How to Buy Healthy Maple Syrup
Did you know that formaldehyde is used by some farmers to speed up the collection of maple sap from the tree that may be in the maple syrup you are buying?
Well which maple syrup is best to buy? What are our choices? The commercial grades, Grade A, Grade B, certified organic grade A, certified organic grade B. Lots of choices right?
The commercial grades are 80% high fructose corn syrup with zero nutritional content. Grade A and Grade B are subject to unhealthy processing methods and contamination. Certified organic means that the sap removed from the tree undergoes a more extensive and time consuming process without using any synthetic pesticides or herbicides.
Now let’s look at the difference between Certified Organic Grade A and Certified Organic Grade B.
Certified Grade A is light amber in color. It has a milder taste, sweet, with less mineral content. Certified Grade B is dark amber in color, stronger in flavor having a more maple taste and a higher mineral and vitamin content. The darkness in its color is attributed to the sap from the tree being collected in the later seasons. It’s concentration of sugar in this season creates the most nutrient rich syrup.
So what about the mineral content? Certified Organic grade B maple syrup is an excellent source of Manganese which is an essential cofactor in a great number of enzymes that help produce energy and support antioxidant defenses. Just one ounce of this syrup supplies up to 22% of the daily value of this mineral.
Another wonderful mineral found is zinc which not only acts as an antioxidant but also in immune system support. Many immune cells depend on zinc to function optimally. Vitamins found include Niacin, B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B2(Riboflavin), Folic acid, B6 (Pyridoxine), Biotin, Vitamin A. Many of these vitamins participate in energy production and metabolism.
So my mission is accomplished! The better choice is Certified Organic Grade B Maple Syrup for your future food creations!
ENJOY!
– Dr. Gail
