According to this article from the Huffington Post, Agave has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener on the market. Yes, that’s right, Agave Nectar beats out Table Sugar and even High Fructose Corn Syrup. Agave is a whopping 90 percent fructose, while maple syrup is about 35 percent.

Agave syrup, aka maguey syrup or agave nectar, is a sweetener commercially produced from several species of agave, including Agave tequilana (blue agave) and Agave salmiana. Blue-agave syrup contains 56% fructose as a sugar providing sweetening properties.

People thought it was better than honey because it has a lower glycemic index but in reality honey is less processed and contains slightly less calories with more minerals the agave. This means you can toss your agave and if you want to keep using a natural sweetener turn to good old natural maple syrup!

The media has hyped up agave because of its low glycemic index (GI of 17) compared with regular sugar (GI of 68) or even honey (GI between 60-74 depending on variety). This low glycemic index has made agave a favorite among many diabetics. The reason for the lower glycemic index is due to the high amount of fructose.

Honey is the clear winner. But both honey and agave nectar are caloric sweeteners and offer little added nutritional value. Honey is better than agave nectar because it is: higher in antioxidants.

Calorie Content Stevia is a non-nutritive sweetener, meaning it doesn’t contain any calories. Agave is actually higher in calories than sugar per teaspoon, with 20 calories vs. 17 in a teaspoon of sugar. Because it is sweeter than sugar, however, you can use less and may save a few calories this way.

It would be reasonable to expect health food stores up and down the country to be selling stocks of this apparent miracle of nature faster than they can get them in. Instead, they are barred by the European Union from selling the plant, called stevia, as a food or food ingredient because of concerns over its safety.

Is it healthier than sugar? Stevia has fewer calories than sugar and may play a role in weight management by helping you eat fewer calories. Because it’s free of calories and carbs, it’s a great sugar alternative for people on low-calorie or low-carb diets.

The best and safest sugar substitutes are erythritol, xylitol, stevia leaf extracts, and neotame—with some caveats: Erythritol: Large amounts (more than about 40 or 50 grams or 10 or 12 teaspoons) of this sugar alcohol sometimes cause nausea, but smaller amounts are fine.

Remember that while sugar substitutes, such as refined stevia preparations, may help with weight management, they aren’t a magic bullet and should be used only in moderation. If you eat too many sugar-free foods, you can still gain weight if these foods have other ingredients that contain calories.