We love our pancakes with a generous drizzle of maple syrup. But a recent study says that it is time to accept maple syrup as the smarter sweetener for everything else too. The study led by Dr. André Marette, Laval University explored the potential health benefits of having maple syrup and how it can prevent metabolic diseases.

Dr. André Marette, lead scientist on the project, in a media release, said, “We know from decades of research that maple syrup is more than just sugar. It contains over 100 natural compounds, including polyphenols, that are known to prevent disease in part through their anti-inflammatory effects.”

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 42 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 75, with body mass indexes (BMI) ranging from 23 to 40. They were asked to replace 5% of their daily calories with maple syrup for eight weeks. Then, after a four-week break, they were asked to replace their five percent of calorie intake with refined sugar.

The results were analysed and maple syrup showed remarkable health improvement in the participants, majorly in four categories:

Blood sugar: Compared to the refined sugar group, maple syrup helped in managing blood sugar levels better.

Blood pressure: Systolic blood pressure of the participants showed a decrease by 3 points when maple syrup was consumed. For refined sugar, the blood pressure showed a spike.

Abdominal fat: visceral fat is linked to several health risks such as heart diseases and diabetes. It was observed that when the participants replaced their calories with maple syrup, their abdominal fat reduced.

Gut health: Maple syrup demonstrated a reduction in harmful gut bacteria and an increase in the amount of beneficial gut bacteria.

Nutrients in maple syrup:

Maple syrup consists of manganese, riboflavin, calcium, thiamin, potassium and copper. Dr. André Marette added that having a serving of maple syrup can significantly reduce the risk of several heart diseases and diabetes.