A recent study published by the American Chemical Society (ACS) has determined that there may be an interesting way to lose more weight through the use of tequila, of all things. What the study actually showed was that the sugars that are found naturally within the plant that is used for making tequila could help obese individuals to reduce their body fat levels. At the same time, it also indicated that those same sugars could help to lower the blood glucose levels among individuals who have type 2 diabetes.
The naturally occurring sugar, a substance known as Agavins, is found in the agave plant. As they are non-digestible and because they can behave in a way that is comparable to dietary fiber, they – unlike other sugars – do not cause blood glucose levels to rise. Though the name of the popular agave syrup would suggest that similar reactions could be expected from that substance, this is not at all the case. Agave syrup is strikingly similar to high fructose corn syrup, which has been shown to be dangerous to some people with type 2 diabetes and which is not a part of a healthful diet and can work against efforts to lose more weight.
One of the study researchers explained that the reason agavins could potentially be helpful to people who want to lose more weight by pointing out that they reduce glucose levels in the blood but they also raise the levels of GLP-1 and increase insulin levels. GLP-1 is a hormone that is important to losing weight because it stimulates insulin production and reduces the rate of the emptying of the stomach.
This can be seen as good news for people who are dieting because not only are agavins inexpensive and are not connected with any known side effects (aside from a few people who can’t tolerate them), but they help people to feel fuller for a longer period of time, which may help in an effort to reduce the amount of food – and therefore calories – that are being consumed every day.
It is important to note that the study was not actually conducted on tequila, but was instead based on the use of the sugars found in the plant used to make tequila. Moreover, the study is considered to be preliminary, as it was conducted on mice and not humans. Still, the results of this research are very promising and the researchers believe that they show that agavins are worth further study.
