March 31, 2010 | 1 minute read

News reports today highlight a study that gives one an added reason to savor the joys of plant-based foods. In this case: maple syrup, the only commercial product people eat from a plant’s sap. The researchers reportedly found 20 compounds in Canadian maple syrup that are linked to human health, and 13 of these compounds are newly discovered in maple syrup.

The compounds, part of the phenolics family of phytochemicals, have antioxidant properties and show anti-cancer benefits in lab studies. You can read the release about the story here.

Clearly, not a good idea to guzzle maple syrup but this study does highlight how scientists are continuously learning about the compounds in plant foods. The list of health-promoting phytochemicals keeps on growing and scientists are still uncovering how each works and how they work together in the foods.

If you want to enjoy maple syrup on something aside from pancakes, here’s a healthy idea from AICR: baked apples and maple syrup.

It’s also maple syrup harvesting season: watch a video to see how it’s done.