Disclaimer: The findings discussed are lab based and further studies need to be done.

In our world, prescription medications are the go-to when we get sick or we have a health condition. Patients with Type II diabetes can be prescribed medications to help lower their blood sugar to a healthy level. While these drugs are essential to keeping blood sugar under control, they have many known undesirable side effects, such as diarrhea, gas buildup, and abdominal pain. These uncomfortable side effects make patients less likely to take their medications as the doctor prescribed. An alternative option is being researched; maple products! 

Why maple? Only these products contain a group of compounds called gallotannins, that have a special chemical structure that makes it just as effective as the Type II Diabetes prescription drug, acarbose. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have been looking into the benefits of this special chemical structure, known as a glucitol-core, and how it affects our body’s metabolism.

The most interesting thing about this natural dietary option is that it has fewer adverse effects than prescription medications and tends to be safe. Not only do maple products taste great but also with fewer side effects, patients are more likely to follow this dietary plan when compared to prescription medicine. But, this finding is just the beginning of looking at the effectiveness of this option. Further research into maple products will look at their overall safety as an alternative dietary option to prescription medications. 

Reference: Ma, H.; Wang, L.; Niesen, D.B.; Cai, A.; Cho, B.P.; Tan, W.; Gu, Q.; Xu, J.; Seeram, N.P. Structure activity related, mechanistic and modeling studies of gallotannins containing a glucitol core and a-glucosidase. RSC Advances, 2015, 5, 107904-107915. https://web.uri.edu/maple/structure-activity-related-mechanistic-and-modeling-studies-of-gallotannins-containing-a-glucitol-core-and-a-glucosidase/