April 6, 2011 – Maple syrup from Quebec has the potential of a superfood, thanks to certain molecules with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.
This is what researchers from the University of Rhode Island said at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS)1-2 recently held in Anaheim, California.
Thus, from a 20-liter sample of maple syrup from Quebec, the researchers identified around twenty new active compounds, mainly from the polyphenol family.
One of these new molecules was even baptized with the name of “Quebecol”, in honor of the origin of the syrup from which it is derived.2.
These new molecules discovered in maple syrup would be more “active” than those found in blueberries, according to the researchers. On the other hand, their concentration would be up to 100 times less.
Thus, the mere consumption of maple syrup would not make it possible to derive any benefit from these new compounds on health. So maple syrup is not a superfood in itself, but its extracts could be.
It is believed that this discovery would create functional foods, or even drugs for people with diabetes or people with colorectal cancer.
Sugar better tolerated by diabetics?
Yves Desjardins
According to Yves Desjardins, professor of phytology at Laval University, the glycemic index of maple syrup is similar to that of other syrups (corn, agave, Okinawa). “But in people with diabetes, we can think that maple syrup is better tolerated because of the abscisic acid it contains in large quantities”, suggests the one who is also a researcher at the Institute of nutraceuticals and functional foods (INAF) from the same university.
It was Yves Desjardins who discovered the presence of this acid in maple syrup. Coming from the same family as carotenoids, it is also found in several fruits and different seeds (flax, mustard) and legumes (soy).
“Abscisic acid would help release insulin in the pancreas, allow glucose to enter the muscles and thus lower blood sugar levels,” he continues.
According to him, the concentration of abscissic acid in maple syrup is such that 60 ml could allow people with insulin resistance to better tolerate maple syrup, which is however 95% sucrose.
“This would explain why a person’s blood sugar is more stable when they consume maple syrup rather than another sugar,” explains Mr. Desjardins.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. The ACS annual conference took place March 27-31, 2011. For more information: http://portal.acs.org [consulté le 6 avril 2011].
2. Li L, Seeram NP, Quebecol, a novel phenolic compound isolated from Canadian maple syrup, Journal of Functional Foods, June 2011. doi: 10.1016 / j.jff.2011.02.004. This study was funded by the Council for the Development of Agriculture in Quebec, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, as well as by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.
