Eat your maple syrup!

[Rhiamon]

Is maple syrup the new super food? - The Globe and Mail


YEAH eat your maple syrup to bad to real stuff is so expensive!!!!

[melodys]

Yay! I love maple syrup and now I have the excuse that it is good for me

[Dancing Lotus]

I use it in place of honey in baked goods. I do hate paying for it but I just find other ways to cut back

[HappyMama]

I use it in place of honey in baked goods. I do hate paying for it but I just find other ways to cut back

I do the same exact thing. But love my honey as well I buy it the gallon. When we use for pancakes etc it is such a strong great flavor, we only have to use a little.

[Contrary Housewife]

I love maple syrup, but I need to see more details before I buy into the idea that it is some kind of health food. It's 99.99% sugar, after all. Trace elements do not a health food make.

[HappyMama]

As long the syrup is not laced with para-formaldehyde which is used as biocide to prevent mold growth in tree cuts. Or the gassing methods some use in the US. Studies have shown that it is best to get organic ( if in US), grade B , there are more minerals, and enzymes in it.


The minerals, chemical make up and enzymes of these natural sugars, or even organic turbinado help your body and teeth with the sugar to a point, compared with Franken foods. Sugar is sugar but will take natural over Franken, gassed, chemical laden white sugar , HCFS or any of the other new fangled chem sugar any day. When people started replacing many of the things in nature with a chem lab version we started seeing more degenerative diseases as well as dental decay. We use so very little sugar , honey or maple syrup that I can cut sugar in the recipes in half and sometimes it is still too sweet. So we do eat junk food but just of our own making Tons of sugar isn't good for anyone natural or otherwise, so cut down in recipes and use the good kinds to make a better taste in your day to day products.


Grade B Maple Syrup is an excellent source of the mineral Manganese, which is an essential cofactor in a great number of enzymes that help to produce energy and also support antioxidant defense. The oxidative enzyme 'superoxide dismutase' disarms free radicals within the mitochondria (the factories within our cells that produce energy) and requires 'Manganese' to operate. Just one ounce of Grade B maple syrup supplies up to 22% of the daily value for this mineral. Manganese also plays a significant role in eliminating fatty acids and cholesterol by being a catalyst in synthesis.

As well as being a great source of this wonderful mineral, it is also a terrific source of Zinc. Zinc not only acts as an antioxidant, but also an immune system supporter and is very beneficial to the function of the heart. Many immune cells depend upon zinc in order to function optimally. This mineral is a necessity for proper function of endothelial cells in the blood vessels and helps to prevent damage caused by oxidized cholesterol.

The vitamins present in pure Grade B maple syrup are PP (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B2 (Riboflavin), Folic Acid, B6 (Pyridoxine), Biotin, and Vitamin A. Vitamins are essential, organic nutrients that serve as vital helpers in cell function. Niacin participates in the energy metabolism of every body cell and is unique among the B vitamins in that the body can make it directly from protein. Two other B vitamins - pantothenic acid and biotin - are also very important in energy metabolism. Pantothenic acid was first recognized as a substance that stimulates growth. It is a component of a key enzyme that makes possible the release of energy from the energy nutrients. Riboflavin also facilitates energy production in the body.

Organic Grade B Maple syrup not only contains trace amounts of these vitamin and minerals, but also amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. Vitamin B6 has long been known to play roles in protein and amino acid metabolism. In the cells, vitamin B6 helps to convert one kind of amino acid, which the cells have in abundance, to another, which they need in larger amounts. Vitamin A is a versatile vitamin, playing diverse roles in vision, mantnance of body linings and skin, and immune defenses.

[lparker]

Pretty informative post, but if non-organic syrup costs $45 a gallon, how much is the organic? I used to buy a couple gallons from one of my neighbors every year. I quit after it hit $40. I use homemade applesauce on my pancakes now. The only time I get real syrup is when we go to the Grange pancake breakfast...twice this winter...my wife just went back on the Atkin's diet after a month off.

[HappyMama]

Pretty informative post, but if non-organic syrup costs $45 a gallon, how much is the organic? I used to buy a couple gallons from one of my neighbors every year. I quit after it hit $40. I use homemade applesauce on my pancakes now. The only time I get real syrup is when we go to the Grange pancake breakfast...twice this winter...my wife just went back on the Atkin's diet after a month off.

I don't always buy organic , I do make sure I know my farmer though. Yes it can get expensive I buy from a farmer at my co-op. Mine was 47.00 organic B, but have bought Vermont Organic B gallon that has been on sale for 54.00 a gallon. I have gotten for as low as Grade B 35.00 gallon, not organic but know the farmer and good practices. He is making more now , actually and I just put my order in.


Since the production of natural maple syrup is so extensive and sometimes time consuming, farmers have developed techniques to speed up and increase the collection of maple sap. Even though formaldehyde is illiegal but according to many reports is still used illegally. Paraformaldehyde pellets may be inserted into the tap holes to prevent sap from clotting and clogging holes. Some residue of this poison may therefore be present in non-organic maple syrup, and this procedure may also shorten the overall lifespan of the trees.

Another concern is the potential danger of lead being present in the maple syrup. Some maple sap collectors use pans and buckets which have seams and patches that are soldered with lead. The maple syrup can also pick up lead from seams and containers used for packing and storage.

[livefreebrewfree]

I'm pretty sure the amount of sugar you'd consume in order to even get the benefits from the syrup seriously outweighs the benefits of the minerals you would consume. New fads like this is what confuses people when they try and eat healthy. Everyone is coming out with new studies that say this food and that food are now considered healthy. One thing that has never changed, eat lean meats/fish, keep the refined sugar out, eat plenty of veggies and fruit (raw if possible), and you'll be healthy as can be. No need to be fussing over the next "super food".

That being said, I do love a little pure maple syrup on my stuffed french toast on my one Sunday a month that I indulge myself.

[pollypurebred39]

Thanks HappyMama, I don't know any maple syrup farmers, so I'll stick with organic from now on.

[eris]

Earlier this week someone posted a FREE half gallon of REAL maple syrup on Freecycle. A family member had given it to them, and they prefer Mrs. Butterworths (??!!!). Of course, I didnt see it until after it said Taken.