Last updated:November 23, 2024, 2:37 PM IST

A study has now revealed that maple syrup can definitely be used as a smarter sweetener.

Maple syrup has been part of diets for a long time.

Made from the sap of maple trees, maple syrup has been part of diets for a long time. There have been many discussions about the benefits of maple syrup and whether it can be used as a perfect ingredient for losing weight. Although there is no concrete evidence of the optimal benefits of maple syrup, a study has now shown that it can definitely be used as a smarter sweetener. A study led by Dr. Andre Marette, Laval University, revealed the potential benefits of maple syrup and how it can also prevent metabolic diseases. “Replacing refined sugar with maple syrup in individuals with mild metabolic changes results in a significantly greater reduction in key cardiometabolic risk factors compared to substitution with sucrose syrup, in association with specific changes in gut microbiota,” the study reads. “The role of gut microbiota in these effects remains to be further investigated,” it further added.

The study was conducted in 42 obese adults with mild cardiometabolic changes in a randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover trial, and participants were instructed to replace 5 percent of their total caloric intake from added sugars with either maple syrup or an artificially flavored sucrose syrup for 8 weeks. It was claimed that the trial included two 8-week intervention periods separated by a 4-week washout period and preceded by a 2-week lifestyle stabilization period.

The study claimed that “replacing refined sugar with maple syrup for 8 weeks reduced the glucose area under the curve compared to replacing refined sugar with sucrose syrup, as determined during the oral glucose tolerance test, leading to a significant difference between the intervention arms ( −50.59 ± 201.92 compared to 29.93 ± 154.90; 0.047).”

It was found, according to the study, that “replacing refined sugar with maple syrup helped reduce android fat mass (−7.83 ± 175.05 g vs. 67.61 ± 206.71 g; P = 0.02) and systolic blood pressure (−2.72 ± 8.73 mm Hg vs. 0.87 ± 8.99 mm Hg; P = 0.03).” At the same time, it was noted that no changes in the blood lipid profile were observed after the study.