NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF PURE MAPLE SYRUP

Pure maple syrup is a "natural" food, processed by heat concentration of pure maple sap, which is the nutrient liquid utilized by the plant for the annual growth of its tissues.

In the boiling, concentrating and filtering process the nutrients remain in the syrup. There are quantitative differences in syrup's nutritive composition, due to metabolic and environmental differences among maple trees and differences in the methods of sap collecting and syrup processing. Pure maple syrup contains most of the substances useful in the human diet.

SUGARS
Are an important source of energy. The main sugar in pure maple syrup is sucrose, which is the sole sugar in the Fancy grade syrups. The darker grades of syrup contain a small and variable amount of fructose and glucose.

MINERALS
Have specific & nonspecific nutritional functions in the body metabolism. In pure maple syrup, the main minerals present are calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, Iron.

VITAMINS
Are essential to maintain health; they cannot be manufactured by the body (except Vitamin D) so they must be acquired through food or taken separately.

In maple syrup, trace amounts of vitamins are present; mainly B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), PP (niacin), biotin and folic acid.

AMINO ACIDS
Are the building blocks of the proteins. In maple syrup, many amino acids are present in trace amounts.

Maria Franca Morselli 1975. Nutritional Value of Maple Syrup. National Maple Syrup Digest 14 (2):12. Revised by Henry J. Marckres (2003)

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF PURE MAPLE SYRUP

Total Solids - 66.5 percent