What is useful for maple syrup — 4 proven properties and methods of application

Maple syrup is a concentrate maple juice . It has a pleasant taste and aroma, and can be an excellent alternative to the usual white sugar.

The product contains a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which makes it useful for the health of the body.

What is maple syrup?

Maple syrup is a natural sweetener made from sugar maple juice. Usually the product is used as an additive to confectionery (cookies, waffles) or ice cream, less often it is added to tea or coffee as natural sweetener .

The world's main producer of maple syrup is Canada (about 75%), followed by some US states (New York, Vermont, Nebraska).

The manufacturing process is as follows:

1. Collecting maple juice. For this purpose, a hole is drilled in the trunk of a maple tree, from which juice is collected through tubes.
2. Juice thickening. The juice is boiled for a long time. To get 1 liter of syrup, you need over 40 liters of juice.
3. Conservation and packaging.

The resulting "concentrate" is rich in useful sugars (dextrose), vitamins and minerals.

4 useful properties

Maple syrup saturated vitamins (C, PP), minerals (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron), as well as antioxidant substances. An additional advantage is a low calorie content (about 260 calories per 100 grams).

Due to its rich composition, maple syrup has benefits for humans. Let's focus on it in more detail (based on scientific sources of information).

1. Strengthens bones

Maple syrup is a rich source of calcium and phosphorus for the body. Minerals activate metabolic processes and increase mineral Bone strength .

The use of the product instead of sugar is recommended for the elderly, as well as for women after menopause. Osteoporosis (decreased bone strength) associated with pathological fractures is common in these categories of citizens.

2. It has an antioxidant effect

As part of maple juice present a lot of antioxidants that are not destroyed by heat treatment.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that are formed during oxidative stress. These "aggressive" molecules can cause cell destruction, increase the likelihood of chronic pathologies and even malignant tumors.

It is important to note that with sufficient levels of antioxidants in the diet, autoimmune diseases from the thyroid gland and kidneys are less common.

3. Reduces blood sugar levels

Despite the high energy value and abundance of carbohydrates in the composition, the active ingredients of maple syrup reduce the concentration of glucose in blood plasma.

The effect is provided by the following effects:

1. Slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates. The absorption of sugars when taken with maple syrup slows down significantly, which prevents sudden spikes in blood glucose.
2. Reduction of insulin resistance. The main pathogenetic mechanism of the formation of type II diabetes mellitus is a decrease in the sensitivity of peripheral tissues (muscle and fat) to insulin, i.e. the development and increase of insulin resistance.

Systematic use of the product is recommended for people suffering from type II diabetes mellitus to alleviate the course of the disease and reduce the doses of medications taken. It is permissible to use maple syrup in order to prevent the development of this pathology.

4. Improves the health of the cardiovascular system

Maple syrup is rich source of potassium and magnesium , antioxidants.

Potassium reduces blood pressure level, facilitating the course and preventing the development of hypertension.

Magnesium regulates metabolic processes in the myocardium, allowing the heart to work smoothly and preventing the appearance of arrhythmias.

Antioxidants reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and increase the resistance of the inner wall of the arteries to the introduction of cholesterol crystals.

As a result, there are no prerequisites for the development of diseases associated with atherosclerosis (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, chronic cerebral ischemia).

Possible harm

Irrational use of syrup can harm your health. Side effects include:

1. Poisoning. Syrup is a concentrate of maple juice, which may contain toxic substances accumulated by maple from the soil and the surrounding air (pesticides, heavy metal salts). It is recommended to carefully choose the manufacturer of the product, and when preparing it yourself, collect juice from trees remote from major roads and enterprises, farms.
2. Allergic reactions. Develop when the body is sensitized to certain components of syrup or to pollen of some trees (cross-allergy). They occur with skin lesions (urticaria) or at the systemic level (anaphylaxis).

Syrup is not contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is better not to give the product to children under 14 years of age.

Step-by-step recipe

It's easy to make syrup at home. The main stages can be represented as follows:

1. Juice collection. To do this, drill a small hole in the trunk of the maple (diameter up to 1 cm, depth up to 15 cm), insert the tube and wait for the juice to fill the desired container. It is better to perform manipulations in early spring, this will have a positive effect on the organoleptic parameters of the juice. After harvesting, it is important to seal the hole with a cork or mastic, otherwise the tree may die.
2. Evaporation. Excess liquid must be removed from the collected juice. On average, it is recommended to cook a 3-5 liter container of juice over medium or high heat for about 2 hours.
3. Defending. The resulting composition should stand for 2-3 hours. During this time, it will cool completely and acquire a transparent color.
4. Sediment removal. It is recommended to pour the juice into any glass container, straining through gauze. This will remove useless impurities formed on the bottom.

It is better to cook the syrup yourself. This saves a lot of money and allows you to be sure of its origin.

Tips for use

Let's focus on some rules for the proper use of maple syrup:

1. How to store. After cooking, the syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 months, when preserved at room temperature – up to six months.
2. What to drink with. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener. It can be added to drinks, sweet desserts and confectionery.
3. How much is possible per day . It is not recommended to consume more than 40-50 ml of syrup per day (provided that refined white sugar is completely eliminated).

Conclusion

1. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener. It contains vitamins, minerals and some antioxidants.
2. The product prevents the development of chronic pathologies, mainly from the cardiovascular and endocrine systems; fights cancer, and also strengthens bones.
3. Syrup can cause harm to health with irrational rationing of consumption.
4. The product can be prepared at home. To do this, you need to extract the juice from the tree trunk yourself, it is better to do this in early spring.