The benefits and harms of maple syrup
The honey-colored maple sap syrup is recognized as one of the symbols of Canada, and then spread to other countries. This amber viscous syrup is especially tasty as an addition to all kinds of desserts. In North America, it is traditionally added to lush pancakes or ice cream.
What is maple syrup made from?
The raw material for this product is the juice special types of maple wood - black, sugar, silver and red. These trees grow mainly in Canada, but are also found in other countries in North America. That is why Canadian-made maple syrup is considered the best.
It takes about 30 liters of sap to make a liter of maple syrup. For the collection of raw materials, trees over 40 years old are suitable. Up to 12 liters of sap a day is obtained from one such maple. It is simply boiled, thickened in this way, and a delicious maple syrup is obtained.
To get the maximum amount of juice, you need to collect it under certain weather conditions. On such days, the temperature should be above zero in the morning, and frosts at night. The most suitable time is in the last days of February and early March. Holes are drilled in the tree, into which tubes are then placed, collecting the juice in a container. Then the liquid, the consistency of water, the juice is evaporated in wide and shallow containers, without adding anything. Therefore, it can be argued that maple syrup is an exclusively natural product.
After thickening, a product is obtained that is similar in consistency to natural honey... It has a pleasant special taste and aroma. The dark amber syrup has the strongest smell, which is made in Canada at the end of the sap season.
The benefits of maple syrup
Since there are no additives in maple concentrate, it can be consumed by people of all ages. This product contains a high concentration of B vitamins, potassium, zinc. Calcium and other micro and macro elements. This healthy treat contains antioxidants and polyphenols that help fight the most serious diseases.
The composition of this product is truly unique. It contains substances that are not found in other foods. According to the latest research by scientists, maple concentrate contains 54 elements that benefit human health. Most notably, this syrup contains 5 substances not found in other natural products.
Of these, a substance called Quebecol is especially worth noting. It tastes sweet, but does not belong to sugars or carbohydrates. It is a phenolic compound. Because of this feature, maple syrup is allowed to be eaten by people living with diabetes.
In addition, abscisic acid is among the components of maple syrup, which has a positive effect on the activity of the pancreas, activating the synthesis of insulin. This gives scientists hope that soon it will be possible to take control of insulin production and make life easier for diabetics. Thanks to abscisic acid, maple syrup is among the dietary foods with a low glycemic index, although it has a sweet taste.
Other useful properties of this syrup are as follows:
- Relief of inflammatory processes.
- Cleansing the blood.
- Fight against oncology.
- Slowing down of neurodegenerative processes.
- Strengthening immunity.
- Maple syrup is very useful for men - it helps to increase potency and protects against prostate cancer.
The area of use of maple syrup is quite wide. First of all, it suits perfectly as a topping for desserts in cooking. They can be used to dress fruit salads, water pancakes, waffles, ice cream and pastries... The sweet taste of maple syrup makes it an excellent substitute for sugar. Maple juice concentrate is also used in the preparation of sauces and main courses. In the field of medicine, this product is advisable to use for the prevention of oncology and enhancement of immune defense.
Maple syrup harm
Since this product has an exclusively natural composition, its harm is minimal. We can say that the only contraindication for the use of maple syrup is its individual intolerance. However, the risk of an allergic reaction to maple syrup is minimal, since it contains very few purines and oxylates, which eliminates the risk of the appearance and development of allergies.
Still, you shouldn't overuse this product. The fact is that it has a fairly high calorie content. There are 260 kcal per hundred grams of maple syrup. That's a pretty impressive number, so dieters shouldn't try to substitute maple syrup for sugar. The optimal amount of maple sap concentrate for adults is a tablespoon. For children, this rate is reduced to a teaspoon per day. Overeating can trigger excess weight gain.
