Q: Does maple syrup have more benefits than sugar?
A: If you’ve been looking for a way to cut sugar out of your diet without giving up sweetness, you may have heard that maple syrup is a good substitute. Some studies show that the antioxidant plant nutrients in maple syrup, called phenols, are good for your health. Free radicals, which are bad for your health, are hard to get rid of without antioxidants.
Because of the nutrients listed above, maple syrup is my favorite type of sugar. It can be used with whole grains (like buckwheat pancakes) to add fiber and stop insulin and blood sugar levels from going up and down. Just make sure you use pure maple syrup. Many maple syrups you can buy in stores are just sugary syrups that taste like maple.
Even though it has the same number of calories and carbs as sugar, maple syrup has a lower glycemic index. Also, maple syrup is usually sweeter than other kinds, so you could use less of it. But, as with all sugar, moderation is key.
Still, we need to do more research before we call maple syrup the next superfood. Some studies don’t look at how maple syrup affects insulin or blood sugar levels. Maple syrup is a sugar that doesn’t have any fibre attached to it. If you eat too much of it, your blood sugar and insulin will go up and down. This could make you hungry, make you gain weight, or cause other health problems.
So, maple syrup can be a good substitute for sugar, but I can’t yet tell my patients that it’s the “healthy choice.”
If you want to get healthier, you’ll get a lot more for your money by eating green leafy vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and other staples of the Mediterranean diet. Several studies show that eating these foods lowers your risk of getting a long-term illness.