Is maple syrup the next great ‘superbug’ killer? New research from the American Chemical Society shows it may enhance effectiveness of antibiotics.
When you think of maple syrup, you probably think of a big stack of pancakes. But actually, maple syrup has shown some health benefits in the past few years.
Just last year, a study was released showing that maple syrup can help kill colorectal cancer cells.
The overuse of antibiotics is now an epidemic in the United States and it is creating antibiotic resistance.
They are prescribed for almost everything.
The issue with taking too many antibiotics is that they kill good bacteria in the gut, which makes it more difficult to fight infections in the future.
The immune system gets used to them and creates antibiotic resistance.
A report published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that in 2010, health care providers prescribed “258.0 million courses of antibiotics in 2010, or 833 prescriptions per 1000 persons.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now reporting that the infectious organisms that antibiotics usually target have adapted to the drugs, because they have been used for so long.
Here comes maple syrup to the rescue.
“Native populations in Canada have long used maple syrup to fight infections,” says Nathalie Tufenkji, Ph.D. “I’ve always been interested in the science behind these folk medicines.”
Tufenkji got the idea for this study when he learned about the anti-cancer properties of maple syrup. “That gave me the idea to check its antimicrobial activity,” Tufenkji says. “So, I sent my postdoc to the store to buy some syrup.”
The studied the extract to see if it could enhance the function of traditional antibiotics like ciprofloxacin and carbenicillin. The researchers found that when combined with maple syrup, they had to use up to less than 90 percent the amount of antibiotic.
While it would likely take years before a maple syrup treatment would be available to the public, results are promising. The researchers are currently studying the extract in mice.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Inhibitory Effect of Maple Syrup on the Cell Growth and Invasion of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.” Oncology Reports. D.A. Spandidos, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2017.
2. “Germs Are Germs, and Why Not Take a Risk? Patients’ Expectations for Prescribing Antibiotics in an Inner-City Emergency Department.” Sage Journals. Medical Decision Making, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 3 Apr. 2017.
3. “Antibiotic / Antimicrobial Resistance.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 04 Mar. 2014. Web. 3 Apr. 2017.
4. “No More ‘superbugs’? Maple Syrup Extract Enhances Antibiotic Action.” American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.
