There is nothing that tastes quite like the promise of spring than sap straight from a tapped maple tree. The cool, refreshing and slightly sweet taste can cleanse the palate and awaken the mind from months of hibernation. Filled with minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc this low calorie beverage can provide energy without spiking your blood sugar.

The First Nations people harvested maple sap for thousands of years before the settlers landed in North America. It was one of the first tastes of fresh food after the long winter period. Though used primarily as the liquid in cooking, a certain amount of the sap was reduced down to maple sugar through a unique evaporation process. The maple sap was left to freeze overnight and the icy layer of water was removed in the morning. This concentrated sap was then poured into a long wooden trench that was carved from a tree truck. Hot stones were repeatedly placed into the trench to heat the sap and evaporate the water. What was left from this labor intensive process was a maple sugar that was high in magnesium, zinc and oligosaccharides.

In modern times you may have heard the word oligosaccharides in relation to probiotics. This compound sugar is used for growing lactobacilli in nondairy probiotic formulas. Maple sap is a good source of oligosaccharides and can be used to feed the good bacteria in our gut that help digest our food and strengthen our immune system. This was proven in a 2008 Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada study that stated "maple sap as a substrate for lactic acid production and for the development of a nondairy probiotic drink." (1)

For those of you who can't get out to tap a maple tree of your own there's an exciting new company that can bring you the benefits of maple sap in a bottle. Kiki Sweet Water is a Canadian company that produces non-pasteurized maple sap drinks that come in a variety of flavours. For more information about Kiki Sweet Water go http://www.trollbridgecreek.ca/history.html

The 100% Canadian Maple Sap Smoothie:

All three ingredients are available from Canadian sources. Put them into a food processor and blend until smooth.

300 mL    KiKi Maple Sweetwater
300 mL    Frozen Blueberries
200 mL    Hulled Hemp Seeds

This simple smoothie is an excellent source for the following nutrients:

Maple Sap: Magnesium, Zinc and Oligosaccharides
Blueberries: Vitamin C, Manganese, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin E and the flavonoid 'kaempferol' which helps prevents cancer
Hemp Seeds: Omega-6 Fatty Acid, Potassium, Protein, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese


References:

1) 2008 Dec; 47(6):500-7.
Maple sap as a rich medium to grow probiotic lactobacilli and to produce lactic acid.
Cochu A, Fourmier D, Halasz A, Hawari J.
Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19120917


Further Information:

Understanding Carbohydrates, Part One
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/carbbasics.htm

Oligosaccharides and Prebiotics (Understanding Carbohydrates, Part Two)
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/oligosaccharide.htm

Blueberries:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

Hemp:
http://www.manitobaharvest.com/articles_studies.html
http://www.hempseed.ca/hulled-hemp-seed.ihtml