Maple Syrup: It's Benefits and Uses

When I am cooking for my children and the recipe calls for sugar, I usually avoid adding overprocessed, white sugar.  I am always looking for ways to sweeten cookies, muffins, and pancakes with alternatives like applesauce, honey, and maple syrup.  The more and more I use maple syrup, the more I like it!

First, I didn't realize maple syrup had so many nutrients.  It is rich in vitamins such as manganese, riboflavin, and zinc.  It also has magnesium, calcium, and potassium (in lower levels).

Maple syrup "is filled with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that may help prevent several chronic and inflammatory diseases like diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's."  It is also anti-inflammatory and is easier to digest.  That bloated feeling you get with eating processed sugar doesn't happen with maple syrup.  

And it gets better.  Maple syrup is rich in antioxidants.  It has been shown to prevent free radicals, the kind that lead to diseases like cancer and diabetes.  Specifically related to diabetes, ." the phenols in maple syrup inhibit two carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes that relate to managing Type 2 diabetes."

But take all this good news with a grain of salt.  Yes, maple syrup is probably your best choice of sweeteners.  But you wouldn't want to make it a mainstay of your diet, the way fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be.  

Stay tuned to our "Fun Recipe Friday" segment; we'll bring you a few fun ways to cook and bake with maple syrup.  Your kids will love it!