Where To Get Agave Nectar

Countless folks these days are scouring the Internet, searching for   where to get agave nectar.  Here’s why they’re looking.

Agave nectar is a sort of next generation carbohydrate-based sweetener whose low glycemic index reduces the tendency of this natural sugar product to produce weight gain and high blood sugar spikes.  No wonder this blue agave nectar is all the rage at present, with obesity rates skyrocketing out of control and associated health problems on the rise as well. People want to find a sweetener that tastes as good as sugar but has fewer calories and insulin-raising effects in the blood.  Agave nectar seems to address many of these requirements.

But consider that while agave nectar is less refined than table sugar, remember that it is still a highly concentrated sugar source, just like maple syrup, in which they must boil down many gallons of sap just to get one gallon of maple syrup.

Neither agave nectar nor maple syrup are natural sweeteners in the sense that they do not occur in nature without some intense processing.  But they are natural in the sense that more of the ingredients, vitamins, and minerals from the original plant fluids remain after processing.

However, do not be fooled into thinking that the “all natural” moniker means that you will not crave them or that you will avoid weight gain if you eat too much of them.  Agave nectar is no panacea therefore.  Generally, it cannot be eaten with reckless abandon.  But if you insist on retaining sugar-based sweeteners in your diet, then this man-made sweetener is among the best sweeteners to employ.

Still though, whether agave nectar is good for you or not,  the upshot of all of this frantic interest in agave nectar, is that many big-name stores and Internet sites have now started carrying it.

I’ve reviewed several brands of agave nectar lately for review, and so, thought I’d share where I bought them. Here are just some of the stores where I’ve found this 21st century sweetener:

  • Walmart.  See what they stock here.
  • Whole Foods.  They offer a wide variete of agave nectar and agave nectar containing products.
  • Amazon.com.  Check out their inventory here.
  • Ebay.  See their inventory here.
  • Trader Joe’s.
  • Giant Eagle, though you may have to special order agave nectar from their catalog.
  • Puritan.com.  See their inventory of agave nectar sweeteners   here.

 

While agave nectar may not raise your blood sugar or insulin levels as much, it can elevate your triglycerides and promote weight gain due to its concentrated form of fructose.  Just about all man-made sweeteners are bad for the human body in varying degrees.  But I feel better about consuming agave nectar now and then, rather than white table sugar.

Still, again, and I must say this again and again, not only to convince myself, but to convince all your sugarholics out there too, any non natural sweetener should be used in moderation.  Though agave nectar may be more natural than bleached, white sugar, it can still make you bite your nails, give you cavities, fatten your girth, and exacerbate many health issues.  So use it sparingly, but enjoy it too.  Hopefully, the above list of retail and wholesale outlets will help you easily locate your favorite brand of agave nectar.

 

References

 

Revision History

  • : Moved this post to the    Tom’s Diet Quest   blog, and tweaked the content.  Adjusted ad placement, and rearranged category and tag assignments.
  • 2012-04-17: Originally published.