Unique Benefits of Pure Maple Syrup:
✓ Pure maple syrup delivers more overall nutritional value than many common sweeteners and has one of the lowest calorie levels.
✓ Pure maple syrup provides enhanced antioxidant levels compared to other common and popular foods, such as apples and broccoli.
✓ Pure maple syrup may have other health benefits that are currently being studied.
✓ Maple syrup contains three essential minerals; potassium, calcium and magnesium and is a nutritional alternative to other sugars and sugar substitutes. 1
✓ Maple syrup is an excellent source of manganese, an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses and a good source of zinc. 2
✓ A recent study demonstrated that maple syrup contains phenolic compounds that have antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. 3
✓ With a glycemic index of 54, maple syrup is considered a low glycemic product, which means it affects blood sugar to a lesser degree than sugar (GI 58) or honey (GI 87). 4
Pure As Nature!
Pure Maple Syrup is a unique and natural product produced exclusively by the concentration of sap from the maple tree. It is a natural sweetener that contains no added sugar, colouring agents, artificial flavourings, preservatives or other additives.
The range of colour (grades) of pure maple syrup is due to natural changes in the sap as the production season progresses, not by the addition of any caramel colouring agents.
Minerals, Vitamins and General Nutrition
Maple Syrup is a significant source of several nutrients. Pure maple syrup has natural variations, but on average, a 4 Tbsp serving of Maple Syrup supplies us with more than 100% of our daily intake of manganese, 37% of riboflavin, 18% of zinc, 7% of magnesium, 5% of calcium and 5% of potassium.
www.domorewithmaple.com and Canadian Nutrient File.
In addition to carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, maple syrup and its products also contain phenolic compounds. These compounds are found in sap and are concentrated in maple syrup.
www.domorewithmaple.com.
Based on the minimum values obtained from the analysis of over 600 samples of maple syrup from different regions across Quebec, the following claims can currently be made on maple syrup labels in Canada:
✓ Excellent source of manganese and Vitamin B2
✓ Good source of energy
✓ 4 mg of polyphenols per 60 mL serving
A serving of ¼ cup of maple syrup contains:
✓ 100% of the recommended Daily Value for manganese – important factor in energy production, healthy bone formation and antioxidant defences necessary for normal brain and nerve function
✓ 34% of the recommended Daily Value of riboflavin – aids in metabolic processes
✓ 11% of the Daily Value of zinc – essential for normal reproduction and growth as well as a healthy immune system.
www.canadamaple.com
The trace mineral manganese is an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses. One role of manganese is as a component of the key oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase, which disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy producing factories of cells). One ounce of maple syrup supplies 22.0% of the daily value of manganese.
www.whfoods.com
Did you know? The health benefits of real maple syrup are far more comprehensive than you might expect.
The only product in our diet coming directly from a plant’s sap, this natural sweetener features over 54 antioxidants that can help delay or prevent diseases caused by free radicals, such as cancer or diabetes. In addition, maple syrup features high levels of zinc and manganese, keeping the heart healthy and boosting the immune system.
www.purecanadamaple.com/benefits-of-maple-syrup/
Did you know that pure maple syrup has the same beneficial classes of antioxidant compounds found in berries, tomatoes, tea, red wine, whole wheat and flax seed? The sheer quantity and variety of identified compounds with documented health benefits qualifies maple syrup as the next champion food.
www.purecanadamaple.com/benefits-of-maple-syrup/
“These new scientific findings underscore the nutritional message whereby food that undergoes little to no processing provides greater health benefits,” said very enthused dietitian Hélène Laurendeau. “100% pure Maple syrup is a natural, non-refined product, which gives it an edge over other sweetening agents. We have reason to be proud of our maple syrup, whose unique flavour makes it a versatile addition to countless culinary creations.” (In reference to antioxidant research conducted by Seeram and ABA research conducted by Desjardins)
www.ishs.org/news/?p=1588
Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks foods on how they affect blood glucose levels. By consuming foods with a low GI rating (55 or lower), we can potentially help prevent or control heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Maple Syrup (GI: 54) compares favourably with other sweetening products such as sugar (GI: 58) and honey (GI: 87).
www.domorewithmaple.com
With Love. Maple Syrup and Your Heart
The zinc supplied by maple syrup, in addition to acting as an antioxidant, has other functions that can decrease the progression of atherosclerosis. Zinc is needed for the proper function of endothelial cells and helps to prevent the endothelial (inner lining of blood vessels) damage caused by oxidized LDL cholesterol and other oxidized fats. Endothelial membranes that are low in zinc are much more prone to injury. The manganese supplied by maple syrup is also good for the heart. Studies have found that adults deficient in manganese have decreased levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol).
www.whfoods.com
Whole Body Health. Protect Your Immune System.
Zinc and manganese, both supplied by maple syrup, are important to a healthy immune system. Researchers have studied, particularly in children, the effects of zinc deficiency and zinc supplementation on the immune response and the number of white blood cells. In these studies, zinc deficiency has been shown to compromise numbers of white blood cell and immune response, while zinc supplementation has been shown to restore conditions to normal. The manganese in maple syrup is also important to the immune system as an antioxidant component, helping to lessen inflammation and support healing. In addition, manganese may also act as an immunostimulant.
www.whfoods.com
Sweet and Manly Too
Maple syrup may help to support reproductive health, particularly in men. Zinc is concentrated more highly in the prostate than in any other human tissue, and low levels of zinc in this gland relate to a higher risk for prostate cancer. Zinc is even used therapeutically by healthcare practitioners to help reduce prostate size. Manganese may also play a role in supporting men’s health since, as a catalyst in the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, it also participates in the production of sex hormones, thus helping to maintain reproductive health.
www.whfoods.com
The New Probiotic. Get Maple!
Research has been conducted to evaluate the capacity of maple sap or its concentrate to be used in the development of new probiotic products. Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that function internally to promote healthy digestion, boost the immune system, and contribute to general health. Maple sap is a good candidate as the basis for a new probiotic product due to its nutritional value and the fact that most commercially available probiotics to date are based on dairy products. A maple based probiotic would be an ideal means of delivering probiotics to humans, particularly for those with lactose intolerance or allergies to dairy. Trial probiotic products were developed from maple sap and appear to have good potential for supporting and delivering probiotics. 12
Sources:
- Canadian Nutrient File (Health Canada)
- The World's Healthiest Foods - www.whfoods.org
- THERIAULT and others, “Antioxidant, antiradical, and antimutagenic activities of phenolic compounds present in maple products,” Food Chemistry 98, 2006, p. 490-501
- Glycemic Index database, University of Sydney
- NUTRITION AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF PURE MAPLE SYRUP Summary of Information Compiled by the International Maple Syrup Institute
- Abou-Zaid, M. M.; Nozzolillo, C.; Tonon, A.; Coppens, M.; Lombardo, A. D. A. High performance liquid chromatography characterization and identification of antioxidant polyphenols in maple syrup. Pharm. Biol. 2008, 46, 117-125.
- Li, L.; Seeram N. Maple syrup phytochemicals include lignans, coumarins, a stilbene, and other previously unreported antioxidant phenolic compounds. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2010, 58, 11673-11679.
- Legault, J.; Girard-Lalancette, K.; Grenon, C.; Dussault, C.; Pichette, A. Antioxidant activity, inhibition of nitric oxide overproduction, and in vitro antiproliferative effect of maple sap and syrup from Acer saccharum. J. Med. Food 2010, 13, 460-468.
- Theirault, M.; Caillet, S.; Kermasha, S.; Lacroix, M. Antioxidant, antiradical and antimutagenic activities of phenolic compounds present in maple products. Food Chem. 2006, 98, 490-501.
- Phillips, K.; Carlsen, M.; Blomhoff, R. Total antioxidant content of alternatives to refined sugar. J. Amer. Diet. Assoc. 2009, Jan. 109(1):64-71.
- Kermasha, S.; Goetghebeur, M.; Dumont, J. Determination of phenolic compound profiles in maple products by high performance liquid chromatography. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1995, 43, 708-716.
- Khalf, M.; Dabour, N.; Kheadr, E; Fliss, I. Viability of probiotic bacteria in maple sap products under storage and gastrointestinal conditions. Bioresource Technology. 2010, 101, 7966–7972