As a plant native to desert areas in Mexico and some states in the US, Agave has been making the rounds as an exotic food that’s both nutritious and delicious. Although it can be eaten raw, Agave is more commonly consumed and marketed as a natural sweetener. Its sweet taste and many health benefits have made it an attractive alternative for those looking to add some sweetness to their food.
Unfortunately, Agave can come in many forms and not all of these are the same when it comes to nutrition and health benefits. Two of the more commonly confused forms are Agave Inulin and Agave Syrup.
While these two may seem the same (they come from the same plant after all), they’re actually vastly different from each other, at least nutritionally. Agave Inulin, which usually comes in powdered form, is unquestionably the healthier of the two. Inulin is a natural compound found in many plant-based foods that possess fibrous and pre-biotic effects.
Health benefits of Agave inulin
People take inulin for a variety of reasons. It may improve digestive health, relieve constipation, promote weight loss and help control diabetes.
Improves digestive health
"Having the right balance of bacteria is essential for keeping your gut healthy and protecting you from disease (4).
Inulin can help promote this balance. In fact, studies have shown that inulin can help stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. Increasing the amounts of these bacteria can help improve digestion, immunity and overall health."
Studies linked to these benefits can be found here.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19690573
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19386741
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19079930
Promotes weight loss
"When overweight and obese adults took 21 grams of inulin per day, their hunger hormone levels decreased and their fullness hormone levels increased (13).
On average, the people taking inulin lost over 2 lbs (0.9 kg), while the control group gained about 1 lb (0.45 kg) during the 12-week study.
In another weight loss study, people with prediabetes took inulin or another fiber called cellulose for 18 weeks. Those taking inulin lost 7.6% of their body weight, while the cellulose group lost only 4.9% (14)."
You can read further about the studies here.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22952656
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25500202
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19386741
Helps control diabetes
"Several studies suggest that inulin may improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes and prediabetes (14, 17, 18, 19).
However, this may depend on the type of inulin, and the high-performance (HP) type may be especially beneficial. For example, one study found that HP inulin decreased fat in the livers of people with prediabetes (14).
This is significant, as reducing fat in the liver can help reduce insulin resistance and potentially reverse type 2 diabetes (20)."
You can read further about the studies here.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26500686
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24688953
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26571012
Agave syrup, on the other hand, undergoes more processing than Agave Inulin - a process that breaks down the natural fructans (a part of fructose) of the Agave plant. This effectively raises its fructose levels and strips away many of the Agave plant’s health-promoting properties.
In many ways, this is another case of food processing making a significant difference in overall health and nutritional value. Agave syrup is much higher in fructose than plain sugar, therefore it has a higher potential for causing adverse health effects associated with spiked insulin levels. Just because something comes from a plant source doesn’t always mean it’s healthy. When it comes to Agave, make sure you’re getting its healthier form.
If you are suffering from digestive issues then a healthy diet, regular exercise and important super nutrients such as resistant starch, inulin fibre and pre-biotics and pro-biotics can go a long way in aiding your digestive system and resetting your good intestinal gut bacteria.
If you're interested in trying Agave Inulin for its health-promoting benefits, you can order Ultimately Natural's Organic Blue Agave here.
For wholesale prices and enquires check out our Agave Inulin Wholesale Page here
REFERENCES:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/347996-agave-health-benefits/
http://www.prebiotic.ca/inulin.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inulin#Natural_sources
