Maple Syrup: Great for Your Mouth, Great for Your Health

Do you love eating sweets? Sure, sugar can quickly energize you, but it doesn’t last for long. In fact, too much sugar is bad for your health. Processed white sugar causes tooth decay, cholesterol buildup, and decrease of B-vitamin levels in the body. The body needs nutrients and fiber for better functioning, and sugar doesn’t have any of them. It is rich in calories, which are stored as fats when they’re not used by the body.

There’s a healthier alternative that’s just as sweet as sugar: maple syrup. You can still satisfy your craving for sweet foods while keeping your body healthy by making maple syrup a part of your daily diet. You can find many uses for maple syrup in your daily life including maple candy and maple cookies ideas. An amber liquid with viscous consistency made from maple tree sap, maple syrup provides a lot of health benefits. Although it’s rich in sugar, maple syrup is a healthier sweetener than sugar. Compared to honey and sugar, maple syrup has fewer calories and more minerals. A ¼ cup of maple syrup contains more calcium than milk and more potassium than a banana. Maple syrup is a rich source of phosphorous, iron, and B vitamins, which are very essential to your health. In addition to that, substituting sugar in favor of maple syrup lessens your chance of developing illnesses.

Because it contains manganese, maple syrup can help improve your energy production and antioxidant defenses. Aside from being an antioxidant, manganese also facilitates healing and reduces inflammations. Just one ounce of maple syrup a day can provide 22 percent of the recommended amount of manganese in the body. The manganese content of maple syrup is good for the immune system. Maple syrup is also an excellent source of zinc, a mineral that can boost immune defenses. Zinc is also good for the heart. An essential trace mineral, zinc can minimize the likelihood of heart problems such as stroke, heart attack, and atherosclerosis or the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries. When it comes to reproductive health, men benefit a lot from maple syrup since its zinc content reduces the risk of prostate cancer. On the other hand, manganese in maple syrup contributes to sex hormone production in men.

Maple syrup is not dangerous to health compared to processed white sugar. In fact, it has a very low sodium content (2 mg. per 50 mL. serving). Thus, maple syrup is safe for people suffering from diabetes, kidney disease, or hypertension. Maple syrup is free from substances such as oxalates, goitrogens, and purines that can get in the way of proper bodily functions. And it doesn’t trigger any allergic reaction.

Sweet taste and good health can go hand in hand when you use maple syrup as a substitute to unhealthy sugar. Thus, it pays to lessen your intake of sugar and make sure that you buy your own supply of maple syrup on your next visit at the local supermarket. Making sure that you have maple syrup can mean the difference between an unhealthy and a healthy you.