With the rising concerns regarding health, the demand for hearty and fresh products is continuously growing and many people adopt more nutritive diets. In such a context, new terms such as “superfoods” have emerged and their health benefits are praised by many individuals out there. But what are superfoods exactly? In short, superfoods are products that supposedly contain a large amount of nutritional benefits compared to the intake in calories they provide. Those foods allegedly have a great nutrient density as they generally comprise many vitamins, antioxidants and minerals, which is favorable to your well-being. In fact, superfoods help prevent certain common and chronic diseases, but should not be considered as cures alone.
According to dietitians, it is best to consume superfoods daily when your diet is already well-balanced. Indeed, adding them to poor eating habits would unfortunately not do you any good, and the same goes for one-sided diets. One of the best ways to maintain your health is to eat a diversity of foods and thus benefitting from an array of different nutrients.
As you might already know, a lot of superfoods are plant-based. Many fruits and vegetables are great ingredients to a super-diet, as they are associated “with a lower risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions”. That is why many of them are considered to be superfoods, as it is the case for most berries and greens, for instance. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and Swiss chard contain lots of nutrients, while many berries like acai, blueberries and cranberries comprise large numbers of antioxidants. Such sources of nourishment can help to greatly reduce the possibility of contracting diseases like Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, which are some of the deadliest health conditions. Apparently, those nutritional benefits would be higher for products bought in season and from local producers. Other fruits and vegetables such as legumes, garlic and grapes also bring their share of health benefits. Of course, those are not the only ones to be qualified as superfoods: it is also the case for products like green tea, salmon, eggs, dark chocolate and nuts, among others.
More recently, a new member has been added to the superfoods family: maple syrup. Even if it does contain a few calories, Canada’s favorite syrup comprises many minerals and antioxidants. More precisely, it seems to contain more than 50 beneficial compounds, five of which are not found in any other food produced by nature. Many of the former nutrients are found in superfoods like green tea and blueberries and have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Maple syrup would even contain more antioxidants than certain fruits and vegetables, which is the case for cabbage and cantaloupe, for example. Indeed, this means the delicious syrup produced by maple trees could help protect against serious chronic diseases like the ones I mentioned earlier. That is very thought-provoking, especially considering the fact that by 2050, Type 2 diabetes will most likely afflict one in three people.
So, yes, pure maple syrup is indeed a superfood. Plant-based and delicious, it proves a much healthier sweetener than granulated and brown sugar and could even be better for you than honey. Moreover, many specialists are still researching whether or not maple syrup contains more health benefits than what has already been discovered.
While you should always be responsible when eating any type of sugar, the good news is there are many ways for you to add maple syrup to your diet. That’s right: there is no need for you to directly wolf down a glass of maple syrup, nor should you do it. This sweet delicacy produced by nature can replace any unhealthy sweetener and is delicious in more than one recipe. For instance, it is a fantastic ingredient to use in most desserts, as well as in many sauces and salad dressings. You could also pour some of our exquisite 100% pure maple syrup on top of your favorite breakfast, along with a handful of berries for a particularly tasty super-brunch.
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References:
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