Maple syrup latest natural sweetener to be touted as a health food

Quebec producers are promoting maple syrup as a health food after a group of scientists say they've identified 54 new compounds in the natural sweetener, many of which have antioxidant properties.

In lab studies commissioned by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, researchers from the University of Rhode Island found that the compounds acted as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents. Initial studies also suggest that maple compounds may "inhibit" the enzymes involved in the conversion of carbohydrate to sugar and could help manage Type 2 diabetes - even moreso than berries.

The study was funded by the federation who produce 80 percent of the world's total output.

"It is a one-stop shop for these beneficial compounds, several of which are also found in berries, tea, red wine and flaxseed," said lead researcher Navindra Seeram in a statement.

"Not all sweeteners are created equal. When choosing a sweetener, pure maple syrup may be a better choice because of the range of antioxidant compounds not found in other sweeteners."

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in California March 30, and were published in the Journal of Functional Foods.

In their research, scientists also uncovered five new antioxidants that have never before been identified in nature including one polyphenol they named Quebecol, in honor of the province which produces maple syrup. 

But in an interview with Canadian media outlet Postmedia, Joe Schwarcz, director of the McGill University Office for Science and Society in Montreal, slammed the study for presenting a skewed angle that promoted "rumpled thinking" and called it irresponsible.

"To suggest that maple syrup is healthy because it contains a number of phenolic compounds is rumpled thinking that needs to be straightened out. Phenolics are not rare - they are abundant in fruits and vegetables," he told Postmedia.

Scientists have long been commissioned to find health benefits in natural sweeteners. In a study published last summer in the print edition of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, scientists discovered that honey is able to kill bacteria thanks to a protein that bees add in the honey-making process. Researchers proposed that honey could be used to treat burns and skin infections.

Meanwhile, if consumers are going to use a sweetener for pancakes, Seeram says that real maple syrup is the healthier alternative compared to commercial products made from fructose corn syrup.