 3 months ago by Regina E. Fink
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really GREAT product!!!!
Use it for multiple purposes even baking!!!!AWESOME GOODNESS! I can't get enough of its wonderful flavor and healthy benefits!!
Love it!
Love it!
Published 3 months ago by Luz Molina
4.0 out of 5 stars
Agave
Item came promptly. I'm a natural cook and like to prepare most meals around what's in the garden and in season. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mother Nature
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good product
This product is healthier for you than honey or other sweeteners. It is thinner than honey and has a little bitterness to it, but I think that is normal. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mom2OneKS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great way to replace sugar
This is an amazing natural sweetener. Blends perfect with most of my natural juices. I really love it. If you like going the natural way, this is it.
Published 4 months ago by beatriz jaramillo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this product
I enjoy the clean taste of Agave. All bottles were in good condition on arrival as well. I would recommend this product to anyone who enjoys agave. :)
Published 4 months ago by Tamara Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blue Agave
The product is good, however I my digestive system may have an intolerance for it. The taste and quality is very good.
Published 4 months ago by Evelyn Williams
