With vacation season just around the corner most of us start to think about trimming down and losing a few extra pounds ready for the beach.
We all know the importance of cutting out fat and sugar and exercising more, but it’s easier said than done, especially when it comes to sugar.
For me the hardest thing is cutting out sugar and I know I’m not alone. According to one study sugar is as “addictive as cocaine” and it’s found in the majority of things we eat.
Thankfully there are alternatives to sweeten our food that are more natural and don’t cause sugar crashes.
Even better: now scientists have found a sweetener that could help us lose weight and it’s used to make tequila.
Most people opt for products that say “no added sugar” but that often means artificial sweeteners have been used which can cause unwanted side effects such as headaches.But a recent study has been carried out on mice and the effects of certain sweeteners on their bodies, agavins in particular.
Agavins comes from the agave plant, which is also used to make agave nectar.
Unlike agavin, the nectar has calories and raises blood sugar.
Agavins ‘don’t raise blood glucose’
The report found that mice who had agavins added to their water lost weight and had lower blood glucose levels than mice who had their water sweetened with agave syrup, aspartame, glucose or fructose.
Mercedes G. López, Ph.D. and her team says agavins “are non-digestible and can act as a dietary fiber, so they would not raise blood glucose.”
Lopez said agavins were better than artificial sweeteners, the only downside is they’re not as sweet.
Agavins are not the same as agave nectar or agave syrup and are used to make tequila.
Unfortunately the agavins are converted to ethanol in tequila and are therefore not actually found in the popular drink.
Could help those with type 2 diabetes
The study also found the mice that consumed agavins ate less than the other mice.
López added, “Agavins are not expensive and they have no known side effects, except for those few people who cannot tolerate them.”
Agavins could also help people with type 2 diabetes.
That’s because agavins produce a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) which causes the stomach to empty at a slower rate which results in an increase in insulin production, according to TipHero.
Please share this story if you’re also happy a sweetener has been discovered which is actually good for you and could help you lose weight.
