Maple syrup is used as a premium natural sweeter, and is known for being good for human health. In the present study, we investigate whether maple syrup is suitable as a
sweetener in the management of
type 2 diabetes using Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, a model of
type 2 diabetes mellitus. OLETF rats develop
type 2 diabetes mellitus by 30 weeks of age, and 60-week-old OLETF rats show
hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia via pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. The administration of
sucrose or maple syrup following an OGT test increased plasma
glucose (PG) levels in OLETF rats, but the enhancement in PG following the
oral administration of maple syrup was lower than in the case of
sucrose administration in both 30- and 60-week-old OLETF rats. Although, the
insulin levels in 30-week-old OLETF rats also increased following the
oral administration of
sucrose or maple syrup, no increase in
insulin levels was seen in 60-week-old OLETF rats following the
oral administration of either
sucrose or maple syrup. No significant differences were observed in
insulin levels between
sucrose- and maple syrup-administered OLETF rats at either 30 or 60 weeks of age. The present study strongly suggests that the maple syrup may have a lower glycemic index than
sucrose, which may help in the prevention of
type 2 diabetes.