Can I Give My Dog Agave Syrup?
Some pet owners that aren’t sure if they can give their dogs agave syrup do get confused and look for a workaround. Agave is a natural plant in the South and Latin Americas. Agave is a relative newcomer to the Western world, yet it has been used in Mexico for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Agave has long been praised for its purported medicinal properties. A sweetener known as Miel de agave was created by boiling the sap of the agave plant. Agave nectar, a sweetening syrup made by several companies, is now available.
Humans commonly consume agave syrup and nectar.
You may have observed that your dog, like many dogs, has a sweet tooth, but you can’t blame it on nature.
No one is born with a sweet tooth, human, or animal. It’s an acquired taste, and you’re probably to blame for it in your dog’s eyes.
Many dog owners are now aware of the consequences of feeding their pets too much sugar and wonder if agave syrup is a healthier alternative.
In this post, we’ll look at agave nectar and other so-called natural sweeteners to discover if they’re safe for dogs.
Can you give your dog agave syrup?
Agave syrup and nectar aren’t the worst things on the globe, but they’re also not the healthiest. It’s mostly sugar, a particularly bad form of sugar. It isn’t worth the risk of feeding your dog because the healthy ingredients present in it are minimal.
Agave nectar is a syrup that can be used as a sweetener or honey alternative. The term “nectar” is merely a marketing term. It is manufactured from the fluid contained within the blue agave plant, the same plant used to make tequila.
Agave syrup, no agave nectar, should be used to label the sweetener commonly referred to as agave nectar. It bears no relation to the traditional Mexican sweetener, which has been used for centuries.
The manufacturing development process is the same. To collect the sweet sap, the plant is first chopped and crushed.
Although this sap is high in sugar, it also contains beneficial fibers like fructans, which have been linked to improved metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
The fructans are removed from the sap when processed into a syrup, and the fructose is broken down by exposing the sap to heat and enzymes, resulting in a sweeter product that isn’t good for your dog.
What agave syrup/ nectar is made from ?
Many vegans and health-conscious people are switching to agave syrup, which is marketed as a healthier alternative to sugar. This product is made from agave, a succulent plant that grows in warm areas such as the southern United States and Mexico. Because the nectar (or syrup) comes from the root of this plant, people assume it must be healthful or at least healthier than sugar, which also comes from a plant or several plants.
The biggest issue with this syrup is that what you get in the bottle at the shop is a highly refined and chemically processed version of the agave plant’s nectar.
What nutrients are in agave syrup?
If you look at the ingredients on the label of a generic agave syrup that you may get in the shop, you’ll see how ‘healthy’ this product is.
Sugars amount to 68 grams per 100-gram serving. Agave syrup, in other words, is 68 percent sugar. You also have 22% water, leaving you with only 10% of the nutrients you need. You get 1% dietary fiber and trace levels of different vitamins from these.
A serving of agave syrup, for example, has 13mg of choline, an essential nutrient, as well as folate, often known as the B9 vitamin, all of which are beneficial to your dog’s health.
However, is gaining these modest amounts of vitamins worth the risk of drinking so much fructose?
The sucrose level of table sugar is reviled, but the fructose in agave syrup, less dangerous for people or pets with diabetes, can cause liver damage. Both sucrose and glucose are easier for the liver to digest than fructose.