Any one use AGAVE as a sweetener?

I've been recentlyy introduced to AGAVE in an effort to  cut down/eliminate artificial sweeteners.

It doesn't cause adverse sugar highs and is quite tasty in herbal tea.  (Oh yeah, I'm also avoidng all coffe/decaf because of the acidity.)

I have but it is too close to sugar and makes me sick if I use too much

I am not going to say what my opinion is, however, I would suggest that all WLS patients consult with a nutritionist before using this product. Please.

HMM... no wonder it's so tasty. 

Thanks,

Jayne,

A couple of articles that might help...

http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/02/15/debunking-the-agave-myth/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jonny-bowden/debunking-the-blue-agave_b_450144.html

Depending on what your concern is with artificial sweeteners, there are some good choices out there, including maltitol (sugar alcohol) and stevia (natural plant-based sweetener), but it all depends on what you're looking for and what you're doing with it. 

Karen

thanks Karen... Just looking to get away from 'man made' sweeteners... Goign to  try stevia.

Cool.

The other natural (non man-made) sugar subs that are commonly found are:

erythriol
xylitol
maltitol (my favorite for general purpose sweetening)
isomalt
sorbitol

Each has their own unique properties in how you can cook with them, as does Stevia.  For example, I know that Stevia turns bitter when heated for a prolonged period, so you can't bake with it or use it in roasting or caramelizing. 

Maltitol, on the other hand, acts just like sugar when heated.  I've even made yummy cashew brittle with it!  Maltitol doesn't necessarily dissolve in room temp or cold liquids as readily as sugar, so when I'm making something like a non-cooked ice cream, I'll generally use Splenda or xylitol.

Baking with splenda dries out, so you have to add extra oil or applesauce to make up for it. 

It's the little things like that that you have to adjust.when working with them. 

Hope this helps!

Karen