Maple

Pure maple syrup is the product of the sap from sugar maple, red maple or black maple trees. The syrup is made by collecting a quantity of sap and then carefully boiling it without chemicals or preservatives until the sap is reduced to a syrup. Pure maple syrup should not be confused with "pancake syrup" or "waffle syrup," most of which is comprised of high fructose corn syrup and imitation maple flavorings. Recently, researchers at the University of Rhode Island discovered the pure maple syrup contains more than 20 compounds that offer health benefits to humans

Special Precautions of Maple

• No matter what nutrients it contains, keep in mind that maple syrup is still basically a liquid sugar. While eating lots of it could certainly be a tasty way to get those phenolics, you’d be ingesting a solution that is at least 66 percent sugar. So while pure maple syrup might not be completely devoid of any nutritional value, it’s not really something you can eat in large amounts as a health food. Maple syrup is still a carbohydrate, for example, so if you are diabetic or at risk for developing diabetes, you need to be very careful about how much maple syrup you eat.
• Use only pure, organic maple Syrop : Pure maple syrup is a natural, organic food with no reduction, processing or removal of any of its components. Other pancake syrups found in grocery stores commonly contain ingredients such as cellulose gum, benzoate, sorbic acid and sodium hexametaphosphate.

Benefits and uses of Maple are

Maple syrup contains a cocktail of polyphenol compounds, several with antioxidant properties and many with well-documented health benefits. Five of the 54 antioxidants in maple syrup were identified for the first time in nature, and are unique to the natural sweetener.

• Cancer Prevention : Researchers have suggested that the compounds contained within pure maple syrup offer cancer prevention benefits. A study performed at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi in Canada revealed that the antioxidant capabilities of pure maple syrup were effective at inhibiting the damage that is caused by nitric oxide. The ability to inhibit overproduction of nitric oxide will also prevent the proliferation of cancer cells. This study also suggests the cancer fighting properties are greater if the syrup is of darker color rather than a clear color.
• Diabetes : Recent studies also suggest that the consumption of pure maple syrup may also be effective in lowering blood glucose levels. According to United Press International, pure maple syrup contains a significant concentration of abscisic acid. Abscisic acid is a chemical that promotes insulin secretion of the pancreas and increases the insulin sensitivity of fat cells. The presence of abscisic acid and the qualities it possesses allow pure maple syrup to be an effective treatment against diabetes.
• Cardiac Benefits : Pure maple syrup is very rich in many essential vitamins and minerals, especially zinc. A study performed by the Department of Medicine at the University of Turku in Finland suggests there is a direct relationship between low serum zinc levels and incidence of cardiovascular heart disease. The results of the study confirmed that low serum zinc levels is a risk factor for cardiovascular heart disease in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. The zinc concentration in pure maple syrup can regulate serum zinc levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular heart disease.