Life is best in moderation. Any time we can make healthier food choices that still taste great, we try to do so. Which is why we substitute maple syrup for refined cane sugars or other sweeteners whenever possible. We like the locally sourced, natural, healthy (yes, healthy!) sweetness it provides.
Maple syrup actually has MANY health benefits. (When was the last time you read that about sugar?!) Maple syrup is lower on the glycemic index than sugar or honey, so it has less of an impact on your blood sugar. It’s a completely natural product and is often truly organic. It’s also full of minerals like riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. All of which are needed for our daily functioning and general well-being.
Maple syrup is full of manganese. Now, you might be thinking, “What’s manganese and why do we need it?” At least that’s what I was wondering. So I did a little research.
I will start by stating that I am not a medical professional, have had no medical training, and these statements are simply based on the information I gathered from reading a variety of reputable sources. So, keep that in mind!
Manganese is a mineral that our body needs to support our brains, nervous system and enzyme systems. Manganese is suspected to do everything from improving brain function, reducing the symptoms of PMS, regulating your blood sugar and reducing inflammation. It’s stored in our bodies, but we don’t naturally create it, so we need to get manganese from the foods we eat. There are many foods that contain manganese, but maple syrup is a really versatile source that can be used in so many ways, making it an easy way to get the minerals we need.
Want to know more about the health benefits of maple? Below are a few links full of information and related research articles.
Here are a few links to information on the health benefits of manganese.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/manganese-benefits#section11
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=19&contentid=Manganese
Here’s a link to the health benefits of maple syrup in general, from one of our local equipment suppliers, Bascom’s Maple.
Finally, a link from the Maine Maple Producers Association on the health benefits of maple syrup.
https://mainemapleproducers.com/blog/nutrition-the-9-health-benefits-of-maple-syrup-