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Cactus in your coffee, Madam?
29th September 2006
I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners.
On the plus side, the principle ingredient, aspartame, is 180 times sweeter than sugar. This means you can use a tiny quantity to sweeten your drink, without all the pesky calories.
On the downside, however….
Almost as soon as it was launched onto the food market, aspartame revealed more side-effects than one of Dr Jekyll's potions.
In 1996, the American programme '60 minutes' looked at 164 studies into aspartame. The 74 funded by NutraSweet (the makers of aspartame) found no bad effects.
But a shocking 83 out of 90 studies by independent researchers uncovered potential health issues.
Today, aspartame stands accused of causing 92 health problems. They include:
Abdominal pain, anxiety attacks, arthritis, asthma, breathing difficulties, chest pains, chronic coughs, chronic fatigue, confusion, depression, headaches, heart palpitations, hypertension, impotency, insomnia, irritability, memory loss, muscle spasms, nausea, rashes, tinnitus and blurred vision.
Now I don't know about you, but I'd rather put a cactus in my coffee.
Think I am joking?
Not at all!
As you're about to see, artificial sweeteners are going to become a thing of the past. And it's all thanks to a cactus-style plant.
The healthiest alternative to sugar
If you go into your supermarket this week, you'll find a new sweetener on the shelves. It's derived from a spiky cactus-type plant, native to Mexico, called the Blue Weber Agave.
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(For my fellow factoid fans, this is this is the same plant that produces tequila!)
The early inhabitants of the Mexico harvested Blue Agave for a variety of uses, including food, drink and clothing. But it was only recently that the nectar from the plant was recognised for its super-sweetness.
I reckon this stuff is going to revolutionise the global food industry… and hopefully bring the artificial sweetener corporations to their knees.
You see, Agave Nectar is an all-natural product that hasn't been refined or chemically altered. It's far sweeter than sugar, so you can use 75% less of it to get the same effect.
That means a quarter cup of Agave Nectar will equal 1 cup of table sugar.
This makes it a breakthrough for diabetics and dieters alike. It can also wean you off unnatural and potentially dangerous artificial sweeteners.
Agave Nectar looks and tastes like honey, but it can easily dissolve in hot and cold drinks. You can also use it in baking.
But these aren't the only benefits, as you'll see in a moment…
A low G.I way to sweeten your food
Another reason Agave Nectar is healthier than sugar is that it has a very low Glycaemic Index (GI) value.
To give you a more exact measurement, regular table sugar has a GI value of 68. Honey has a GI of 55. While the value of Agave Nectar is between 11 and 19.
That's a huge difference, right?
If you don't know about the benefits of low GI, I'll explain quickly…
The GI value refers to how quickly a food breaks down from carbohydrate to sugar in your body. High GI foods give you an almighty blood sugar rush, filling you with energy.
To counter this, your body releases large amounts of insulin, which brings the blood sugar levels crashing down again.
Now you feel an equally almighty low, and begin to crave more carbohydrates and more sugar.
People who are addicted to sugar and high GI foods like white bread and white pasta are trapped in a cycle of highs and lows. This goes for mood as well as energy. These people risk developing diabetes, spiralling weight and other health problems.
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Low GI foods, on the other hand, burn energy slowly and encourage your body to burn fat, not store it. This keeps your blood sugar levels constant, your moods stable.
Most importantly, it keeps your weight down!
There are some extra benefits, too.
-- If you mix Agave Nectar with citric juices, this can act as a natural laxative to help relieve constipation.
-- The oligo-organic contents of Agave Nectar help the functioning of your gall bladder and can help fight the blocking of arteries and veins caused by high cholesterol.
See what I mean about this stuff? It's a wonder food!
It's available to try in some supermarkets now
If you're interested in trying Agave Nectar then you can nip to the supermarkets (Tesco started stocking it this week) or you can find it online.
You'll be able to buy it in two formats. One is a mild version, filtered for longer. It's runnier than honey and good for adding to hot and cold food, stirring into drinks and adding to your baking.
The other version is richer with a darker maple syrup-like flavour. This is suited for cooking.
It costs around £2.95 for a bottle.
Another breakthrough on Sunday
While I am talking about new breakthroughs, look out for The Good Life Letter this Sunday. I am preparing a letter about an important new product that could significantly ease breathing problems associated with asthma and allergies.
It's all-natural, of course. No drugs. No side-effects. No risks. And no more dependency on inhalers.
I won't go into it now. But look out for the Good Life Letter in your inbox this weekend.
Until then,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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