Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of the maple tree, especially trees like the sugar maple, black maple or the red maple. Different maple syrups are graded differently based on their sucrose content and a compulsory percentage of maple syrup. Maple syrup is often considered a healthy way to sweeten food as opposed to plain sugar. If you look at the information & facts of maple syrup, you will realize that, like honey, it also contains minerals and other nutrients. Maple syrup contains manganese and zinc along with some calcium, copper and iron.
The manganese in the syrup helps your body boost its antioxidants which in turn build immunity and defenses. The zinc helps prevent atherosclerosis and the build-up of LDL or the bad cholesterol.
There are many health benefits of maple syrup. The biggest is that it is a natural sweetener. Maple syrup is also used for many different alternative treatments which have had progress but have little scientific evidence to base them on. Maple syrup is used for a treatment in cancer. Maple syrup with baking soda or soda bicarbonate is an alternate treatment that is believed to target cancer cells or deliver chemotherapy naturally. In this cancer treatment, the soda is combined with the syrup which binds and forms a compound. Cancer cells need glucose to grow so once the maple syrup is ingested the cancerous cells automatically absorb the maple syrup. The soda in the combined syrup targets the alkaline balance in the cancer cells, killing it. Though this treatment sounds simple and has apparently worked, you should not disregard actual treatment in favor of this remedy.
As maple syrup is an almost naturally occurring sweetener, it is also good for diabetes. Diabetics can include a little in their meal as it even provides some nutrition along with sweetness. Additionally, maple syrup is also known to contain a phytohormone called abscissic acid which is known to have an effect like insulin, on the blood. Though unconfirmed yet, maple syrup can help regulate blood glucose levels up to a point.
Maple syrup is often used in fad diet for weight loss. There are many detoxification programs that use maple syrup with apple juice and cayenne pepper as a detoxification liquid. More than losing weight and suppressing your appetite, this liquid cleans out your body and in turn, helps you lose some weight. This is not a very nutritious diet for long term use.
Maple syrup also works on improving the condition of your hair. Ingesting it improves its texture and density. Applying it on dry, fizzy hair before shampooing can cure split ends and frizzy hair.
Eating too much of any form of sugar is bad for acne.
Side Effects Of Maple Syrup
The effects on health of maple syrup, especially the maple syrup or the lemonade diet are quite dire. The long term implications are quite unfortunate and long lasting.
This diet creates a big nutritional deficiency.
Sticking to this diet can lead to depletion of energy reserves, causing fatigue. This is primarily because of deprived nutrition, dehydration and frequent bowel movements, which are results of the diet.
Nausea is also a big side effect of the diet.
Due to constant lack of food and nutrition, following the maple syrup diet can also lead to a reduced mental function. Loss of concentration and focus is quite common.