Agave is very cleverly marketed processed sweetener. Agave Nectar it touted as being low glycemic, but it's only in tiny amounts. Sugar is a much better alternative, if you can believe it.
My kids and husband all have Type 1 diabetes. Agave nectar shoots their blood sugars sky high (when given the appropriate amount of insulin to the carb ratio listed on the bottle of agave) and it takes a ridiculous amount of insulin to get them back into a safe range again. A low glycemic food shouldn't do that!
I was so excited about it when it first came out, but the more I have read about it, the less impressed I am. There is no such thing as nectar from an agave plant, so don't be fooled by a natural sounding name!
Raw honey is a much better alternative and has healing properties as well as a great taste.
Jo, the clever marketing I was referring to was the supposed low glycemic label. It *is* misleading in the respect that it's only low glycemic in miniscule amounts. I wasn't speaking of how long it had been in existence. It is likened to high fructose cornsyrup, not in the way it's processed, but the effect that it has on the body.
It is just "one of the things we use", like you said, but if people are looking for truly healthy alternatives, agave nectar is extremely far down the list of options.