Here’s some good news for all you guilt- stricken pancake eaters. You can now pour pure maple syrup on the stack and feel better, too.

Researcher Navindra Seeram, professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, has discovered 54 beneficial compounds in the syrup. How sweet is that?

“Nature is the best chemist,” Seeram said. “Our laboratory research showed several of these compounds possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to fight cancer, diabetes, and bacterial illnesses. Discoveries of new molecules from nature can also provide chemists with leads that could prompt synthesis of medications that could be used to fight fatal diseases.

“I can guarantee you that few, if any, other natural sweeteners have this anti-oxidant cocktail of beneficial compounds,” he continued. “Pure maple syrup has some of the beneficial compounds that are found in berries, some that are found in tea, and some that are found in flaxseed.”