Health Benefits of Maple Syrup could be best solution for your healthy beverages. Sweet things is something that people loves to taste including the sweetness of maple syrup. People used to enjoy maple syrup with their soft pancake or waffles. Maple syrup is food product which produced by sugar maple tree. Sugar maple is a common tree on North America.
It can grow high until 60-100 feet and has 10-12 cm in diameters. The maple syrup produced by the sap of maple tree and a maple tree can produce sap more than hundreds even when the trees age are more than 40 years old. Just like honey, maple syrup is also natural sweetener that can be consider as healthy option to be added into your meal. Maple syrup is native food product of Americans and 80% of maple syrup which stored in marker are derived from Canada.
History of Maple Syrup
Maple syrup has been known and produced by people in North America since hundreds years ago. They were collected the sap of the tree and evaporated it to get the syrup. Later maple syrup was introduced to European settlers mostly in Canada.
The European then found the technique and technology to collect the sap faster and more efficient. Native America used maple syrup as their sweetener and as substitute of cane sugar. Nowadays Canada is the most producers of maple syrup in the world, while Vermont is the most producers of maple syrup in United States.
Types of Maple Syrup
Maple syrup can be produced from more than 100 species of maple trees in the world. There are four main species of maple which is can be used for sap production. Sugar maple or hard maple ( Acer saccharum ) are the main species of maple tree that used by commercial producers. The sugar maple syrup contain 2% of sugar and known as the sweetest maple syrup among other types of syrup which derived from other tree species.
There are four class or grade of maple syrup that you can found in store. Below the explanation :
This type of maple syrup with lighter color and not less than 75% Tc and it has delicate Taste. This class of pure maple syrup has golden color and mild taste that are mostly choosed by consumers.
This pure maple syrup has color that is less than 75% Tc but it is not less than 50% Tc. This pure maple syrup has rich taste and light amber color. Consumers usually choose it if they like medium taste intensity of syrup.
Dark maple syrup has color intensity which is less than 50% but not less than 25%. This syrup has robust taste and dark color. Consumers used to choose dark maple syrup if they prefer a robust taste
The maple syrup that belong to this class has color which is less than 25% Tc and a it provide strong Taste. This type of maple syrup is usually use in cooking process but some people also love it for table use
Nutrition facts
Maple syrup contains many nutrients which provide benefits to the body. Check the nutrition of maple syrup in the table below :
| Potential value (per 60gr) | Amount (% Daily Value) |
| Manganese | 100 |
| Zinc | 18 |
| Potassium | 5 |
| Calcium | 5 |
| Sugar | 54 (GI) |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 37 |
| Magnesium | 7 |
| Calories | 217 |
Health benefits of Maple Syrup
1. Protect the heart
Heart disease is a silent killer. Its the leading cause of mortality around the world. Pure maple syrup contains some amount of zinc and potassium which important to keep healthy heart. Potassium is known as crucial mineral that can keep normal heart beat while zinc can protect the heart muscle and blood vessel.
2. Boost immune system
Immune system is the body system which fight the disease and keep it away from the body. Immune system consist of several organs and cells which work together to prevent the body from harmful substance. Antioxidant is one factor that can boost immune system function. Consuming maple syrup which is high in antioxidant especially zinc, can help the body to build strong immune system and prevent from disease.
3. Prevent cancer
People know that cancer is a life threatening disease that can affect anyone. There is no specific cure for cancer today, that why preventive action will be required to prevent the body from cancer. Cancer occur due to DNA damage that caused by free radicals.
According to a research from University of Rhode Island reported that maple syrup contains 54 substance which acts as potential antioxidant including phenolic acid. Another research which conducted by Legault show that pure maple syrup can inhibit the cancel cell growth. Eating food which contain maple sugar can provide your body with antioxidant which are great fighters of free radicals effect and prevent from cancer.
4. Maintain normal blood sugar level
Unlike cane sugar, maple syrup has low glycemic index (index which show how food affected blood sugar level). The GI or glycemic index of maple syrup is 54 and it is lower than honey (GI : 87) and sugar (GI : 58). Food which has GI lower than 55 is consider as healthy one.
5. Prevent diabetes
Not only maintain healthy blood sugar level, maple syrup also contains other substance such as Abscisic acid that can prevent diabetes especially type 2 diabetes. Diabetes occur due to the insulin ( hormone which control sugar level) can’t show it function properly. According to study by Guri et al which published in Clinical Journal 2007, the abscisic acid content of maple syrup can increase insulin sensitivity and promotes the pancreas cells to produce more insulin. Isn’t it a great news for diabetes patient?
6. Improve reproduction function
Maple syrup support the healthy reproduction system especially in men. It is known that zync is one of mineral which is important in keeping healthy prostate. Lack of zinc may even cause prostate cancer. Maple syrup contains some amount of zinc that can keep the zinc level in the prostate. Maple syrup also contains manganese which participate in the sexual hormones production
7. Promote healthy digestion
Maple syrup benefits is consider as great delivering factor of probiotic. Probiotic is common term which used to certain types of food that can increase the growth of good bacteria in the gut. These bacteria have benefits to digestion tract and help the defecation process inside large intestine.
8. Prevent anemia
Enjoying your waffle or pancake with maple syrup is not only delicious for you but also can prevent you from anemia (a condition where the body lack of red blood cell resulting poor oxygen transfer). Anemia can be worse since it can make your body weak and fainting.
9. Keeping young skin
As well as pure honey, pure maple syrup which is high in antioxidant can help you to keep beautiful skin. Some people also love to apply maple syrup as face mask to make the skin look young and fresh. The antioxidant within maple syrup known as aging-fighters that prevent wrinkle and other free radicals damage effect to the skin.
10. Cure acne
It is annoying to keep acne on your face. Maple syrup not only contains antioxidant properties but also anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce inflammation that occur on face especially acne. Just apply some maple syrup to your skin area which infected by acne for 15 minutes then rins it with lukewarm water.
11. Maintain normal brain function
Almost all vital nutrients contained in maple syrup. It has several nutrient that can protect cell brain from damage especially by the presence of manganese. Manganese is a mineral which keep healthy brain and normal nerve function. By consuming one ounce of maple syrup you can fulfill 22% daily recommendation of manganese.
12. Increase metabolism process
Rich in vitamin and mineral, maple syrup can certainly boost metabolic process. Those vitamin and minerals act as key factor of some metabolic enzymes which play role in the metabolism process or energy production within the cell.
13. Maintain strong bones
Even the calcium level is not too high in maple syrup, it still can help the body to protect the bone mass. Adding more calcium to your body can slightly prevent the bones from losing mass and also prevent osteoporosis that happen during old age.
14. Provide energy
Maple syrup contains some amount of calories that can keep you active during your activities. In 64 ml of maple syrup contains almost 54 calories, so when you eat it with other dish such as pancake it will make you more satisfy.
15. Reduce stress and depression
Stress and depression are mental illness which suffered by most people in this modern era due to their tight schedule and lifestyle. Maple syrup contains manganese and antioxidant that can help to calm the nerve and reduce stress as well as depression. Drinking maple syrup with warm water before sleep can enhance your sleep and make you fresh when you wake up in the morning.
16. Maintain healthy weight
Consuming too much cane or refined sugar is not good for health and can cause overweight or obesity. Maple syrup is one of healthy natural sweetener that contains lower sugar and lower GI rather than other type of sugar or honey. This make maple syrup is a sweet and perfect topping for all your dessert or dish and you don’t need to worry if it can increase your weight.
Tips to Consume Maple syrupChoosing maple syrup as substitute of refined sugar is right decision but too much consuming something can also rise problem. Too much consuming sugar including maple syrup can also cause health problem such as tooth decay and acne.
Excessive consumption of maple syrup can also causing nausea and dehydration. Some people are keen to have diet and use maple syrup as detox substance or called as fad diet. This diet is healthy but without any concern it can cause serious health problem if the diet not combine maple syrup with other healthy food. Check these tips whether you wanna purchase, store and consume to avoid the bad effect :
Those the benefits of maple syrup which you can get by consuming it regularly. If you are interesting to try, just found it in the local store