Is Maple Syrup Healthy?
Published: January 4, 2023
Updated: April 13, 2023
Is there a more iconic pancake topping than maple syrup? This delicious sweetener is a pantry staple and also commonly used as a substitute for sugar. It’s often advertised as a healthier alternative to sugar, but that isn’t always the reality. In this article, we’ll explain more about the healthfulness of maple syrup and how to fit it into your diet.
What is Maple Syrup?
Maple syrup is made from the sap of the sugar maple tree. It should not have any other ingredients added to it. The different classifications of maple syrup (Grade A, Grade B) correspond to the color and flavor of the syrup.
Health Benefits
It is true that maple syrup is healthier than refined sugar – but that doesn’t mean it is objectively healthy. Maple syrup has a higher mineral and antioxidant content than refined sugar.1 Maple syrup is high in zinc and manganese, but you would have to eat a lot of it to get a significant amount of these minerals. It also has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, which means it won’t cause such a big spike in your blood sugar.2
Health ‘Risks’
These beneficial properties still don’t make maple syrup a healthy food. Maple syrup is mostly made of sugar and contains no fiber. Consuming high amounts of sugar raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and heart problems.3 So, it is important to limit your consumption of maple syrup.
Alternatives to Maple Syrup
Although maple syrup can be considered to be a ‘healthy’ alternative to refined sugar, you still might want to look for a healthier alternative. To the body, sugar is sugar, no matter whether it’s maple syrup, honey or agave nectar. Honey is actually higher in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar content. It contains some vitamins, but like maple syrup, you would have to eat a lot of it to get the benefits.4 Similarly, agave nectar is very high in sugars, but is not high in vitamins or minerals.5
If you’re still thinking about the pancakes we mentioned at the beginning of the article, we have some ideas for healthy toppings. Melted peanut butter with cinnamon is a great option. This is lightly sweet, flavorful, and the peanut butter won’t cause your blood sugar to spike. Plus, peanuts are a good source of heart-healthy fats (6). Another option is a fruit jam or preserves with little added sugars. You’ll get lots of healthy vitamins from eating fruit and it is relatively low in calories.
Conclusion
To sum up, it’s a good idea to think of maple syrup as better alternative to refined sugar, but not an objectively healthy food. If you were to replace all of the refined sugar in your diet with maple syrup, your diet would probably be slightly healthier for it, but adding maple syrup to your diet if you don’t already eat it (and making no other changes) is not recommended. Like refined sugar, maple syrup should be consumed in moderation.
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References
1. Legault J, Girard-Lalancette K, Grenon C, Dussault C, Pichette A. Antioxidant activity, inhibition of nitric oxide overproduction, and in vitro antiproliferative effect of maple sap and syrup from Acer saccharum. J Med Food. 2010;13(2):460-468. doi:10.1089/jmf.2009.0029
2. INTEGRIS Health. Is maple syrup better than sugar? Integrisok.com. Published June 28, 2022. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2022/june/is-maple-syrup-better-than-sugar
3. Rippe JM, Angelopoulos TJ. Relationship between added sugars consumption and chronic disease risk factors: Current understanding. Nutrients. 2016;8(11):697. doi:10.3390/nu8110697
4. United States Department of Agriculture. Honey. FoodData central. Published October 30, 2020. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1103956/nutrients
5. United States Department of Agriculture. Sweetener, syrup, agave. FoodData central. Published April 1, 2019. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170277/nutrients
6. United States Department of Agriculture. Peanut butter. FoodData central. Published October 30, 2020. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1100559/nutrients