Nutrition, Benefits, Side Effects, More

Maple syrup can be part of a healthy diet that promotes weight loss, primarily if used to replace refined sugar, says Zenker. “However, maple syrup itself does not directly cause weight loss,” she says. (And remember that consuming large amounts of added sugars, regardless of type, tends to be linked to weight gain.)

In one study, 42 overweight adults replaced 5 percent of their total calories from added sugars with maple syrup for eight weeks. Next, participants were asked to use artificially flavored sucrose (table sugar) syrup for an additional eight weeks.

The relatively low GI of maple syrup compared to other sweeteners could also work in its favor. The same study concluded that people who replaced refined sugar with maple syrup performed better on the oral glucose tolerance test (a test that measures the increase in blood sugar after consuming something high in sugar).

“The blood sugar benefits of maple syrup could contribute to easier weight loss,” says Zenker. This is because insulin resistance due to high blood sugar promotes fat storage, while stable blood sugar helps promote fat burning.

On the other hand, the effects you might experience from switching to maple syrup are minor, says Zenker. Additionally, the strategy of replacing refined sugar with maple syrup is not as effective as other weight loss strategies, such as a slight calorie deficit.