When it comes to trying to lose weight, one of the hardest things to give up for many people is sugar. 

Sugar is used in almost everything; from sauces, to hot drinks and so cutting it out can be quite difficult. Luckily, there are natural alternatives that offer the same level of sweetness - or in many cases, extra sweetness - while having fewer calories. This means you can maintain your diet while keeping your sweet tooth.

One of the newest and most praised options for a natural sugar substitute is agave. Madhava agave nectar is a plant-derived sweetener that can be used in place of traditional cane sugar. It doesn't have the chemicals of artificial sweeteners and can add sweetness to food and drink by adding only a very small amount.

Not only is agave nectar a great alternative when it comes to sweetening your food, it also brings with it a number of reported health benefits. One of these is that it is very high in calcium and aids the absorption of the nutrient by the body. This enables improvements in bone density and can result in fewer health implications - such as osteoporosis - later in life.

Agave is also low on the glycemic index when compared to cane sugar. The index measures how food and drink sugar content interacts with the sugar in your blood; the higher on the index, the more they interact. This means it is a good idea for those will imbalanced blood sugar levels or who are at risk of diabetes to switch to agave syrup.

If you are counting calories as part of your diet or healthy eating approach, agave will be highly beneficial. Compared to sugar, the nectar has a much lower amount of calories cup-for-cup. It is estimated that a cup or agave nectar has around 300 calories less than a cup of sugar, meaning it is much easier to keep your calorie count low and still indulge your sweet tooth now and then.

So, if you want a natural, low-calorie and healthier option to sugar in your diet, it could be worth introducing agave nectar into your everyday food and drinks. This, combined with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and regular exercise, could help to keep you in shape and get rid of any excess pounds.