Agave Plant (image credit to ag.arizona.edu)

An fructans ingredient in the Agave plant, the plant used to make tequila and commonly known by the name siklog, can help fight osteoporosis disease. Agave is a succulent plant species (capable of storing food and water reserves) with thick leaves and a little stiff.

About Fructans

According to Wikipedia, a fructan is a polymer of fructose molecules. They occur in foods such as artichokes, asparagus, green beans, leeks, onions (including spring onions), yacon, jícama, and wheat.

Chains of fructose molecules, known as fructans occur naturally in many foods. The following foods have a high fructan content:

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Green beansPrevious research has shown that fructans can stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the colon. Fructans enhance the body’s ability to absorb minerals, including calcium and magnesium, necessary for bone growth. Leeks
• Onions including spring onion
• Wheat including most beers, breads, cakes, biscuits, breakfast cereals, pies, pastas, pizzas, and some noodles.

Fructans is not absorbed in the small intestine so it penetrates down into the colon where it is used by the intestinal microflora and bacterial production goes to work. In contrast, ruminants have microflora to ferment carbohydrates at the “front end” of the digestive system and these stimulate nitrogen–an important component of protein–conversion, which is easily absorbed in the back of the digestive tract. But fructose, the molecular building block of fructan, is a popular sweetener in soda and fruit spreads. And in addition to being present in grass plants, naturally occurring fructan is found in artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke, chicory and banana. Herbs from the onion family, such as leaks, garlic and onions, contain fructan in the bulbs. Some processed foods, including some breakfast cereals, candy, ice cream and yogurt, also contain fructan.

Fructans and Osteoporosis Natural Treatment

“Experimental studies have shown that fructans useful in dealing with diabetes, obesity, stimulates the immune system, reduce levels of disease causing bacteria in the colon, relieve constipation and reduce the risk of colon cancer,” explained Mercedes Lopez from the National Polytechnic Institute in Guanajuato.

Previous research has shown that fructans can stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the colon. Fructans enhance the body’s ability to absorb minerals, including calcium and magnesium, necessary for bone growth.

In this study, Lopez and his friends tried the effect of agave fructans on bone growth in mice. Compared with other mice, rats fed agave fructans absorbed more calcium from food, expends less calcium through the feces, and increased levels of proteins related to the formation of new bone tissue up to 50 percent.

“These results indicate that the use of dietary supplements containing agave fructans can prevent decline in bone density and increase bone formation,” said Lopez, quoted by healthday.com sites, editions of Tuesday (23 / 3). “Fructans agave can be used in many children and infants products to prevent various diseases. It also can be used in ice cream as a substitute for sugar. ”
But López added: “We still have a long way to go to determine for which health benefits agave fructans perform better than chicory fructans. However, the early results are encouraging, and we working on it.”
The report was delivered at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

What about tequila?

Tequila, the light of Lopez, it will not help. Because, fructans turned into alcohol during agave is processed into tequila.