Nutritional Virtues of Maple Syrup:
- Maple syrup is a source of manganese, which plays an important role in energy production, antioxidant defenses, and blood sugar regulation, and is necessary for normal brain and nerve function. A quarter cup (60 ml) of maple syrup provides 100% of the recommended daily intake of manganese.
- This amount of sweetener provides 37% of your riboflavin (Vitamin B2) requirement, which aids in the metabolic process.
- Other minerals found in maple syrup are magnesium, calcium and potassium. Potassium may play an important role in reducing the risk of high blood pressure.
Of recent, corn syrup – present in most highly processed foods (like sweet breakfast cereals, soft drinks, cookies, candy, etc.) has come under scrutiny as a possible link to obesity and associated ailments.
Pure maple syrup from Canada not only tastes better than corn syrup based sweeteners made, it may also be better for you. The Canadian Nutrient File (Health Canada) shows that maple syrup’s nutritional value is superior to other common sweeteners such as honey, sugar, and even brown sugar as maple syrup contains higher levels of nutrients such as manganese, riboflavin (B2) and Magnesium. Maple syrup nutritional value is superior to other sweeteners such as white sugar and contains fewer calories than white sugar.
| Per 60ml portion in %DV* | Maple syrup of Canada | Honey | Sugar | Brown Sugar | Agave Syrup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 100 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Riboflavin(B2) | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Magnesium | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Calcium | 7 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Potassium | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Zinc | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Calories | 271 | 261 | 196 | 211 | 256 |
| Sugars (in G) | 54 | 71 | 51 | 54 | 56 |
| Legend: “Excellent source of”, “Good source of”, “Source of”. |
| *DV: The Daily Value is the amount deemed sufficient to meet the daily needs of the majority of healthy individuals. Source: Canadian Nutrition file (Health Canada) |
Maple syrup is completely natural – no colouring, no artificial flavours, and certainly no preservatives. The only ingredient in maple syrup is the concentrated sap from the maple tree. It tastes good and is good for you!
Maple syrup also contains an unparalleled variety of polyphenols (beneficial micronutrients) – 67 in total, nine of which are found only in maple syrup, and offers health benefits similar to those of berries, tea, red wine and flax seed.
With so much nutritional power, maple syrup could turn out to be the next superfood! In fact, recent studies in Canada and the USA indicate that maple syrup from Canada may be better at controlling blood sugar levels and insulin resistance when compared to white sugar.