When it comes to maple syrup, there are two kinds: real maple syrup and the other junk. Maple syrup is made from maple syrup. That’s it. That is the only ingredient. Maple syrup is a natural product and a natural sweetener that can be safely consumed (in moderation) as part of most healthy diets. On the other hand, there is the OTHER kind of “maple syrup” which is made up of the following ingredients: corn syrup, liquid sugar, salt, natural and artificial flavors, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium benzoate and other processed ingredients.
Let’s talk about a few of these ingredients. Well, to start with there is corn syrup. Fake maple syrup used to contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) until the public became aware of the health dangers involved with it. It’s hard not to notice the “no high fructose corn syrup” label on the bottle of fake maple syrup in this picture. Just because it doesn’t contain HFCS does NOT mean it’s healthy. Many of the food manufacturers have now replaced HFCS with corn syrup. The problem with corn syrup is that it is made from corn and the majority of corn in this country contains genetically modified organisms (GMO’s). The problem with GMO’s is that they are produced by artificially inserting genes into the DNA of food crops or animals. GMOs can be engineered with genes from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or even humans. Grossed out yet?
Fake maple syrup also contains liquid sugar. What’s in liquid sugar? In addition to white sugar ( a highly processed food), liquid sugar contains a variety of preservatives so it can retain it’s color and have a longer shelf life.
There’s something else that’s in fake maple syrup: sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate is a food preservative which has, according to the Mayo Clinic, been known to trigger symptoms of ADHD, especially in children. Sodium benzoate can also increase the risk of asthma attacks and can also put you at risk for high blood pressure.
So just say no to fake maple syrup! Although real maple syrup costs more, it’s also worth more.