Nutritionally Speaking: Honey VS. Maple Syrup
Short, but sweet.
This blog post will be a bit different. Just as the bees do, we are going to keep this short and sweet. Directly to the point. I want this to be quick to read, and easy to understand.
Save The Bees.
Did you know that it takes 12 worker bees their entire life span (six weeks) to make just one teaspoon of honey? On average, most honey consumers use one teaspoon of honey per cup of tea. That means, if someone has three to five cups of tea a day, it took roughly 60 bees their entire lifespan. Just to sweeten their cup of tea. So, where is the issue? The issue is that most people add honey to their tea just after boil, destroying the medicinal compounds.
Children Of The Sun. Not Heat.
The honey that bees make is filled with nutritive, medicinal compounds that have a profound impact on our health (and taste buds). This is why it is so important to become familiar with how even gentle heat can destroy the compounds in honey. Here is a quick temperature guide to preserve the compounds in your honey.
Compare and Contrast.
Honey and maple syrup are both popular natural sweeteners. Yet, they have distinct nutritional and taste profiles. Many dietitians will promote avoiding honey or maple syrup because it is "high in sugar". While the sugar content is "high", maple syrup and honey just dont compare to the harmful refined sugar that is highly promoted in the Standard American Diet (SAD). Unlike refined sugar, maple syrup and honey contain beneficial enzymes, medicinal compounds, and health promoting benefits. Let's take a deeper look at honey and maple syrup.
Honey contains glucose and fructose. Do not be alarmed by the word fructose. This is not the same as the store-bought high fructose corn syrup. Honey contains natural fructose that is easily broken down, and contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Maple syrup contains sucrose, similar to table sugar. Sucrose is a mixture of glucose and fructose. Again, the quality of sucrose from maple syrup is much different than table sugar. For instance, the sucrose found in maple syrup contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, and manganese. Table sugar does not contain minerals, is refined, and then bleached to ensure the vibrant white color we all know as "table sugar".
Honey: Primarily composed of simple sugars, mainly fructose and glucose.
Antimicrobial Properties: Honey has been used for centuries for its antibacterial and wound-healing properties. It can be a natural remedy for a sore throat or cough.
Antioxidants: The antioxidant content of honey, which comes from flavonoids and phenolic acids, can vary widely depending on the type of flower nectar the bees collected.
Maple Syrup: The main sugar is sucrose, the same as in table sugar. It also contains smaller amounts of glucose and fructose.
Antioxidants: The rich robust color and flavor profile of maple syrup is thought to contain a high level of antioxidants.
Pre-biotic: New research suggests that maple syrup acts as a pre-biotic. Pure maple syrup contains prebiotics like inulin and oligosaccharides that feed beneficial gut bacteria, promoting a healthy gut microbiome and improved digestion, absorption, and immune function.
Solution?
If were going to use something, lets use it the right way! The solution is simple. Knowledge is power. The more we know, the better we do. You do not have to be a beekeeper to be apart of saving the bees. Planting flowers, and using honey the right way is apart of saving the bees. So, do your part to save the bees, spread this information with your family and friends who use honey to sweeten things. Gentle heat destroys honey!
References:
Nine lectures on Bees. Author Rudolph Steiner.