Dr. Joseph Mercola on Natural Health Products and Articles

Dr. Joseph Mercola on Natural Health Products and Articles

I opened my e-mail the other day to this article sent by my mother, an avid health advocate. The article talks about the dangers of Agave Nectar, a natural syrup used by many as a sugar replacement. The sweet syrup comes from the Agave plant, a desert plant that grows in the Southern U.S. as well as Mexico, Central and South America.

I had been using this syrup in my baked goods ever since my sister mentioned the product to me several years ago. I've baked with it and used it as a maple syrup replacement. It is a delicious, natural product that I have kept in stock since learning about it.

The article, written by Dr. Mercola, notes 7 reasons why NOT to buy/use agave nectar as a sugar replacement, its high fructose content listed as number 1. He then lists several other reasons: The syrup we buy in stores is highly processed, it may be a highly sprayed crop, it has no nutritional value...et cetera.

What I was motivated to write about, is this: How can we, as consumers, use a product for years, believing that there is nothing better to buy, and that it's without a doubt one of the healthiest choices, when in fact, it's the complete opposite?

There's something wrong with this picture. Where are we getting our information from? Who should we trust when it comes to what we put into our bodies, what is "tried and true", and what is healthy?

If you rely only on Internet doctors and their articles, you will be misinformed.

If you rely only on what your neighbor tells you that she thinks is "the best out there", you will be misinformed.

And If you follow the same traditions that your mother has been using for her entire life, you may very well be misinformed.


There's only one person you can trust in this case, and that's yourself.