Study: Pure Maple Syrup May Be Beneficial To Liver Health

New research conducted at the University of Tokyo suggests that pure maple syrup may promote a healthy liver, yet another reason to indulge in the sweet tasting liquid.

AsianScientist (Sep. 16, 2011) – New research conducted at the University of Tokyo suggests that pure maple syrup may promote a healthy liver, yet another reason to indulge in the sweet tasting liquid.

The study, conducted by Dr. Keiko Abe of the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, showed that healthy laboratory rats fed a diet in which some of the carbohydrate was replaced with pure maple syrup yielded significantly better results in liver function tests than the control groups fed a diet with a syrup mix containing a similar sugar content as maple syrup.

The results will be published in the November, 2011 issue of Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry.

In the study, rats were fed diets consisting of 20 percent pure maple syrup, or 20 percent syrup mixture with similar sugar content as maple syrup.

After 11 days, the rats on the maple syrup diet showed significantly decreased levels of liver enzymes AST, ALT, and LDH in the blood, which are three standard biomarkers for evaluating liver function.

Liver disease not related to alcohol consumption is estimated to affect 25 percent of people in the United States, according to the American Liver Foundation. It shows up most often in middle aged people who are overweight, have abnormal blood lipids, diabetes, or insulin resistance conditions.

“The preliminary results of this research are encouraging and emphasize the importance of choosing a healthy diet to help counteract the lifestyle and environmental factors that may impact liver function, even our choice of a sweetener,” said Dr. Melissa Palmer, clinical professor and medical director of hepatology at New York University Plainview.

Dr. Palmer also noted that pure maple syrup may be a better choice of sweetener because research has shown it to be rich in polyphenolic antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

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Source: CRT/Tanaka.
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