Holiday Survival Tips: Beauty on a Budget, Positive Self-Talk: A Key Piece to the Weight Loss Puzzle. Honey, on the other hand, contains 17.4 grams of carbohydrates with 17.3 of them being mainly … White sugar is mostly sucrose (50% fructose & glucose); honey is 40% fructose & 60% glucose; and high fructose corn syrup is 45% fructose & 55% glucose. Bottom line on maple syrup vs honey vs agave nectar. This liquid is then processed to achieve the maple syrup we access on store shelves and online. 19 grams carbohydrates (17 grams sugar) The two also vary in the number of sugars they contain. As sugar cane is further processed into white table sugar, the syrup that remains is the molasses—or treacle, as it’s called in the UK. Honey still offers a lot of nutritional value and has been shown to support the immune system. Agave, like refined sugar and corn syrup have minimal antioxidant activity as compared to the robust antioxidants in raw honey and maple syrup. Maple syrup is the sap of maple trees. Leading energy bars have more than 25 grams of sugar. Many times people substitute one for the other for sweetening a recipe. Privacy Policy | CCPA Suplemmental Notice. There are many different products that are used as sweeteners. From a nutritional standpoint, there’s no real ‘winner.’ For one thing, the calories in sugar, syrups, honey and the like are comparable. Molasses, syrup, honey, agave etc. The sap is collected by drilling a hole in the tree trunk. How much sugar do you consume daily? Maple Syrup: 73 calories 19 grams carbohydrates (17 grams sugar) 46% daily value for manganese, 8 % zinc and 28 milligrams omega-6 fatty acids and 2% daily value for calcium, iron, and potassium. Knowing what honey and agave are and how they are made can help you further understand their health benefits. Agave tastes a bit like honey, although with a slightly more neutral taste. How Agave and Honey Are Made. Compared to honey, agave syrup has a lower GI, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthier. Honey was not used since the health benefits of honey has to do with its antimicrobial properties and varies by brand and location. Fresh vegetables, fruits, raw nuts and seeds are superior nutrient-dense food choices. One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 52 calories and 12.4 grams of sugar, roughly the same as table sugar. High triglycerides due to a diet of excess calories and simple sugars raise our risk for heart disease, type-2 diabetes and stoke because they keep insulin levels elevated. 1 tbsp of pure maple syrup = 52 calories 13 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams are from sugars. Like maple syrup and honey, it undergoes minimal processing at low temperatures to remove excess water. Agave: 80 calories When in doubt, stick primarily with pure maple syrup. Then there are a few regulated companies that follow a strict labeling of being -"raw organic blue agave" which is the best and most healthful, which is never heated more than 118 degrees and does not vary in shading, and has a mild flavor. It may be more than you think and all sugars, raw or processed, when consumed in quantities of more than 25 grams per day, will affect insulin levels. Chopped apple, walnuts, cinnamon, honey drizzle heated in the microwave for ~30 seconds. However, agave contains a higher percentage of fructose, which is considered less healthy than glucose, as fructose is more likely to be stored as fat. 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. So, does it mean that maple syrup is good for you? While it commonly tops pancakes and waffles, it's also become a trendy addition to coffee beverages, appearing most recently in Starbucks' new maple pecan latte. When it comes to all natural sweeteners, make sure you don’t overdo it. For example, agave is a liquid like honey and maple syrup, making it a little more challenging to use when baking. Moreover, agave nectar is produced mainly by the blue agave plant in Mexico. Agave is more than 60% fructose. Which is healthier honey, maple syrup, or agave? The type of sugar in agave doesn't help, either. Common symptoms of insulin resistance are fatigue, depression, water retention, weight gain and irregular bowel movements. Agave is a syrupy sweetener that comes from the juice of the same-named succulent plant. It is the reason behind many people … If you don’t like the taste of honey, you may find agave’s neutral taste more appealing. The reason why it is so sweet is because of its high fructose content. Therefore, you need to moderate usage. Sourced straight from trees, it’s minimally processed and packed with even more minerals and antioxidants than honey, including manganese, riboflavin, zinc and magnesium. Copyright © 2019 Herbalife International of America, Inc. Keep Hunger at Bay: The 7 Best Foods to Fill You Up, Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training, 10 Healthy Breakfast Ideas to Jump-Start Your Day, Save Time with These 8 Make-Ahead Meal Ideas, Streamline Your Diet With This Healthy 1500 Calorie Plan, Sample Menus for a 2200 Calorie Diet Plan, 9 Options for Indoor and Outdoor Cardio Exercise, Cellulite: How to Get Rid of Thigh Dimples, Meet Your Goals: 4 Tips to Be Healthier, Happier and More Productive. Agave syrup has a number of advantages over honey. Dates have fiber and some potassium but a banana would be a smarter food choice for the calories. Honey was not used since the health benefits of honey has to do with its antimicrobial properties and varies by brand and location. Agave, like refined sugar and corn syrup have minimal antioxidant activity as compared to the robust antioxidants in raw honey and maple syrup. Maple syrup has a low glycemic index of 54, while honey’s glycemic index of 61 is a little higher, making honey a moderate glycemic index food. Moreover, agave nectar will put tremendous … My preferance is honey, molasses, and maple syrup. Many would argue that honey isn’t vegan, so maple syrup would be the obvious choice for a healthy vegan sugar option. Agave nectar provides fewer nutrients than raw honey or pure maple syrup. Nutrition of Pure Maple Syrup vs Honey. Better check your favorite energy bar- it may have more than 25 grams of sugar! Parents are vigorously warned not to give honey to children in their first year of life. Another advantage of honey over maple syrup is that honey offers more vitamins — B-6 and C — while maple syrup lacks this vitamin profile. Actually, no… Agave nectar is … The company is a women-owned certified business (WBENC) guided by experienced leaders who value healing foods and are dedicated to ingredient integrity. What do you need to know about agave vs maple syrup in terms of taste? Thanks to its fructose, agave syrup is about 1.5 times sweeter than table sugar and it has a much lower GI (Glycemic Index). The result is insulin resistance. Agave: Dextrose, Rice Syrup and Glucose each have a Glycemic Index of above 90, and Glycemic Load of roughly 20. But agave mixes well in liquids such as teas or smoothies. Therefore, maple syrup is the least ���unhealthy��� with highest nutritional payload per ounce. However, they both are different in many ways. No significant other nutrients. Maple Syrup. Both honey and maple syrup contain equal amounts of phosphorus and selenium, while according to this Livestrong.com article, "maple syrup is lower in sodium, making it suitable for low-sodium diets. In one study, honey decreased triglycerides in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and reduced low density lipoproteins in patients with hyperlipidemia, however, artificial honey had the opposite effects. Agave vs Maple Syrup: Health. To replace white or brown sugar with agave in baking, substitute 1 cup of sugar with 2/3 cups of agave syrup, and reduce the amount of other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 – 1/3 cup. These have about 50 calories per tablespoon. These same enzymes can be mixed with cooked brown rice to produce brown rice syrup. Chopped apple, walnuts, cinnamon, honey drizzle heated in the microwave for ~30 seconds. A syrup derived from the agave plant (yup, the same one that’s used to make tequila). It’s lower than honey (58), and sugar (60). It may contain minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, but the sugar content is huge. Maple Syrup: Maple syrup, dates and palm sugar do have some vitamins and minerals but to reap significant nutritional benefits you would have to eat 100 grams (about 275 calories worth). How agave and honey are made. Therefore, you need to moderate usage. 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. Like maple syrup and honey, it undergoes minimal processing at low temperatures to remove excess water. Which Is Healthier? It’s about as sweet as honey, but with a slightly thinner consistency. Maple Syrup has caramel notes along with the woodsy maple flavor that you might expect from a maple syrup product. Many health advocates believe that fructose does not impact blood sugar because it is transported directly to the liver and converted to glucose for energy. The Test: We have four glasses with exactly the same thing: 1 oz of lemon juice and 1 oz of water. Bedtime Eating - Is a Late-Night Snack Ever Okay. Bees make honey from the nectar of all kinds of flowering plants, which is why honey flavor and color can vary a lot, depending on the source of the nectar. Agave syrup has a number of advantages over honey. LET’S COMPARE NATURAL HONEY TO 100% PURE MAPLE SYRUP. 73 calories This is then cooked like maple syrup, many producers sell this as ''raw ''which is not true. My preferance is honey, molasses, and maple syrup. “ Agave syrup is made from the leaves of the agave plant. That’s a bit more than white sugar’s 50 calories, but they’re also sweeter so you might use less. Carbohydrates are not only found in sugar, such as in honey, maple syrup, white sugar, brown sugar and agave syrup, but are also present in large quantities in grains, starchy vegetables and fruits. Therefore, excess glucose in the liver is stored as triglycerides in the fat cells. When it comes to all natural sweeteners, make sure you don’t overdo it. Hail Merry is sold nationally at Whole Foods Market, Central Market, Natural Grocers/Vitamin Cottage and other natural foods retailers. As far as nutrient content, maple syrup provides more minerals than honey, making it another good choice if flavor is a big concern for you. Agave syrup is also processed to remove the excess water. Agave nectar is a “natural” sweetener. Which sugar is the ���healthiest���? Maple syrup comes from refining the sap of a variety of maple trees. Eating either, honey, or maple syrup will flood your blood with sugar. are some of the commonly used sweeteners. In my house right now I have honey, maple syrups (grades A and B), backstrap molasses, organic dark brown sugar, a little bit of agave, regular light brown sugar, turbinado sugar, and a some brown sugar. While it commonly tops pancakes and waffles, it's also become a trendy addition to coffee beverages, appearing most recently in Starbucks' new maple pecan latte. Unfortunately all sugars are simple carbohydrates made of one or two simple sugars, fructose or glucose. While it’s true that some might contain small amounts of vitamins and minerals, they’re eaten in such small amounts that it hardly matters. Fructose is found in fruits, honey and maple syrup. Agave: 80 calories To replace white or brown sugar with agave in baking, substitute 1 cup of sugar with 2/3 cups of agave syrup, and reduce the amount of other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 – 1/3 cup. On today's episode of Live Lean TV, I'm sharing which is the healthiest natural sweetener: maple syrup vs honey vs agave nectar. Most honey you buy is simply heated and strained before it’s packaged; although, you can find raw, unprocessed honey, too. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in our blood that is used for energy. We’re going to compare how much of the three alternative sweeteners it takes to taste as sweet as adding exactly 1 oz of Simple Syrup. Cane juice comes from sugar cane, a tall grassy plant native to the South Pacific. So if you are looking for a sweet treat that delivers fewer than 6 grams of sugar per serving, try Hail Merry���s Miracle Tarts, made with organic virgin coconut oil and organic maple syrup. It’s pure sugar. However, scientific evidence shows that too much fructose (more than 25-40 grams per day) in the diet can cause metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, which is the trigger for developing diabetes. Agave nectar has been promoted as healthy because it has a higher fructose to glucose ratio than table sugar and therefore a lower glycemic index and glycemic load. 6% DV potassium, 5% copper, 4% manganese, magnesium, and 2% Niacin, B6, Pantothenic acid, phosphorous and calcium. Agave Nectar vs. Honey A Wider Appeal. Maple Syrup, Honey, and Agave: The Sweet Truth Behind the 3 Most Commonly Recommended HEALTHY Sweeteners. Both of these foods contain naturally occurring sugars, a healthier option than added sugars. Honey and maple syrup both offer their own advantages and disadvantages. All agave nectar will be primarily sweet with an accompanying caramel note in the darker varieties. Orbon Alija Getty Images. As more liquid is removed, sugar crystals in the form of turbinado sugar and evaporated cane juice are produced. Maple syrup is more nutrient-dense than honey or agave. In my house right now I have honey, maple syrups (grades A and B), backstrap molasses, organic dark brown sugar, a little bit of agave, regular light brown sugar, turbinado sugar, and a some brown sugar. `` agave vs maple syrup vs honey is not true glasses with exactly the same one that ’ s about as sweet as honey maple! Healthier option than added sugars keep using a natural sweetener, stick primarily pure! 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