Want Antioxidants? Eat Maple Syrup

Everyone knows that if you want to make sure that you get a lot of antioxidants then you need to eat a lot of blueberries. However, blueberries are not the only food that contains antioxidants. In fact, you can find these health-boosting goodies in some surprising places. For example, a new study has determined that maple syrup is a very good source of antioxidants.

More information about the study

The aforementioned study was completed at the University of Rhode Island by a team headed up by Dr. Navindra Seeram who is an assistant professor in the school’s biomedical and pharmaceutical company. Dr. Seeram was working off of the knowledge that the maple tree includes antioxidants. He believed that this might also mean that the sap of the tree could include antioxidants, which in turn would mean that some types of maple syrup might be rich in antioxidants. The study lasted for two years and cost approximately $115,000 in grant money which suggests that quite thorough research was done. The result of the study was that Dr. Seeram turned out to be correct; some types of maple syrup are antioxidant-rich.

Other health benefits of maple syrup

Maple syrup has been shown to have other health benefits in addition to the fact that it contains antioxidants. It includes healthy levels of zinc, magnesium and calcium, which all offer terrific health benefits. Maple syrup has been used to lower blood pressure, relieve stomach pain and improve your immune system. Additionally, the zinc in maple syrup has been shown to have reproductive benefits for men.

Choosing the right maple syrup

It’s important to make sure that you choose the right maple syrup if you want to get the benefits of the product. Many of the bottles of maple syrup that you find on the supermarket shelves are made with chemicals and other products. You want to choose real 100% pure maple syrup. You will discover that this maple syrup is usually more expensive than the other types of maple syrup but it’s the kind that is healthiest for you. It’s rich in antioxidants and doesn’t have the negative side effects of maple syrup that includes other unhealthy ingredients (such as high fructose corn syrup). The study itself was done using 100% pure Canadian maple syrup.

How to use maple syrup to get antioxidants

Maple syrup is a terrific healthy food. However, you obviously wouldn’t eat it by the spoonful. So how do you get a healthy dose of maple syrup into your diet? You’ll want to start using it as a sweetener, replacing sugar with maple syrup. Add it to tea or use a dash over your cereal in the morning. You can also add maple syrup to glazes which can then be placed on vegetables or meat. Maple syrup can even be added to rice and pasta sauces. Look for creative ways to add maple syrup to your every day healthy diet in small but regular doses. Make sure that you don’t compromise the rest of your diet as you add in this sweetener.