Maple Syrup as an Acceptable Substitute for Agave? NO WAY!

This morning I was listening to someone’s video about agave syrup with interest, until this person went so far as to recommend maple syrup as an acceptable substitute. And so I decided to take the time and send a response. I wanted to include it here to make clear my own stance on this topic:

I listened this morning with interest to hear you speaking out against agave nectar, as I have been strongly advising people against its use for over 8 years now. My interest quickly turned to frustration, however, when maple syrup was suggested as a recommended alternative to agave syrup.

Allow me to explain:
With maple syrup you have to cook it in VERY high temperature for a long time in order to concentrate it 30 times from the condition it is in when it comes out of the tree. (Coming out of the tree it is almost like water.) You really have to cook the heck out of it to make it sweet.

The distinct flavor of maple syrup is proof that it has been caramelized, which indicates that it is highly “glycosilated”. This means that it’s now a molecularly altered, unstable sugar that can easily bind with protein expressed at cell membranes. This causes severe free radical damage and major structural and functional alteration in the cells of the blood vessels (capillaries, veins, and arteries) thereby increasing capillary fragility and the risk of cardio-vascular disease as well as damaging brain cells and accelerating neurological degenerative diseases.Glycosilated sugars are implicated in all the vascular complications of diabetes and are a component of what we generally call AGEs (Advanced Glycocylated End products) which are a major cause for premature aging and degenerative disease.

Did I mention that it degrades all tissues of the body, as well?

All this is in addition to the negative impact of a highly refined sweetener that contains no fiber and no nutrients. Given all these considerations, it is even worse than agave.

I appreciate your good intentions and efforts to inform others, but comments like this one create confusion and miseducate people. Neither agave syrup nor maple syrup are deserving of any health claims. If you’d like to get more of the facts about sugar, I highly recommend you listen to my series of free teleseminar lectures on www.truthaboutyourfood.com.

The raw food movement has a long way to go before we get some semblance of clarity on the table about food, but again, I appreciate your efforts to educate and inform.

Yours in health,

Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren, MD, LN, DC and presenter of www.truthaboutyourfood.com

If you haven’t yet listened to the Truth About Your Food lectures, then please do that now. It’s worth saving yourself a lot of confusion when surfing on “raw blogs” and other sources of conflicting, confusing information about food!