Some recent research has uncovered some significant health benefits to maple syrup. So when attend this year’s Maple Weekend in New York, held March 16-17 and March 23-24, remember there is a little more to it then it’s simple sweet taste.

University of Rhode Island researcher Navindra Seeram has found 20 compounds in maple syrup that play an important role in our health.

“I continue to say that nature is the best chemist, and that maple syrup is becoming a champion food when it comes to the number and variety of beneficial compounds found in it,” Seeram said. “It’s important to note that in our laboratory research we found that several of these compounds possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to fight cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses.”

Did you know a quarter of a cup of maple syrup has more calcium than the same amount of milk or that there is more potassium in maple syrup than a banana?

More than 100 maple syrup producers across New York State open their sugarhouses to the public and share their secrets. Maple Weekend is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day where visitors can learn about tree tapping, boiling and even do some taste testing. Oh, by the way, admission is free.

A list of sugarhouses and maps can be found online at www.mapleweekend.com. Production techniques from vary from producer to producer. See state-of-the-art maple tapping one day and then traditional tapping the next.