- Maple syrup boosts the potency of antibiotics fighting deadly infections
- When strains were exposed to syrup mixed with the drug, results showed that 90 percent less antibiotic was needed
- The syrup’s antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties are believed to help
- The overuse of antibiotics has given rise to drug-resistant superbugs, which are expected to kill more people than cancer by 2050
Antibiotics have been helping us fight off infections for nearly a century.
While the drugs kill plenty of dangerous bacteria, they’ve also spurred the creation of ‘superbugs’ that no longer respond to known antibiotics.
Health experts have long warned that these bugs could kill more people than cancer by 2050 if a solution is not found.
But a new study has revealed that maple syrup can dramatically increase the potency of these medications due to its high amount of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
Maple syrup boosts the potency of antibiotics that are fighting deadly superbug infections, a new study has revealed
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates two million people in the US are infected with superbugs every year, and more than 23,000 die as a result.
Common infections such as gonorrhea and C diff, which causes life-threatening diarrhea, could soon be resistant to all drugs.
But the numerous antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and digestive benefits of maple syrup could help give current antibiotics on the market a much-needed boost.
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, separated the sugar and water from the syrup’s crystallizing compounds, which contribute to its signature golden hue.
The team’s first test involved exposing several disease-causing bacterial strains to the extract, but no effect was seen.
A second test checked to see whether the extract could enhance the antimicrobial potency of two commonly used antibiotics: ciprofloxacin and carbenicillin (used to treat urinary infections).
When the extract was mixed with either of these drugs, the team found that over 90 percent less antibiotic was needed to achieve the same effect.
Researchers tested the approach on several bacteria strains such as E coli, responsible for gastrointestinal problems; Proteus mirabilis, which contributes to urinary tract infections; and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, often contracted in hospital settings or by those with weakened immune systems.
‘Native populations in Canada have long used maple syrup to fight infections,’ said lead author Dr Nathalie Tufenkji, an assistant professor from the Department of Chemical Engineering.
‘I’ve always been interested in the science behind these folk medicines.’
Dr Tufenjki said she learned of the anti-cancer properties of maple syrup extracts while studying the antimicrobial effects of cranberry extracts.
‘That gave me the idea to check its antimicrobial activity,’ she said.
‘So, I sent my postdoc to the store to buy some syrup.’
Building on this work, Dr Tufenkji’s team then tested the extract in fruit flies and moth larvae.
Fruit flies share 61 percent of disease-causing genes with humans.
The food for the flies was laced with pathogenic bacteria, and antibiotics both with and without the extract.
Flies with meals doused in maple syrup extract lived for days longer than those denied it. The researchers saw a similar outcome with the moth larvae.
Dr Tufenkji said that although maple syrup is unlikely to be prescribed as medical protocol anytime soon, she’s hopeful that it may have an edge over other would-be medications thanks to its source.
‘There are other products out there that boost antibiotic strength, but this may be the only one that comes from nature,’ she said.