Dr. Mercola February 19 2008 54,313 views
Refined fructose from corn (High Fructose Corn Syrup or Crystalline Fructose, there is no such thing as industrial fructose from fruit) or Iso Glucose (the labeling in the EU and UK for the same from modified starch refining process, but from beets or wheat typically), or falsely and CRIMINALLY AFFIRMED FRAUDULENTLY labeled 'Agave Nectar or Syrup', (which is chemically refined hydrolyzed high fructose, 70-90 DE, inulin syrup, intentionally falsely labeled, to deceive consumers), ARE ALL BAD to human health, AT ANY INGESTION LEVEL!!! So called 'agave' harms even more, because it is FRAUDULENTLY not from blue agave, as claimed, not organic, and proven to cause red blood cell membrane deterioration in ALL ingestees, in addition of converting to triglycerides or stored body fat. Agave Nectar or Syrup (again, a FALSE and illegal ingredient descriptor)causes spontaneous abortion in pregnant woman, at low ingestion levels, is not FDA approved, is NOT Generally Recognize As Safe (GRAS), is highly allergenic, was never used in this highlly chemically refined form in Ancient Meso America as claimed, is NOT all natural, or remotely near naturally occurring, and the FDA has affirmed this criminal fraud in writing as of May of 2,000.
All brands using fraudulent 'agave' stopped using it, after the FDA busted the main industrial sweetner distributor in Los Angeles in 2000, and put these scam artists out of business for criminal fraud. The officers of that operation fled the country with the assets of that company and from criminal prosecution.Avoid such naive, or deceptive brands (such a Raw, Raw Indulgence, or Pure bars) recently using this criminally fraudulent product as an ingredient; typically found in so-called natural health food stores. If you wish to read the FDA letter on the subject, you may send me your fax number at: russ@adepthq.com
Is 'agave' safe? NO! Is agave natural, or naturally occurring, in this form? NO! Is 'agave' what it's claimed to be? NO! Is 'agave' dangerous and toxic to humans? YES! Is 'agave's' so-called certification that it's organic in any way legitimate? NO! Should anyone consume 'agave nectar or syrup or sweetener'? NO! Unless you also like highy refined High Fructose Corn Syrup and want to damage your health!
By the way, just take a triglyceride comparison count, from a simple blood test, 20 minutes after ingestion of phony and criminally fraudulently labeled 'agave'; your triglyceride counts will be jacked-up.
Hmmmm, come to think of it, 'agave' is probably endorsed by Lipitor and Robert Jarvick to sell more expensive liver killing cholesterol drugs.Uncle Russ
Gee whiz, a friend turned me onto agave, and I bought some organic blue agave nectar for it's supposedly lower gycemic index. You mean this stuff is totally bogus? I'm glad I've only used it once. Now the qusestion is how to dispose if it?
WTG DickWitty! I LOVE your sense of humour is quite to the point. I see you've been lurking a while. Glad you noticed what's happening to what was once an awesome site.
Russ...how many of these products adhere to the diet most of us try to live by....and PHARMACEUTICALS?????? How could you?
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Well, bmc, Uncle Russ says,"All brands using fraudulent 'agave' stopped using it, after the FDA busted the main industrial sweetner [sic] distributor...." I interpret that to mean that any agave brands now on the market are authentic, since the FDA put a stop to the fraudulent ones. Odd how the FDA got this right, when they get everything else so very wrong.
I'm so confused! So i've been hearing that fructose doesn't come from any natural substances, but then this agave nectar: www.volcanicnectar.com/blueagavefaq.html says that it contains 49% fructose.... does that mean it's fake?
Another thing that i'm extremely confused about is, does heating agave alter it's chemical properties? if so, would heating agave be what's causing the sugars to turn into fructose, or is the fructose naturally there?
I'm just asking because you sound like you know what you're talking about... I appreciate any answers, thanks!
I am confused as this happen in 2000, and this post was in Feb of 2008.
I am left wondering if the Agave I purchase at a organic grocer such as Whole Foods can be trusted now it 2009. I would assume so, yes?
In addition, is the consumption of a quality Agave safe in regards to insulin levels in the body?
I'm pretty sure the pop companies knew this would happen...which is why they own most of the bottled water and "health" drinks.
Isn't it funny that Japan won't allow artificial sweeteners in their diet sodas??? Pepsi and coke use STEVIA over there.... I guess it's all in what the public demands....but if the FDA keeps them in the darK????????
Thanks, Catbell. It's an important paper to keep, even though Dr. Mercola has covered this topic previously on benzoate and ascorbic acid in soft drinks creating benzene.
CATBELL7-
You (or the NYTimes) is only 1/2 right. The portfolio for regular soft drinks is actually "flat". Insofar as the diet portfolio, it continues to grow each year. This is why you see all innovation directed at diet, and energy drinks. The water business is slowing down. The soda companies like the soda business more because the cost of goods sold on water is HIGHER than the soda pop.
Charisse, someone's given you false information. It is only a myth that Japan uses stevia in Pepsi and Coke. Perhaps they used to over 23 years ago when I arrived here. They still may have a sports drink sweetened partially with stevia and partially with HFCS and sugar, and stevia is widely used in conjunction with artificial sweeteners. The company Ajinomoto, who gave us the scourge of MSG, obtained a license to produce aspertame and then began a publicity campaign to promote it. The popular press spread the rumor that stevia causes male infertility, so now people are scared to use it. My husband is diabetic, so he stopped drinking the stuff with HFCS, but he believes aspertame couldn't possibly be that bad, or they wouldn't be selling it. His diabetes continues to get worse. It's as bad in Japan as in America!
Quoted from above article:
"Fruit juices are also often loaded with fructose, and if you still believe that this is an acceptable form of sugar, think again.
Fructose contains no beneficial enzymes, vitamins, minerals or accessory micro nutrients for you, and actually leeches them from your body. Unbound fructose, found in large quantities in HFCS, can interfere with your heart's use of vital minerals such as magnesium, copper and chromium.
Fructose also reduces the affinity of insulin for its receptor, which is the principle characteristic of type 2 diabetes."
Are we attacking High Fructose Corn Syrup here or Fructose????
While I agree that High Fructose Corn Syrup is not a healthy food, I do not agree with saying that fructose is not an acceptable form of sugar. Fructose, a natural sugar contained in whole fruit is as healthy a sugar as you can get. It all depends on where your source of it comes from and how refined it is. A person who eats many oranges, apples etc..is totally different from a person who drinks apple or orange juice that has been refined and processed (constituent nutrients have been altered or removed).
If I were a lay person reading this article I would be afraid of eating too much fruit because of the fructose in fruit. Fructose is good for you if you are getting it from whole and fresh. Lets keep it clear that fructose isn't bad in and of itself. Refined sugars in any form (including fructose, glucose etc...) are unhealthy.
Soft drinks are unhealthy in all doses. No one food is the cause of any disease. There are way too many factors to consider.
The degree of your health is directly proportionate to the degree that you follow the laws of nature. Wouldn't it be more productive having articles on how to create health rather than telling us how many things contribute to disease and how to treat them. Let us empower people to take care of themselves and focus on lifestyle factors that help them vector towards health.
Back2N8ture, better re-read Russ's post, above. Fructose ? fruit sugar!
I continue to eat my raw bananas, oranges, apples, kiwis, pineapples and carrots, despite all the negative publicity on "fructose" because I still believe the problem is not with sugar in its pure natural form such as found in raw fruits, but the "processed", "pasteurized" fruit juices etc.
Yes, I was also very confused by the above quoted part. I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but if I eat a whole orange, or juice one and drink the juice FRESH, that is ok, right? Please don't tell me that these are harmful. Although I only juice carrots and not fruits, I like to eat some kind of (seasonal) fresh fruit every day, preferably before eating anything else, like a whole orange, an apple, strawberries or whatever is available. Also, fruit juices sold as "100% juice" are 100% juice, right? I may be naive but I thought that was the pure extracted juice from the particular fruit.
Gout can be trigged when fasting, cutting down a lot on food intake and spinach, surprisingly enough. Bromelain and charcoal capsules help along with the cherries and blueberries.