Potential New Benefit Of Pure Maple Syrup On Liver Health

[ElaineM]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/234383.php (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/234383.php)

What about the glucose/sugar content of maple syrup?
What do you think Tanya?

[TanyaRD]

I have heard this from patients (had one gentleman with pancreatic cancer who was taking this) but feel sufficient evidence is lacking to demonstrate definitive correlation. I see no harm in having a little maple syrup from time to time but it is still a simple sugar with little known benefit.

[ElaineM]

Yes. I wondered about the sugar content. That is why I was wondering if it really works or not. For now I will stick to lots of good veggies that are good for everything including the liver.

[chrisy]

I wonder if the concept is that it (like, supposedly Agave) has a different metabolic profile than "sugar" which I took to mean refined table sugar.

Either way, it made me feel better and I went out to trader joes and bought some pure maple sugar just in case. Tastes so much better than the other stuff and now the cost seems more justified. As someone with elevated liver functions from chemo, I might just turn myself into a human guinea pig on this as I have frequent labs done.

My oncology nurse didn't believe the carrot salad/green soup and juice thing until I proved it...she'll love this one even more.

[ElaineM]

Good point Chrisy. I think Maple Syrup is supposed to have good minerals, so it might do some good in the body despite the sugar content. I am going to do a search and report back if I find something worth talking about. Sometimes oncology nurses and oncologists don't know alot about the more natural remedies. We have to be patient with those folks. Smile.
Your green soup sounds like the green soup recipe my aunt gave me. It is supposed to be good for the eyes, because it has alot of lutein, but I bet it is also good for the liver since it has alot of dark green veggies and carrots.

[rhondalea]

I had a terrible, gnawing craving for waffles, so I used this study to justify the purchase of maple syrup and organic whole wheat pancake mix. To the pancake mix, I added protein powder for an extra boost.

The mistake was the "whole wheat" part--I ended up with two dry and grainy pancakes that were reasonably nutrient-rich, but otherwise inedible.

Craving still raging, I then bought a box of Eggo buttermilk waffles as well as a package of Jimmy Dean sausages. It was a feast (if you can call two waffles and two sausages a feast). Given all that self-indulgence, I at least had the consolation of knowing that the maple syrup I poured on is good for me.

More seriously, as far as I'm concerned, sugar is sugar is sugar. I mean, it's nice that certain sugars have some nutritional value--and as a sop to the common wisdom, those are the ones I use on the rare occasions I add sugar to what I'm eating--but having experienced the effects of both a high and low sugar diet, I feel a whole lot better on the latter. Seems to me the rats would've been better served if the scientists had removed all the syrup and replaced it with fresh fruits instead. (Rats love a wide variety of fruits--ours would eat any we would deign to share, including prunes.)

Still, my waffles tasted awfully good, so it was worth deluding myself for the time it took to heat and eat them. :)

[ElaineM]

I looked it up. Maple Syrup is going to remain a once a year treat for me----------maybe on my birthday perhaps.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5602/2
Don't eat maple syrup before a pet scan for sure !! Smile !! Everything will light up !!!!!!!!!
Maple syrup does have a fair amount of minerals, but the rest is not good news, except for the taste, which is great.
The waffles and syrup sound delicious Rhoudalea. We all deserve a treat once in awhile.
I get fairly healthy frozen waffles from the health food store and pop them in the toaster. Frozen waffles with fresh or frozen fruit, yoghurt or almond butter are good. I try. I am not perfect. Smile again.

[rhondalea]

Well, I can't make it a "once a year treat" until I use up the bottle, but I will try to find a better use for the remainder. Get thee behind me, maple syrup!

I eat junk food once in a blue moon, so I carefully scrutinized every box of "good" waffles in the freezer case, but in the end, my mouth won over my good sense, and I bought the Eggos anyway. (Savoring every bite.)

But that's not why I'm posting right now. (It is impossible for me to make a post without a digression of some kind, and I'm even worse in person.) I wanted to add this link, which has a ton of information about maple syrup:

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=115

The George Mateljan Foundation is my favorite site for in-depth information about specific foods.