Sweet Health Benefits of Maple Syrup

Go ahead and pour real maple syrup all over your pancakes. Not only will it be more delicious than the fake stuff, but you'll be doing your body a big favor.

Maple syrup is already known to contain trace amounts of B vitamins and amino acids as well as the minerals: calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. However, new research has uncovered an astonishing sweet surprise.

While studying Canadian maple syrup, Navindra Seeram, a researcher at The University of Rhode Island, found that it contains 54 beneficial compounds. Several of these compounds posses anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, known for fighting cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses.

Ironically, scientists found that phenolics found in this naturally sweet syrup inhibit two carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes that are important to managing Type 2 diabetes.

This mix of beneficial compounds is likened to an anti-oxidant cocktail, possessing some properties that are found in berries, some that are found in tea and some that are found in flaxseed, says Seeram.

Adding a touch of maple syrup at the start of your day may give new meaning to breakfast of champions.

This post is linked to Fight Back Fridays.