Agave syrup, also known as maguey syrup or agave nectar, is a sweetener commercially produced from several species of agave, including Agave tequilana (blue agave) and Agave salmiana . Blue-agave syrup contains 56% fructose as a sugar providing sweetening properties. [1]
To produce agave syrup from the Agave americana and A. tequilana plants, the leaves are cut off the plant after it has been growing for seven to fourteen years. The juice is then extracted from the core of the agave, called the piña. [2] The juice is filtered, then heated to break the complex components (the polysaccharides) into simple sugars. [2] The main polysaccharide is called fructan, a polymer of fructose molecules. [1] This filtered juice is then concentrated to a syrupy liquid, slightly thinner than honey. Its color varies from light to dark amber, depending on the degree of processing. [1]
Agave salmiana is processed differently from Agave tequiliana. As the plant develops, it starts to grow a stalk called a quiote. [3] The stalk is cut off before it fully grows, creating a hole in the center of the plant that fills with a liquid called aguamiel . The liquid is collected daily. The liquid is then heated, breaking down its complex components into fructose, glucose, and sucrose, [1] and preventing it from fermenting into pulque.
An alternative method used to process the agave juice without heat is described in a United States patent for a process that uses enzymes derived from the mold Aspergillus niger to convert the inulin-rich extract into fructose. In slightly greater detail, the polyfructose extract obtained from the mashed agave pulp is hydrolyzed via a chemical process patented in 1998, with inulin enzymes (obtained from Aspergillus niger), to produce a hydrolyzed fructose extract. Concentrating the fructose yields the familiar syrup. [4] Agave syrup (nectar) is listed on the inventory of foods generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [5]
The carbohydrate composition in agave syrup depends on the species from which the syrup was made. [1] In A. tequilana (blue agave), the syrup contains some 56% to 60% fructose, 20% glucose, and trace amounts of sucrose, [1] [6] whereas in A. salmiana , sucrose is the main sugar. [1] Fructose molecules in A. tequilana syrup chain together to create fructans and fructooligosaccharides, which have sweetening effects. [1]
Blue-agave syrup is 1.4 to 1.6 times as sweet as sugar, [7] and may be substituted for sugar in recipes. Because it comes from a plant, it is widely utilized as an alternative to honey for those following a vegan lifestyle, [8] and is often added to some breakfast cereals as a binding agent. [9] The specific strain known as blue agave syrup is not recommended for people with fructose intolerance. [10]
Agave syrups are sold in light, amber, dark, and raw varieties. Light agave syrup has a mild and almost neutral flavor, and is therefore sometimes used in delicate-tasting dishes and beverages. Amber agave syrup has a medium-intensity caramel flavor, and is used in dishes and drinks with stronger flavors. Dark agave syrup has even stronger caramel notes and imparts a distinct flavor to dishes, being used in some desserts, poultry, meat, and seafood dishes. Both amber and dark agave syrups are sometimes used "straight out of the bottle" as a topping for pancakes, waffles, and French toast. The dark version is unfiltered and therefore contains a higher concentration of the agave plant's minerals. [11]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,297 kJ (310 kcal) |
76.4 g | |
| Sugars | 68.0 g |
| Dietary fiber | 0.2 g |
0.45 g | |
0.1 g | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Thiamine (B1) | 10% 0.12 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 13% 0.16 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 5% 0.69 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 18% 0.23 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 8% 30 μg |
| Vitamin C | 20% 17 mg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 0% 1 mg |
| Iron | 1% 0.1 mg |
| Magnesium | 0% 1 mg |
| Phosphorus | 0% 1 mg |
| Potassium | 0% 4 mg |
| Sodium | 0% 4 mg |
| Zinc | 0% 0.01 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 22.9 g |
| |
| †Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. | |
In a 100-gram reference amount, blue-agave syrup supplies 1,297 kilojoules (310 kilocalories) of food energy and is a moderate source of vitamin C and several B vitamins (table). It is composed of 76% carbohydrates, 23% water, 0.4% fat, and negligible protein.
Having fructose as its primary sugar, blue-agave syrup (56% fructose) [6] is similar in fructose content to high-fructose corn syrup (55% fructose content), the most common sweetener used in US manufactured beverages. [12] In a tablespoon amount (about 25 ml or 25 grams), blue-agave syrup supplies 330 kJ (78 kcal), [13] an amount similar to the value per tablespoon for high-fructose corn syrup (290 kJ or 70 kcal).
Blue-agave syrup has a relatively high sweetness factor because it is composed of 56% fructose, [13] having an effect on blood sugar comparable to fructose itself, as measured by its low glycemic index (GI) of between 11 and 19. [14]
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double sugars, are molecules made of two bonded monosaccharides; common examples are sucrose, lactose, and maltose. White sugar is a refined form of sucrose. In the body, compound sugars are hydrolysed into simple sugars.
A sweetener is a substance added to food or drink to impart the flavor of sweetness, either because it contains a type of sugar, or because it contains a sweet-tasting sugar substitute. Various natural non-sugar sweeteners and artificial sweeteners are used to produced food and drink.
Fructose, or fruit sugar, is a ketonic simple sugar found in many plants, where it is often bonded to glucose to form the disaccharide sucrose. It is one of the three dietary monosaccharides, along with glucose and galactose, that are absorbed by the gut directly into the blood of the portal vein during digestion. The liver then converts both fructose and galactose into glucose, so that dissolved glucose, known as blood sugar, is the only monosaccharide present in circulating blood.
Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula C
12H
22O
11.
Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor. Corn syrup is not the same as high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is manufactured from corn syrup by converting a large proportion of its glucose into fructose using the enzyme D-xylose isomerase, thus producing a sweeter substance.
The Coca-Cola Company's formula for Coca-Cola syrup, which bottlers combine with carbonated water to create the company's flagship cola soft drink, is a closely guarded trade secret. Company founder Asa Candler initiated the veil of secrecy that surrounds the formula in 1891 as a publicity, marketing, and intellectual property protection strategy. While several recipes, each purporting to be the authentic formula, have been published, the company maintains that the actual formula remains a secret, known only to a very few select employees.
In cooking, syrup is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but showing little tendency to deposit crystals. Its consistency is similar to that of molasses. The viscosity arises from the multiple hydrogen bonds between the dissolved sugar, which has many hydroxyl (OH) groups.
Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced by many types of plants, industrially most often extracted from chicory. The inulins belong to a class of dietary fibers known as fructans. Inulin is used by some plants as a means of storing energy and is typically found in roots or rhizomes. Most plants that synthesize and store inulin do not store other forms of carbohydrate such as starch. In the United States in 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved inulin as a dietary fiber ingredient used to improve the nutritional value of manufactured food products. Using inulin to measure kidney function is the "gold standard" for comparison with other means of estimating glomerular filtration rate.
Fructose malabsorption, formerly named dietary fructose intolerance (DFI), is a digestive disorder in which absorption of fructose is impaired by deficient fructose carriers in the small intestine's enterocytes. This results in an increased concentration of fructose. Intolerance to fructose was first identified and reported in 1956.
Agave tequilana, commonly called blue agave or tequila agave, is an agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco, Mexico, due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila, a popular distilled beverage. The high production of sugars named agavins, mostly fructose, in the core of the plant is the main characteristic that makes it suitable for the preparation of alcoholic beverages.
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) also sometimes called oligofructose or oligofructan, are oligosaccharide fructans, used as an alternative sweetener. FOS exhibits sweetness levels between 30 and 50 percent of sugar in commercially prepared syrups. It occurs naturally, and its commercial use emerged in the 1980s in response to consumer demand for healthier and calorie-reduced foods.
Golden syrup or light treacle is a thick, amber-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup made by the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid. It is used in a variety of baking recipes and desserts. It has an appearance and consistency similar to honey, and is often used as a substitute where honey is unavailable.
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzymes. To make HFCS, the corn syrup is further processed by D-xylose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose. HFCS was first marketed in the early 1970s by the Clinton Corn Processing Company, together with the Japanese Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, where the enzyme was discovered in 1965.
A fructan is a polymer of fructose molecules. Fructans with a short chain length are known as fructooligosaccharides. Fructans can be found in over 12% of the angiosperms including both monocots and dicots such as agave, artichokes, asparagus, leeks, garlic, onions, yacón, jícama, barley and wheat.
Coconut sugar is a palm sugar produced from the sap of the flower bud stem of the coconut palm.
Agave is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some Agave species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Agave now includes species formerly placed in a number of other genera, such as Manfreda, ×Mangave, Polianthes and Prochnyanthes.
Added sugars or free sugars are sugar carbohydrates added to food and beverages at some point before their consumption. These include added carbohydrates, and more broadly, sugars naturally present in honey, syrup, and fruits. They can take multiple chemical forms, including sucrose, glucose (dextrose), and fructose.
