The metabolic benefits of substituting sucrose for maple syrup are associated with a shift in carbohydrate digestion and gut microbiota composition in high-fat high-sucrose diet-fed mice

The natural sweetener maple syrup has sparked much interest as an alternative to refined sugars. This study aimed to investigate whether the metabolic benefits of substituting sucrose with an equivalent dose of maple syrup could be linked to changes in gut microbiota composition and digestion of carbohydrates in obese mice. We demonstrated that maple syrup is less detrimental than sucrose on metabolic health and possesses a prebiotic-like activity through novel gut microbiota and liver mechanisms.