Health Benefits of Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup is a sugar substance and should be consumed in moderation.
1. Pure Maple Syrup Is The "Smarter" Sweetener
Pure maple syrup is known as the smarter sweetener because it contains minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids. For these reasons, maple syrup is a smart alternative to processed white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, brown sugar and many artificial chemical sweeteners.
Pure maple syrup is a simple whole food that requires minimal processing, contains absolutely no additives and has excellent nutritional qualities .
2. Source Of Important Vitamins and Minerals
Maple syrup contains zinc and manganese in fairly high amounts, in addition to potassium and calcium. Zinc can help fight illness and improve immunity since it keeps your level of white blood cells up, while manganese plays a role a crucial role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, blood sugar regulation, brain and nerve function.
3. Contains Numerous Antioxidants
According to studies comparing the total antioxidant content of natural sweeteners to refined sugar products like white sugar or corn syrup, substantial differences in total antioxidant content were found. Refined sugar, corn syrup and agave nectar contain minimal antioxidant activity, but maple syrup, dark and blackstrap molasses, brown sugar, and raw honey showed higher antioxidant capacity (with molasses having the highest).
Maple syrup nutrition is impressive when it comes to supplying protective antioxidants. The medical journal Pharmaceutical Biology revealed that pure maple syrup contains up to 24 different antioxidants. These antioxidants, in the form of phenolic compounds, are beneficial for reducing free radical damage that can cause inflammation and contribute to the formation of various chronic diseases. Whenever possible, select a darker maple syrups since these contain more beneficial antioxidants than the lighter syrups do.
4. Lower Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels. Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked on a scale of 0–100. The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels
Refined sugar, and refined carbohydrates in general, are known to be rapidly metabolized by the liver — causing a “sugar high,” followed by a quick “sugar crash.” Even worse, consuming too much sugar quickly spikes your blood sugar and raises insulin levels, which over time can lead to lower insulin response and problems managing blood glucose, which is the reason diabetes develops.
5. Helps Fight Inflammatory Diseases
Because maple syrup nutrition supplies inflammation-reducing polyphenol antioxidants, it can be considered part of a healthy diet that’s helpful in preventing certain diseases like arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease or heart disease.
6. Lower Strain on the Liver
Your liver processes sugars with every meal, snack, and drink. A long-term diet high in sugars may cause cellular inflammation within your overworked liver.9 Antioxidants in maple syrup can assist with that. The anti-inflammatory properties are one of the many benefits of maple syrup because they can soothe the liver back to a healthier state.
7. May Help Protect Against Cancer
While some evidence shows that to a certain degree sugar can cause cancer or at least contribute to it, maple syrup seems to a much less harmful sweetener. This is due to the presence of antioxidants in maple syrup that can protect cells from DNA damage and mutation. While maple syrup alone won’t likely result in a reduced risk for developing cancer, it’s a much safer option than including high levels of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners in your diet.
8. Helps Protect Skin Health
Many people swear by using maple syrup topically, directly on their skin. Similarly to raw honey, maple syrup can help to lower skin inflammation, redness, blemishes and dryness. Combined with raw milk or yogurt, rolled oats and raw honey, this natural mixture applies to the skin as a mask can hydrate skin while reducing bacteria and signs of irritation.
9. Improved Gut Health & Digestion
Consuming high levels of refined sugar can contribute to candida, IBS, leaky gut syndrome and other digestive system disorders. In fact, one of the biggest steps you can take to heal leaky gut and autoimmune disorders is to reduce refined sugar intake and opt for small amounts of natural sweeteners instead. Among the other ingredients and nutrients in maple syrup is Inulin. Inulin is a soluble fiber that provides essential bacteria to the digestive system.10 Small amounts of maple syrup could improve your gut health by regulating its bacterial biome.
10. Healthier Alternative to Artificial Sweeteners
If you typically use artificial sweeteners or refined sugar products like dangerous splenda, sucralose, agave, aspartame or sugar, you should think about switching these out for maple syrup and raw honey as soon as possible. Artificial sweeteners, while they may be calorie-free, are tied to numerous health problems including weight gain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, short-term memory loss, cancer and much more. Maple syrup isn’t linked to any of those health problems, plus it triggers more satisfaction because of its natural sweet taste.