It’s interesting how headlines can completely twist a topic around. The Article below is about a sweetener that is created from the same plant used to make tequila shows certain health benefits; by the time you get to the end of the article you realise there that is the only connection, and there are no health benefits linked between the plant and the end product of tequila!
Personally, I would have found the article a lot more interesting if it included more of the research behind the studies than tying it in to a controversial headline. Unfortunately, in today’s controversial driven world, headlines ‘sell’….they also give mixed messages as how many people will simply read the headline and repeat this mis-information ‘I read something the other day that said Tequila aids in weight loss’! Original article is below:
Tequila ingredient aids in weight loss, study says
Break out the shot glasses, it looks like National Tequila Day may be coming early.
At a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society, a study was presented that shows that agavin, a sweetener created from the same plant used to make tequila, possesses a number of health benefits.
Researchers found that agavins can help lower blood glucose levels for those suffering from type 2 diabetes as well as help the obese to lose weight.
That’s right, weight-loss from a sweetener.
Unlike agave nectar or syrup (a popular staple on health food store shelves whose molecular structure more closely resembles high-fructose corn syrup), agavins are non-digestible and act as a dietary fiber, effectively keeping blood sugar levels lower. In fact, agavin releases a hormone that keeps the stomach fuller, longer, stimulating the production of insulin.
Mercedes G. López, a researcher with Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Biotechnology and Biochemistry Irapuato, in Guanajuato, Mexico, asserted that the sweetener can help people to feel fuller, in turn helping them to eat less.
Unfortunately, according to the study, while agavins are used in the production of tequila, their wonderful benefits are not retained within the drink.
The research asserts that, “All ethanol in tequila comes from the fermentation of glucose and fructose generated after agave pines are cooked. But because the agavins are converted to ethanol, agavins are not found in the finished product.”
Essentially, agavins are there at the start of the process, but by the end, any benefits to be had are gone.
That’s ok, though.
While tequila may not help you to lose weight (we’ll still hold out hope that they can find a way to make that work), it does make us glad to know more natural sugar alternatives are being explored.
Original article from Newsday http://www.newsday.com/news/health/the-daily-apple-1.4760551/tequila-ingredient-aids-in-weight-loss-study-says-1.7465418