The health benefits of maple

Updated on 2025-03-25

Summary: The health benefits of maple

The column highlights the health benefits of maple water, often overshadowed by maple syrup. Rich in minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants, it aids hydration, digestion and reduces inflammation. Low in sugar, it is an excellent alternative to sports drinks. In the kitchen, it can replace water in soups, smoothies and marinades, or be frozen in ice cubes for a refreshing touch. Available at La Boîte à Grains, it lets you enjoy the benefits of maple in a lighter, more nutritious form.

1. Maple water: a little-known treasure

Lynn Goneau explains that maple water is a pure sap available only in spring. Composed of over 95% water, it's packed with nutrients that are often overlooked.

2. Impressive health benefits

Rich in antioxidants, minerals and electrolytes, maple water aids digestion, boosts the immune system and reduces inflammation, helping to prevent certain diseases.

3. A natural alternative to sports drinks

With its low sugar content and hydrating properties, maple water is a healthy alternative to industrial energy drinks for athletes.

4. A versatile ingredient in the kitchen

Beyond direct consumption, maple water can be used in the kitchen to make ice cubes, infuse coffee or tea, prepare soups, smoothies and marinades, or deglaze meats.

5. Locally available maple products

La Boîte à Grains offers a variety of maple products, including Maple 3 organic maple water, Bo-Sirop organic maple syrup and local specialties, allowing everyone to enjoy the benefits of maple in different forms.

About the author

Lynn Goneau, Certified Naturopath

Specialized in :

• Digestive health
• Hormonal health
• Stress and fatigue
• Memory and concentration
• Weight management

Transcription

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

Yes, spring means sugar time. Obviously, it doesn't seem like it today with the weather we've been having, but the maple trees have been flowing for a few days now. Those of you in the maple syrup business, like me, are amateurs. Of course you are. Well, we've started boiling en masse and it's looking good. That's today's topic with Lynn Goneau naturopath at La Boite à Grains. Hello Lynn. Hello

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

Hello Karl.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

L'érable, le temps des sucres, La Boîte à Grains là, you have to explain to me why you want to talk about that today.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

Maple water is really special. Then you have it just for one time of the year. It's pure sap that flows from the maple trees in early spring. And what we don't really know about is the nutritional properties of maple water. That's really, really special. It's really 95 to 97% water at the very beginning. We start with that.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

We get rid of that when we make maple syrup.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

Yes, yes. It tastes better when it's not used and pure, but on the other hand, it's beneficial when it's used.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

What are its health benefits?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

From 46 bioactive compounds it's antioxidant properties. It's what keeps us young. It's what also helps remove all the free radicals in the body. It takes some. And it's a pure source that we get directly from the maple tree. It also benefits greatly from the minerals it contains, such as potassium. Zinc, calcium, good sources for the bones. That's great.

But it helps with other things too. It helps with digestion. It feeds all the bacteria in your intestine. So it's going to help digest all the food and then strengthen your whole digestive system and it's going to help strengthen your digestive system. It's going to help you fight all inflammatory diseases, because maple water contains up to 24 antioxidants, as we said earlier. And, as I mentioned, antioxidants are good for fighting free radicals. That's what often causes inflammation in your body, Karl. Then you're going to end up with arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease or even heart disease, and because there's a great source of antioxidants, it's going to help you fight that.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

Basically, we're making a mistake boiling this. You could eat it like that.

I still do it in the boiler. Then we want a little maple water like that. It's thirst-quenching and refreshing. There are, there are benefits like that. Uh, like not just like water. Like because it's more than water. It's more than water.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, it's all the nutrients we get from the tree, the electrolytes. There are electrolytes in there, so we're talking potassium, magnesium and calcium, and then there's also the low sugar content. It doesn't look like it, but when it's not boiled, you can tell it's water.

You get a cup with 25 calories and just over six grams of carbohydrates. That's about one and a half teaspoons of sugar. That's not much. It's really good for athletes. Those who just want to take it before training or after training, if they can't take another type of sugar.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

Instead of the sports drinks we know, we could take maple water.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

Indeed.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

But maple water is used to make maple syrup, but there's a big difference between the two products.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, because that's where you take the maple water and you boil the sap, that's where you're going to end up with your liquid that's much thicker, your maple syrup after all.

You can boil it if you want, just to remove the bacteria, but you can take it in its natural state too, if it's well filtered.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

And you can use it in cooking.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

Yes, yes, you can use it. What I particularly like is to make ice cubes, it gives a really good taste to it simply in your, in little cubes there, to make ice cubes. You can even infuse it into your coffee or tea. You can replace the water in soups or smoothies with maple water.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

Instead of adding syrup afterwards. There you go. Take the maple water to make your base. Yes. Ah, it's not crazy.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

You can also marinate or deglaze and braise your meats again. You'll find your own taste. Uh, for an even higher taste, as we say, you can even boil it yourself, you buy the water. Then you put it in your saucepan. Then you boil it, and you're going to change its constitution, you're going to get the taste too.

Karl Bélanger - Host 104.7FM:

There. Lynn, if you're talking about maple products, of course, it's because there are some available at La Boite à Grains.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

Yes, we have lots of different specialties. Of course, we have it in little cones, the famous maple cones. L'Érablière Bo Sirop organic maple syrup, Maple 3 organic maple water. These are all local, certified organic products.