Real Maple Syrup

Real Maple Syrup is now considered a whole food and not just a sweetener. Yes, maple syrup consists of the simple sugars fructose, sucrose and glucose. However, because of this balance of types of sugars, pure maple syrup is less likely to lead to fat accumulation when compared to refined, white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. A single serving of pure maple syrup is also high in manganese, magnesium, zinc, calcium, thiamine, organic acids, antioxidants and trace amounts of amino acids (protein).

Recent studies have shown that maple syrup contains various phenolic compounds such as lignans and coumarin. The term phenol refers to a large group of chemical compounds found in plants. Phenols exhibit protective properties and have high antioxidant profiles, both known to mitigate tumor development.

Lignans are considered to be one of the main protective factors that cause vegetarian diets and other diets high in plant foods to be protective against cancer. A study published in the September 2004 issue of the “International Journal of Cancer” (as well as other studies) established a correlation between diets that produce a high amount of lignans and reduced risk of cancer. The most well-known “high lignin” food is flaxseed.

Coumarin has blood-thinning, anti-fungicidal and anti-tumor activities. It helps increase the blood flow in the veins and decreases capillary permeability. Coumarin is a phytochemical with a vanilla like flavor and is responsible for the sweet smell of new mown hay. Coumarin is found in several plants, including lavender, licorice, strawberries, apricots, cherries, cinnamon, and sweet clover.

In 2014, researchers at University of Rhode Island discovered 34 new beneficial compounds in maple syrup. This brings the total to 54 beneficial compounds, 5 of which have never before been seen in nature. A Japanese study done at the University of Tokyo determined that real maple syrup actually supports liver function.

Similar to molasses, maple syrup is tapped from trees with deep roots that go beyond the mineral depleted top soil. Mineral deficiency is a major contributing factor in almost EVERY disease process. Even our organic produce is not as nutrient dense as it was 100 years ago.

SUGAR FEEDS CANCER

There are numerous studies proving the fact that “sugar” not only feeds cancer but many times induces it. So how is it that we are now seeing foods like dates, honey and now maple syrup as “anti-cancer” foods?

It is important to be aware of the fact that the refined, white “sugar” of the past century is not the sugar of our ancestors. In fact, before sugar was genetically modified and stripped of all its natural vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients, “sweet,” in and of itself, was not considered to be “disease causing” in any culture.

Food is fuel, but more importantly it is a source of information that has gene-modulatory and regulatory functions. Food functions as both a delivery system and a source for a set of co-factors for appropriate metabolism and utilization. Reducing whole foods down to just their macro or micro nutrient components ignores the synergistic capabilities of that whole food. A “sugar” will behave far differently when it is consumed in isolation than when it is consumed within a whole food.

It is also prudent to mention that the western diet is known to contain biologically inappropriate quantities of processed and refined sugars.

A recent study (Feb. 2015) performed by Japanese researchers and published in the Journal of Oncology, titled “Inhibitory effect of maple syrup on the cell growth and invasion of human colorectal cancer cells,” revealed that the commonly used sweetener, maple syrup, inhibits the growth and invasion of human colorectal cancer cells.

Side note: Raw honey, also considered a whole food, does not act like regular “sugar” either. In fact, not only does honey not appear to act as a “fuel” for aerobic glycolysis (the preferred metabolic mode of cancer cells), but instead seems to have potential as an anti-cancer agent.

The Japanese study found that the maple syrup samples that were the darkest were most effective at inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. Based on Canadian standards, maple syrup is classified into five grades as follows: AA (extra light), grade A (light), grade B (medium), grade C (amber), and grade D (dark) (19). The syrup typically becomes darker in color as the season progresses, and antioxidant activity is proportional to the darkening color of the maple syrup. The “lower” the grade of the syrup, the more potent the antioxidants and its potential as a therapeutic agent.

Another important observation is that the maple syrup had no effect on the proliferation of normal colonic epithelial cells. This means maple syrup exhibits selective cytoxicity, a property which is absent in conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy interventions. This is an extremely important difference as research is now showing that most cancer patients die from the conventional interventions and not the cancer itself.

Try it in these recipes:

Golden Pecan Ice Cream

Raw Ginger Snap Cookies

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Bites

Raw Cranberry Maple Granola