Maple Syrup Health Benefits

 

A study from Tokyo has found that maple syrup from Canada can promote a healthier liver.

Better results in liver function

Dr. Keiko Abe from the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences led the study, which found that healthy laboratory rats fed a diet in which some of their carbohydrates were replaced with 100 per cent pure Canadian maple syrup yielded significantly better results in liver function tests than the control groups fed a diet with a syrup mix containing similar sugar content as maple syrup but without the beneficial compounds of maple syrup.

The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers says the study results will be published in the November 2011 issue of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry.

The scientists say the study results are important as most healthy individuals take liver function for granted. According to the Canadian Liver Foundation, there are more than 100 liver diseases affecting approximately one out of 10 Canadians, including men, women and children.

Rich in antioxidants

Dr. Melissa Palmer, clinical professor and medical director of hepatology at New York University Plainview, says the preliminary results of this research emphasize how important it is to choose a healthy diet to help counteract lifestyle and environmental factors that may impact liver function, even the choice of a sweetener. In addition to Dr. Abe's recent findings, adds Palmer, published research suggests that 100 per cent pure maple syrup may prove to be a better choice of sweetener because it was found to be rich in polyphenolic antioxidants and contains vitamins and minerals.

Maple Syrup Health Benefits - Could Maple Syrup Be the Next Superfood?

 

Maple Syrup May Pack Similar Health Benefits to Those Found in Berries, Tea, Red Wine and Flax Seed.
LONGUEUIL, QC, April 1 /CNW Telbec/ - There's more good news about pure maple syrup. Researchers from the University of Rhode Island (URI) have now identified 54 compounds in Canadian maple syrup, double the amount previously reported, and many with antioxidant properties and potential health benefits. In laboratory studies, they acted as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents. Initial studies also suggest that maple compounds may inhibit enzymes relevant in Type 2 diabetes management.
These new findings were presented on March 30th at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, CA, during a day-long session exclusively examining the bioactive compounds found in natural sweeteners. The session was organized and chaired by Dr. Navindra Seeram, assistant pharmacy professor at URI and a lead scientist on the maple syrup research team.
According to the URI research team, maple syrup contains a cocktail of polyphenol compounds, including several with antioxidant properties and many with well-documented health benefits. "We found a wide variety of polyphenols in maple syrup, said Seeram. It is a one-stop shop for these beneficial compounds, several of which are also found in berries, tea, red wine and flaxseed, just to name a few. Not all sweeteners are created equal! When choosing a sweetener, pure maple syrup is a better choice because of the range of antioxidant compounds not found in other sweeteners."
"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."
Maple syrup may prove to be relevant in Type 2 diabetes management, although the findings must be verified in clinical trials. "We discovered that the polyphenols in maple syrup inhibit enzymes that are involved in the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, said Seeram. In fact, in preliminary studies, maple syrup had a greater enzyme-inhibiting effect compared to other healthy plant foods such as berries, when tested on a dry-weight basis. By 2050, one in three people will be afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, and more and more people are looking for healthier diet, so finding a potential anti-diabetic compound in maple syrup is interesting for the scientific community and consumers."
Quebecol: A polyphenol specific to maple on our radar
Five of the 54 antioxidants in maple syrup were identified for the first time in nature and are unique to the natural sweetener. Among the five new compounds, one polyphenol is of particular interest. Given the common name of Quebecol, in honor of the province of Quebec, this compound is created during the process of boiling down maple sap into maple syrup. "We don't know yet whether the new compounds contribute to the healthy profile of maple syrup, but we do know that the sheer quantity and variety of identified compounds with documented health benefits qualifies maple syrup as a superfood," commented Seeram. Some of his findings were recently published in the Journal of Functional Foods. Dr. Seeram's work was made possible thanks to the financial support of The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, the Conseil pour le développement de l'agriculture du Québec (CDAQ) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on behalf of the Canadian Maple Syrup Industry.
Attendees at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting also heard promising results from other Canadian researchers who are studying the health benefits of maple syrup. Dr. Yves Desjardins, professor at Université Laval's Plant Science Department and an active member of the university's Centre de recherche en horticulture, is particularly interested in maple syrup and sap. His research reveals that these homegrown products boast high levels of abscisic acid, a promising phytohormone that could provide health benefits. Indeed, abscisic acid is known to stimulate the release of insulin by pancreatic cells and increase fat cell sensitivity, as well as promoting muscle sugar absorption, thereby acting as a potential therapeutic agent against metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
"Part of our New Generation of Maple 2020 strategy is to work with talented scientists to discover and share more knowledge about maple syrup. We are excited that this line of research receives interest from all over the world," says Serge Beaulieu, President of the Federation and member of the Canadian Maple Industry Advisory Committee. We are also very happy that our efforts and the results of this research are contributing to the branding of agri-food products from Canada and Quebec on international markets. »
Geneviève Béland, Promotions and Market Development Director for the Federation, adds: "Given its amazing potential for human health and interesting nutritional value, it is a natural choice for people looking to eat well." The Federation's members produce about 80 percent of the worldwide supply of the natural sweetener.
About the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers
The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers was founded in 1966 with the mission of defending and promoting the economic, social and moral interests of its 7,400 maple family farms businesses. These men and women are working together to develop quality standards, create knowledge and market their products. Quebec is responsible for 93 percent of Canada's production and close to 80 percent of today's global maple syrup output. As such, the Federation is proud to lead scientific research in the name of the entire Canadian maple syrup industry. Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia contribute 7 percent of the total Canadian production.
For more information about maple syrup, please visit www.maplesyrupfederation.ca
The University of Rhode Island's research was made possible through the funding of the Federation, the Federation, Conseil pour le développement de l'agriculture du Québec (CDAQ), an organization funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and AAFC through the "Growing Canadian Agri-Innovations" program.
Click here to see a video of Dr. Navindra Seeram and Dr. Yves Desjardins at The American Chemical Society's Annual Meeting discussing the groundbreaking new health findings surrounding maple syrup from Canada.

2011 Maple Syrup Benefits News

 

URI scientist discovers 54 beneficial compounds in pure maple syrup

 

University of Rhode Island researcher Navindra Seeram has discovered 34 new beneficial compounds in pure maple syrup and confirmed that 20 compounds discovered last year in preliminary research play a key role in human health.
Today at the 241st American Chemical Society's National Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. the URI assistant pharmacy professor is telling scientists from around the world that his URI team has now isolated and identified 54 beneficial compounds in pure maple syrup from Quebec, five of which have never been seen in nature.
"I continue to say that nature is the best chemist, and that maple syrup is becoming a champion food when it comes to the number and variety of beneficial compounds found in it," Seeram said. "It's important to note that in our laboratory research we found that several of these compounds possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to fight cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses."
These discoveries of new molecules from nature can also provide chemists with leads that could prompt synthesis of medications that could be used to fight fatal diseases, Seeram said.
"We know that the compounds are anti-inflammatory agents and that inflammation has been implicated in several chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's," Seeram said.
As part of his diabetes research, Seeram has collaborated with Chong Lee, professor of nutrition and food sciences in URI's College of the Environment and Life Sciences. The scientists have found that maple syrup phenolics, the beneficial anti-oxidant compounds, inhibit two carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes that are relevant to Type 2 diabetes management.
The irony of finding a potential anti-diabetes compound in a sweetener is not lost on Seeram. "Not all sweeteners are created equal," he said.
Among the five new compounds is Quebecol, a compound created when a farmer boils off the water in maple sap to get maple syrup. It takes 40 liters (20.5 gallons) of sap to make 1 liter (2 pints) of syrup.
"Quebecol has a unique chemical structure or skeleton never before identified in nature," Seeram said. "I believe the process of concentrating the maple sap into maple syrup is what creates Quebecol. There is beneficial and interesting chemistry going on when the boiling process occurs. I believe the heat forms this unique compound."
Seeram said he and his team chose the common name of Quebecol for the new compound to honor the province of Quebec in Canada, which leads the worldwide production of maple syrup. Seeram's research was supported by the Conseil pour le developpement de l'agriculture du Quebec (CDAQ) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on behalf of the Canadian maple syrup industry.
"Producers, transformers and partners of the Canadian maple industry believe that investing in maple syrup knowledge and innovation will bring the products to another level in a few years," said Serge Beaulieu, president of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers and member of the Canadian Maple Industry Advisory Committee.
"Quebec Maple Syrup Producers are especially proud to be leading this long-term innovative strategy on behalf of the Canadian industry and with the talented scientists of the Canadian Maple Innovation Network."
Genevieve Beland, marketing director of the Federation added, "Maple products' composition is unique and we are at the starting point of a new era. Ten years from now consumers will appreciate 100 percent pure maple products because they are delicious, natural and have a number of healthy compounds."
"As we continued our research in the past year, we were astonished when the number of beneficial compounds that we isolated is now more than double the original amount," said Seeram, who is releasing his findings today.
Seeram is the organizer of the daylong symposium on "Bioactives in Natural Sweeteners," and is joined by scientists from Canada, Japan, Mexico and the United States to discuss natural sweeteners. Seeram's collaborations with Angela Slitt, assistant professor of biomedical sciences in URI's College of Pharmacy and Professor Lee, will also be presented during the meeting.
Seeram's findings will be detailed in his article recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Functional Foods. The title of the paper is "Quebecol, a novel phenolic compound isolated from Canadian maple syrup." In addition, Seeram and Lee's work on diabetes and maple syrup will also be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Functional Foods. "I can guarantee you that few, if any, other natural sweeteners have this anti-oxidant cocktail of beneficial compounds; it has some of the beneficial compounds that are found in berries, some that are found in tea and some that are found in flaxseed. People may not realize it, but while we have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in our food chain, maple syrup is the single largest consumed food product that is entirely obtained from the sap of trees," Seeram said.
Reiterating a statement he made last year, Seeram said no one is suggesting that people consume large quantities of maple syrup, but that if they are going to use a sweetener on their pancakes, they should choose pure maple syrup and not the commercial products with high fructose corn syrup. "Pure maple syrup is not only delicious, it is so much better for you," Seeram said.

-Provided by University of Rhode Island