Maple syrup extract might be a natural option for protecting brain cells against the kind of damage found in Alzheimer’s disease, says Dr. Donald Weaver, director of the Krembil Research Institute at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Weaver was one of the scientists who presented his findings during his presentation as part of a two-day symposium at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society. During his presentation, Dr. Weaver said that pure maple syrup extract might help prevent the misfolding and clumping of beta amyloid and tau peptide, two types of proteins found in brain cells. Cellular proteins that fold improperly and clump together accumulate and form the plaque involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
“Preliminary laboratory-based Alzheimer’s disease studies, phenolic-enriched extracts of maple syrup from Canada showed neuroprotective effects, similar to resveratrol, a compound found in red wine,” said Dr. Navindra P. Seeram, the symposium’s organizer. “However, further animal and eventually human studies would be required to confirm these initial findings.”
Dr. Seeram said other natural foods, such as green tea, red wine, curcumin, berries and pomegranates continue to be studied for their potential benefits in treating the disease. Further research into the neuroprotective effects of maple syrup could potentially expand the range of natural ingredients prescribed by naturopathic doctors to support patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
In a response to a media inquiry from IHP Magazine, Julie Barbeau, Advisor, Innovation and Market Development at the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers said the next steps are to confirm the actual results by animal studies followed by clinical trial in humans.
“These are the steps that are defined by the scientific community for rigorous studies,” says Barbeau.
The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers says to its knowledge, there are no maple syrup supplements currently available on the market, also adding that it’s too early to determine what dosage would be beneficial to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, 747,000 Canadians are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. By 2031, this figure is expected to increase to 1.4 million.
