Study: Drinking Tequila May Be Beneficial To Those Who Are Overweight Or Have Diabetes

[The Straight Story]

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Want lose weight and be healthier? Then drink more tequila! Actually, hold that thought.

A new study suggests that the sugars in the plant used to make tequila may offer health benefits to people who are overweight or have diabetes.

According to an article in Time, researchers say the sugars may lower blood glucose levels for people with type 2 diabetes.

According to Mexican researchers, the type of natural sugar, agavins, are non-digestible and do not raise blood sugar.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/03/20/study-drinking-tequila-may-be-beneficial-to-those-who-are-overweight-or-have-diabetes/

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Interesting. My dad loved his tequila

[Tikki]

2. I wonder if you can buy 'agavins' in, like, powder, liquid form without the alcohol?

like the stevia sugar…


Tikki

[FSogol]

9. You can in liquid form (like honey) and is quite popular these days. Unfortunately

it is no different that sugar.

"The bottom line is that refined agave sweeteners are not inherently healthier than sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, or any other sweetener. Nutritionally and functionally, agave syrup is similar to high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose (Karo) syrup. It does contain small amounts of calcium, potassium, and magnesium, but not enough to matter nutritionally."

Whole article at:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-agave

[Tikki]

10. Thanks…I don't have a sweet tooth, but sugar seems so toxic.

Tikki

[FSogol]

11. I think sugar gets a bad rap. It is good (like everything else) in moderation.

Corn syrup seems bad as do the artificial sweeteners. We bought some stevia plants at our farmer's market a few years ago and like the leaves. They are amazingly sweet. The powered stevia from the store has probably gone thru the same bleaching and processes that sugar goes thru.

[CBGLuthier]

3. Tequila reminds me of formaldehyde and I am sensitive to formaldehyde

ever since I cleaned a dialysis machine once and spent the evening blind in one eye and vomiting. It is truly the only alcoholic beverage I can not even stand to think about drinking.

[KamaAina]

4. I am, in fact, overweight

[enlightenment]

5. How are agavins

different from fructose? Agave "nectar" has been all the rage among some for awhile now.

I'm confused. Help from the DU chemists, please!

[unblock]

8. agavins are long-chain fructoses:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/03/17/new-sweetener-from-the-tequila-plant-may-aid-diabetes-weight-loss/

Unlike other types of fructose, Agavins are fructans, which are long-chain fructoses that the body can’t use, so they are not absorbed into the bloodstream to raise blood sugar. And despite the similarity in the name, agavins are not to be confused with agave nectar or agave syrup, natural sweeteners that are increasingly popular sugar substitutes. In these products the fructans are broken down into fructose, which does raise blood sugar – and add calories.

[enlightenment]

13. Thank you.

That clarifies my confusion.

[unblock]

6. i've not seen anything that says that agavins survive the tequila manufacturing process

if the baking process turns the agavins into digestible fructose, then tequila is no better than any other alcoholic drink in terms of obesity or diabetes.

extracting the agavins from the plant and using it as a sugar substitute would make more sense.

even then, sugar substitutes have the problem that "tricking" the body into thinking it's getting sugar when it isn't turns out not to be very helpful, at least not in terms of weight loss. it might be helpful for diabetics, though.

[mainer]

7. I head about this a decade ago, while I was in Arizona

A researcher told me about the link between agavins and diabetes control. He said that Native Americans (who are now showing epidemic levels of diabetes) never had the disease while they were eating their native diet, which included lots of agavins.

[Lunacee_2013]

12. Hey everyone in the diabetic group!

We have an excuse! WooT!!