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The
Glycemic Research Institute® announced that they have
halted and banned all future clinical trials of Agave
and are issuing warnings to manufacturers and the public about
the dangers related to Agave and Agave Nectar.
The
Medical Advisory Board of the Glycemic Research Institute®
(GRI) made the decision to halt all future clinical trials
involving Agave and Agave Nectar as a result of the latest
round of GRI Human In Vivo Clinical Trials, in which the diabetic
subjects experienced severe and dangerous side effects related
to the oral ingestion of the sweetener Agave/Agave Nectar.
This
announcement came as a surprise to the scientific community,
and has generated hundreds of inquiries involving the safety
of ingesting Agave.
Physicians
and diabetes health educators are now being advised to caution
their diabetic patients, both adults and children, about the
use of Agave.
This
also applies to persons with Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance,
and Pre-Diabetes. The medical community believes that up to
70% of the American public has some form of Insulin Resistance,
due to the rise in obesity and weight gain.
The
ban on Agave and agave Nectar includes “The use of Agave
as a sweetener and/or syrup, and/or Agave Nectar, as found
in foods, beverages, Nutraceuticals, chocolate, and any other
consumable product.”
CLINICAL
TRIALS RESULT IN
DELISTING & BAN
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Results
of the Human In Vivo Clinical Trials involving Agave/Agave
Nectar resulted in alarming effects evidenced in the diabetic
trial subjects.
According
to the researchers, the side effects seen in the diabetic
population are related to dosage. Very small amounts of orally
ingested Agave did not instigate immediate side effects in
diabetics, while larger doses caused severe side effects.
The
Glycemic Research Institute® is legally bound to alert
the appropriate government and health authorities, as well
as the public, of any clinical trial results that pose a health
problem to the public-at-large.
The
Wall Street Journal interviewed researchers at the
Glycemic Research Institute® in 2009 (article available
at Wall Street Journal online), when results of the Agave
trial were made public.
As
of 2009, manufacturers and marketers of products containing
Agave and/or Agave Nectar can now be held legally responsible
for any negative medical issues resulting from ingestion of
Agave. The legal community has contacted the Glycemic Research
Institute® for verification and documentation that Agave
does elicit negative results in person with blood-sugar and
other related metabolic issues, and are prepared to take these
issues to court.
METABOLIC
RESPONSE OF
AGAVE IN DIABETICS |
The
Glycemic Research Institute® Agave trials, as well as
other independent data and research, demonstrate that diabetics
respond differently to oral ingestion of Agave than non-diabetics
and persons with normal glycemic responses.
The
biochemical reason is that all cells in the body, including
liver, muscle, and brain cells, are dependent on glucose
as fuel. Glucose is not capable of diffusing from the bloodstream
into the cells, and requires specialized proteins (not dietary
protein) to transport it across cellular membranes.
Insulin
is the catalyst for the cell-transporters that deliver glucose
into heart, muscle, and fat cells. Excess insulin causes adipose
tissue fat storage via Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL), so foods
and beverages that stimulate insulin cause weight gain and
obesity. This explains why Type 1 diabetics (lack of insulin)
are thin and Type 2 diabetics (excess insulin) are almost
always overweight or obese.
The
brain, however, works on a different fuel-basis. Glucose can
get into the brain to act as fuel (glucose-transport), while
insulin cannot, and fat-storage in the brain is not an option.
The Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB) is the watch-dog in the
brain that is responsible for regulating the amount of
sugar/glucose going to cells inside the brain. The BBB only
allows very specific agents to enter the brain by crossing
the Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB).
In
diabetics, muscle cells cannot obtain sufficient energy to
function normally, because the diabetic’s ability to
properly produce and/or utilize insulin is impaired. Diabetic
serum levels of glucose are consistently over-elevated, yet
muscle cells are stressed and starving.
Diabetics
using insulin-treatments (medication) often experience excess
insulin stimulation and uptake, resulting in insufficient
levels of glucose in the bloodstream.
Imbalances
in blood glucose and insulin levels are the standard trademark
of a diabetic patient. In type 2 diabetes (by far the most
common form of diabetes), high blood glucose levels cause
weight gain and obesity, which exacerbates insulin resistance,
risk of cardiovascular disease, and shortened lifespan. High
insulin levels further trigger weight gain and obesity, as
well as a myriad of health problems.
These
imbalances are problematic in the diabetic, as every food,
meal, snack, beverage, or orally ingested agent, causes a
glycemic reaction, ranging from mild to severe.
High
glycemic foods, beverages, and sweeteners stimulate high levels
of serum glucose, which makes diabetics susceptible to neurological
and physical problems, including stroke and memory loss.
In
a hyper-insulin state, which is triggered by ingesting foods,
beverages, and sweeteners that over-stimulate insulin, muscle
cells take up all of the available glucose, thus depriving
the brain of sufficient fuel.
This
causes severe Metabolic Low Blood Sugar, resulting
in wooziness, poor motor and thinking function, extreme lethargy,
and in many cases, lack of consciousness (fainting/passing
out).
Even
foods and beverages that claim No-Calories, No-Carbs,
cause a reaction in the diabetic and pre-diabetic.
This
is because the human brain has to contend with high and low
levels of glucose in the blood stream. Severe imbalances,
including very low levels of glucose, and reactive hypoglycemia,
can place diabetics in a precarious physical condition, in
which there is literally a “brain shut-down.”
This
type of metabolic cascade causes severe diabetic reactions,
including passing out – even behind the wheel of a car
while driving, and explains why oral ingestion of Agave induces
potentially dangerous metabolic states in diabetics.
IN
SUMMARY: Diabetics and persons with any insulin-related
disorder, including Pre-Diabetes and Insulin Resistance, are
urged to use extreme caution as related to oral ingestion
of Agave and Agave sweeteners and syrups.
MEDIA
& MEDICAL INQUIRIES |
Medical
and/or media-related questions may be addressed to the Glycemic
Research Institute, Human in Vivo Clinical Trials Facility
at (727) 894-6900 or via e mail from the Official Glycemic
Research Institute® website at www.Glycemic.com
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