2800: Maple Syrup: Healthy or Unhealthy by Kris Gunnars with Healthline on Natural Sweeteners

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Health Daily, Maple Syrup, Healthy or Unhealthy by Kris Gunnars with Healthline.com and I'm Dr. Neal.

[00:00:09] Hey, it's another Monday episode of Optimal Health Daily where I act as your narrator of the best health and fitness blogs all for free.

[00:00:17] I cover fitness, nutrition, stress management, weight management, and lots more.

[00:00:22] Just like an audiobook, but from a bunch of different authors.

[00:00:25] And then on Fridays, I answer your questions right here on the show.

[00:00:28] Now, as you guessed from today's post's title, we're going to talk about maple syrup.

[00:00:33] And the timing again is kind of perfect because one of my students just recently asked me about this.

[00:00:38] So let's get right to it and start optimizing your life.

[00:00:46] Maple Syrup, Healthy or Unhealthy by Kris Gunnars with Healthline.com

[00:00:52] One of the more popular sweeteners today is maple syrup.

[00:00:55] It is 100% natural sweetener that is claimed to be more nutritious and healthier than sugar.

[00:01:00] There are many claims about maple syrup online and I'd like to separate the facts from the fiction.

[00:01:06] What is maple syrup and how is it made?

[00:01:09] Maple syrup is made from the sugary circulating fluid, think sap, of maple trees.

[00:01:15] It has been consumed for many centuries in North America.

[00:01:19] Over 80% of the world's supply is now produced in Canada.

[00:01:23] Maple syrup is made in a natural two-step process.

[00:01:26] Step 1.

[00:01:27] A hole is drilled in the maple tree.

[00:01:30] Then, the sugary circulating fluid leaks out and is collected into a container.

[00:01:35] Step 2.

[00:01:36] The sugary fluid is boiled until most of the water evaporates,

[00:01:39] leaving a thick, sugary syrup, which is then filtered to remove impurities.

[00:01:44] Bottom line.

[00:01:46] Maple syrup is made by evaporating the sugary circulating fluid, think sap,

[00:01:51] from maple trees, leaving a thick syrup.

[00:01:53] It has been consumed for many centuries in North America.

[00:01:57] Different grades of maple syrup.

[00:01:59] There are several different grades of maple syrup depending on the color.

[00:02:03] The exact way they are classified can vary between countries.

[00:02:07] In the United States, maple syrup is either classified as grade A or grade B.

[00:02:12] Grade A is then further categorized into three groups.

[00:02:16] Light amber, medium amber, and dark amber.

[00:02:19] Grade B is the darkest of them all.

[00:02:22] The main difference between them is that the darker syrups are made from sap

[00:02:26] that is extracted later in the harvesting season.

[00:02:29] The dark syrups have a stronger maple flavor and are usually used for baking or in recipes,

[00:02:34] while the lighter ones are used directly as syrups,

[00:02:37] for example, as a topping on pancakes.

[00:02:40] If you're going to buy maple syrup, then make sure to get actual maple syrup,

[00:02:44] not just maple-flavored syrup, which can be loaded with refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.

[00:02:51] As with any other food, make sure to read the label.

[00:02:55] Bottom line.

[00:02:56] There are several different grades of maple syrup depending on the color.

[00:03:00] Grade B is the darkest with the strongest maple flavor.

[00:03:03] Maple syrup contains some vitamins and minerals, but is also high in sugar.

[00:03:08] The main thing that sets maple syrup apart from refined sugar

[00:03:12] is the fact that it also contains some minerals and antioxidants.

[00:03:16] 100 grams of maple syrup contains about 7% of the RDA for calcium,

[00:03:22] about 6% of the RDA for potassium,

[00:03:26] about 7% of the RDA for iron,

[00:03:29] about 28% of the RDA for zinc,

[00:03:32] and 165% of the RDA for manganese.

[00:03:35] True, maple syrup does contain a decent amount of some minerals,

[00:03:39] especially manganese and zinc,

[00:03:41] but keep in mind that it also contains a whole bunch of sugar.

[00:03:45] Maple syrup is about two-thirds sucrose,

[00:03:48] think table sugar,

[00:03:49] and 100 grams of it therefore supply around 67 grams of sugar.

[00:03:54] And sugar can be seriously harmful.

[00:03:57] When consumed in excess,

[00:03:58] it is believed to be among the leading causes

[00:04:00] of some of the world's biggest health problems,

[00:04:02] including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

[00:04:06] The fact that maple syrup contains some minerals

[00:04:08] is a very poor reason to eat it,

[00:04:11] given the high sugar content.

[00:04:13] Most people are already eating way too much sugar as it is.

[00:04:16] The best way to get these minerals is to eat real foods.

[00:04:20] If you eat a balanced diet of plants and animals,

[00:04:22] then your chances are probably minimal

[00:04:24] that you'll be lacking any of these minerals.

[00:04:27] But if you're going to eat a sugar-based sweetener anyway,

[00:04:30] then replacing refined sugar in recipes

[00:04:32] with an identical amount of maple syrup

[00:04:34] will cut the total sugar content by about a third.

[00:04:38] The glycemic index of maple sugar seems to be around 54,

[00:04:41] compared to table sugar,

[00:04:42] which has a glycemic index of around 65.

[00:04:45] This is a good thing,

[00:04:46] and implies that maple syrup raises blood sugar

[00:04:49] slower than regular sugar.

[00:04:51] Bottom line.

[00:04:53] Maple syrup contains a small amount of minerals,

[00:04:55] especially manganese and zinc.

[00:04:57] However, it is also very high in sugar, about 67%.

[00:05:01] Maple syrup contains at least 24 different antioxidants.

[00:05:07] Oxidative damage is believed to be among the mechanisms

[00:05:09] behind aging and many diseases.

[00:05:11] It consists of undesirable chemical reactions

[00:05:14] that involve free radicals,

[00:05:16] that is, molecules with unstable electrons.

[00:05:19] Antioxidants are substances

[00:05:21] that can neutralize free radicals

[00:05:23] and reduce oxidative damage,

[00:05:25] potentially lowering the risk of some diseases.

[00:05:28] Several studies have found that maple syrup

[00:05:30] is a decent source of antioxidants.

[00:05:32] One study found 24 different antioxidant substances

[00:05:36] in maple syrup.

[00:05:37] The darker syrups, like grade B,

[00:05:39] contain more of these beneficial antioxidants

[00:05:41] than the lighter syrups.

[00:05:43] However, same as with the minerals,

[00:05:45] the total amount of antioxidants is still low

[00:05:48] compared to the large amounts of sugar.

[00:05:51] One study estimates that replacing

[00:05:53] all the refined sugar in the average diet

[00:05:55] with alternative sweeteners like maple syrup

[00:05:58] will increase the total antioxidant load of the diet,

[00:06:01] similar to eating a single serving of nuts or berries.

[00:06:04] If you need to lose weight

[00:06:06] or improve your metabolic health,

[00:06:07] then you'd be better off

[00:06:08] skipping caloric sweeteners altogether,

[00:06:10] instead of going for a quote-unquote

[00:06:12] less bad version of sugar.

[00:06:15] Bottom line.

[00:06:16] There are a number of antioxidant substances

[00:06:18] found in maple syrup,

[00:06:20] but the amount is still low

[00:06:21] compared to the large amount of sugar.

[00:06:23] Maple syrup has been studied in test tubes,

[00:06:26] but no human studies are available.

[00:06:29] Numerous potentially beneficial substances

[00:06:31] have been found in maple syrup.

[00:06:33] Some of these compounds are not present

[00:06:35] in the maple tree,

[00:06:36] but they form when the sugary fluid

[00:06:38] is boiled to form the syrup.

[00:06:39] One of these is a compound called

[00:06:41] Quebecol, named after Quebec,

[00:06:44] a province in Canada

[00:06:45] that produces large amounts of maple syrup.

[00:06:47] The active compounds in maple syrup

[00:06:49] have been shown to help reduce

[00:06:50] the growth of cancer cells

[00:06:51] and may slow the breakdown of carbohydrates

[00:06:54] in the digestive tract.

[00:06:56] But really,

[00:06:56] these test tube studies are almost meaningless

[00:06:58] when it comes to human health.

[00:07:00] They tell us absolutely nothing

[00:07:01] about what happens in a living,

[00:07:03] breathing person.

[00:07:04] Keep in mind that almost all of these studies,

[00:07:07] which often make it into the media

[00:07:09] with misleading headlines,

[00:07:10] were sponsored by Canadian maple syrup producers.

[00:07:13] The bottom line,

[00:07:15] it's slightly less bad than sugar.

[00:07:18] Even though maple syrup does contain

[00:07:20] some nutrients and antioxidants,

[00:07:22] it is also very high in sugar.

[00:07:23] Calorie for calorie,

[00:07:25] and sugar gram for sugar gram,

[00:07:27] maple syrup is a very poor source of nutrients

[00:07:30] compared to real foods like vegetables,

[00:07:32] fruits, and unprocessed animal foods.

[00:07:35] Replacing refined sugar with pure,

[00:07:38] quality maple syrup

[00:07:38] is likely to yield a net health benefit,

[00:07:41] but adding it to your diet

[00:07:43] will just make things worse.

[00:07:45] Maple syrup is a less bad version of sugar,

[00:07:48] kind of like honey and coconut sugar.

[00:07:50] That does not make it healthy though.

[00:07:53] As with all sugar-based sweeteners,

[00:07:55] if you're gonna eat it,

[00:07:56] make sure to do so in moderation only.

[00:08:02] You just listened to the post titled

[00:08:04] Maple Syrup, Healthy or Unhealthy?

[00:08:07] by Chris Gunners with Healthline.com,

[00:08:10] and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:08:12] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:08:15] So the other day when my student asked me

[00:08:17] this very same question,

[00:08:18] I responded in actually a very similar way.

[00:08:21] I said, let's not get too hung up on the idea

[00:08:24] that maple syrup or even molasses

[00:08:26] may have some antioxidants and some minerals in them,

[00:08:30] but rather, let's think about how the body

[00:08:32] treats each of these substances.

[00:08:34] The body will basically treat honey,

[00:08:37] maple syrup, and molasses the same way,

[00:08:40] like sugar.

[00:08:41] So let's use a more extreme example.

[00:08:43] Let's say someone were to take a tablespoon

[00:08:46] of straight honey or molasses or maple syrup

[00:08:50] every morning because they think it's a probiotic

[00:08:54] or because they think it has antioxidants

[00:08:55] or it acts as an antibiotic.

[00:08:58] So let's say every morning,

[00:08:59] a person consumes a tablespoon

[00:09:01] of molasses, maple syrup, or even honey.

[00:09:05] If they were to do this consistently,

[00:09:06] I'm willing to bet that after, oh,

[00:09:09] a month or so of doing this practice,

[00:09:11] the person's triglyceride levels in their blood

[00:09:13] and their blood sugars aren't gonna look so good.

[00:09:16] And that's because for the most part,

[00:09:18] the body's gonna treat each of these like sugar.

[00:09:21] It's gonna process it in pretty much the same way.

[00:09:24] And so I like the author's term

[00:09:27] that maple syrup is less bad maybe than table sugar,

[00:09:31] but it really is still sugar

[00:09:33] because again, that's how the body's gonna treat it.

[00:09:36] All right, that'll do it for today.

[00:09:38] I hope you have a great rest of your Monday.

[00:09:39] I'll be back here tomorrow as always,

[00:09:41] where your optimal life awaits.