{"id":19407,"date":"2025-04-15T09:35:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T09:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/a-scientist-is-paid-to-study-maple-syrup-hes-also-paid-to-promote-it\/"},"modified":"2025-04-15T09:35:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T09:35:00","slug":"a-scientist-is-paid-to-study-maple-syrup-hes-also-paid-to-promote-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/a-scientist-is-paid-to-study-maple-syrup-hes-also-paid-to-promote-it\/","title":{"rendered":"A Scientist Is Paid to Study Maple Syrup. He\u2019s Also Paid to Promote It."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">For more than a decade, Navindra Seeram, a biomedical researcher, has praised maple syrup, calling it a \u201chero ingredient\u201d and \u201cchampion food\u201d that could have wide-ranging health benefits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Seeram, dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of New England, has published more than three dozen studies extolling the power of maple. Much of his work has been bankrolled by Canada\u2019s maple syrup industry and the Canadian and American governments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At the same time, he has taken on another role: maple syrup pitchman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cI am uniquely qualified as the world\u2019s leading researcher on maple health benefits with the scientific reputation and credibility to promote the sales of maple products,\u201d he has written in grant applications. He has assured leaders of the Canadian industry that he would always support maple from Quebec, according to emails obtained through a public records request.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">As he straddles the realms of scientific inquiry and promotion, he has distorted the real-world implications of his findings and exaggerated health benefits, according to a review by The Examination and The New York Times of 15 years of his studies and public statements. In videos and press releases, he has suggested that consuming maple syrup may help stave off diseases including cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s and diabetes. Other scientists told The Examination and The Times that they thought he had overstated his lab findings and made misleading claims.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Industry funding is commonplace in nutrition research and may become even more critical as scientists grapple with the Trump administration\u2019s sweeping cuts. Dr. Seeram\u2019s work shows the perils of intertwining science and salesmanship, propelling information that can shape consumer habits and public health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At the University of Rhode Island, where he worked until last year, Dr. Seeram oversaw projects that were awarded $2.6 million in U.S. government funding, including a grant explicitly intended to increase maple syrup sales. That promotional work produced a stream of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/URIMaplePromo\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">social media posts<\/a> like, \u201cMaple Syrup\u2019s Benefits: Anti-Cancer, Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JBOGQ2eokKY\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">video<\/a> posted on YouTube in 2019, Dr. Seeram said nutrients in maple syrup could \u201cpotentially together prevent and\/or delay the onset\u201d of conditions such as \u201ccardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diseases of the brain and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But his studies have found something more limited: that maple syrup contains small amounts of polyphenols, compounds in plants that are generally considered beneficial. To demonstrate their effects, he tested highly concentrated maple extracts in lab settings \u2014 not people\u2019s consumption of commercial maple syrup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Seeram told The Examination that he believed in the power of natural medicines, which were part of his upbringing in South America. And he defended how he had spoken about his findings: \u201cNo one can go back to direct-quote from me to say, \u2018It\u2019s going to cure cancer, it\u2019s going to cure diabetes.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His conclusions often include hedging language \u2014 that maple syrup \u201cmay\u201d or \u201ccould\u201d have meaningful health effects \u2014 or disclaimers recommending further study. But several researchers said that the caveats weren\u2019t enough to counterbalance broad health claims, and that Dr. Seeram had leaped too far from lab findings to practical applications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThey are framing it in a far more positive light than they should,\u201d said Christopher Gardner, a nutrition researcher at Stanford.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In an interview, Dr. Seeram blamed a former colleague at the University of Rhode Island for stirring up what he said was unwarranted scrutiny of his work. A university official said the school had investigated and found no research misconduct.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At a maple industry conference in October, Dr. Seeram described his work as making \u201cit simple for Mom to understand\u201d that syrup is beneficial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe have to convince the consumer that this sugar is good for you,\u201d he told an audience of maple farmers, and laid out how to reach the public: Studies like his would be published in peer-reviewed journals, leading to marketing and media coverage and inspiring consumers to buy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, an industry association that markets and regulates most of the world\u2019s maple syrup, has long funded Dr. Seeram\u2019s work. The association and the Canadian government have together provided at least $2.8 million for his research, according to a 2019 grant application. The association disputed that figure but would not provide details; neither would Dr. Seeram.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The association has also hired him for consulting and what it termed \u201cPR activities\u201d for at least a decade, according to emails and invoices. In 2023, his fees totaled $37,000, emails show.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In response to one of several emails from association officials thanking him for his work, he wrote in 2018 that he would \u201calways work to find ways to promote maple products from Quebec.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The maple association approached him in 2009, after the owners of POM Wonderful had funded and used some of his research on pomegranate to promote their juice during the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/hanfordsentinel.com\/news\/pomegranate-phenomenon-most-of-america-s-supply-of-this-popular-fruit-comes-from-kings-county\/article_849344e7-13c5-52e3-9adc-188d5b4d1f48.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">pomegranate craze<\/a> of the 2000s. (The Federal Trade Commission later issued a cease-and-desist order accusing the company of making misleading or false claims, based in part on a study he coauthored.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-5\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Though Dr. Seeram had not previously researched maple, he told The Examination he was intrigued because he had recently moved to the Northeast, where it is an important agricultural product. Over the next couple of years, Dr. Seeram announced he had discovered dozens of polyphenols in maple syrup, including one his team named Quebecol.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Based on his lab tests of concentrated compounds, he began suggesting that maple syrup had wide-ranging applications for human health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-6\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cMaple syrup is becoming a champion food,\u201d he said in a 2011 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2011\/03\/uri-scientist-discovers-54-beneficial-compounds-in-pure-maple-syrup\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">press release<\/a>. \u201cSeveral of these compounds possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to fight cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But experts say the low levels of these compounds in syrup are unlikely to improve health. Dr. Seeram acknowledged in interviews that a person would have to consume gallons of maple syrup to get the nutritional equivalent of the extracts. He noted, as he often has, that he isn\u2019t encouraging anyone to consume more sugar, merely to choose maple syrup over alternatives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-7\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The U.S. Department of Agriculture, another important benefactor, awarded more than $2.6 million for Dr. Seeram\u2019s work. This included nearly $500,000 in 2017 to study whether maple syrup extract could improve the health of obese mice. Their health did not improve, and in some cases worsened, according to study findings cited by a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/portal.nifa.usda.gov\/web\/crisprojectpages\/1011820-beneficial-effects-of-maple-syrup-phytochemicals-against-inflammation-associated-with-metabolic-syndrome.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">government website<\/a> and a student dissertation. The results weren\u2019t published in an academic journal. Dr. Seeram, who in recent weeks stopped responding to queries from The Examination and The Times, didn\u2019t answer questions about this study.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In 2018, the U.S.D.A. <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220302150401\/https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/2018DescriptionOfFundedProjectsAcer.pdf\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">awarded<\/a> $500,000 to a group led by Dr. Seeram for a promotional campaign that would showcase maple research on a University of Rhode Island website. Dr. Seeram\u2019s grant application said he would be responsible for translating the science into \u201clay-friendly terminology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The website, overseen by his team, called maple syrup \u201c<a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240710061525\/https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/maple\/anti-inflammatory-properties-of-quebecol-and-its-derivatives\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">immensely healthy for you<\/a>.\u201d And though it carried disclaimers that more research was needed, it made misleading statements connecting studies of reduced-sugar maple extract to the consumption of maple syrup, such as: \u201cDid you ever think that you could fight <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240709190456\/https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/maple\/can-maple-syrup-help-prevent-high-blood-sugar\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">high blood sugar<\/a> with some things as sugary and delicious as maple syrup?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It also <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240710135000\/https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/maple\/quebecol-in-maple-syrup-extracts-inhibits-human-cancer-cell-growth\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a> the Quebecol compound could become a \u201cpotential cancer prevention drug,\u201d <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240605054556\/https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/maple\/quebecol-and-maple\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">noting<\/a> that it looked \u201cremarkably similar\u201d to the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen \u2014 a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.todaysdietitian.com\/ss21\/pdf\/Pure-Maple\/GiveRealMapleaTurnPresentationHandout.pdf#page=21\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">comparison<\/a> Dr. Seeram has also made in presentations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In interviews, three cancer researchers called this comparison misleading. Geoffrey Greene of the University of Chicago said it was like expecting the brother of a concert violinist to also be a concert violinist because they looked similar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-8\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">When asked why he has used his research to promote maple products, Dr. Seeram said he was simply fulfilling the terms of the government grant. A U.S.D.A. spokeswoman said the University of Rhode Island was responsible for the website\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The university wouldn\u2019t comment on the research. After inquiries from reporters, the website was taken down. The university said this was part of a broader effort to remove dormant pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-9\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">One of Dr. Seeram\u2019s studies involved giving maple syrup extract to genetically modified worms to examine Alzheimer\u2019s-related effects. His team observed that some worms fared better, but on average they were worse off. Nevertheless, the top-line summary in <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5819752\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Dr. Seeram\u2019s paper,<\/a> published in 2016 by the journal Neurochemical Research, ignored the negative results and said the syrup extract \u201cshowed protective effects\u201d for the worms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">An industry association <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/could-a-pure-maple-syrup-extract-be-tapped-for-better-brain-health-300235085.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">press release<\/a> said maple syrup extract had prolonged the worms\u2019 lives \u2014 even though on average they died sooner \u2014 with a disclaimer that more research was needed. That nuance was lost in headlines in Canada, India, England and the United States proclaiming that maple syrup could protect against Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-10\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Christopher Link of the University of Colorado Boulder, who pioneered Alzheimer\u2019s research on that kind of worm, criticized the study, citing the lack of basic details like the number of worms tested and whether the experiment had been replicated. Dozens of plant extracts have produced positive results in similar experiments, Dr. Link said, but that doesn\u2019t mean they have real-world applications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-11\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In a statement, Julie Barbeau of the maple association said it adheres to strict ethics rules and has had \u201cno influence whatsoever\u201d on the scores of research projects it has backed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At least a dozen of Dr. Seeram\u2019s papers that the maple association says it funded didn\u2019t disclose that relationship. Also not disclosed in his papers: his paid consultant role and a Canadian maple extract <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/patents.google.com\/patent\/CA2808679C\/en?inventor=Navindra+Seeram\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">patent<\/a> that names him and Ms. Barbeau as co-inventors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Six publishers of Dr. Seeram\u2019s work said they require authors to declare potential conflicts of interest. Dr. Seeram did not respond to questions about his disclosures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-12\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In public statements, he has acknowledged receiving financial support from the maple association. And in earlier interviews, he said that industry funding is vital, because other research dollars are scarce. He also defended his patents, saying, \u201cThe driver here is not for me to get rich.\u201d The maple association said it was protecting its intellectual property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Last year, the association hailed a new study, which it funded, as the \u201cfirst human clinical trial\u201d of maple syrup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Participants replaced a small amount of sugar in their diet with maple syrup \u2014 for instance, to sweeten coffee. The scientists <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/maple-syrup-benefits-health-study-1991912\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">told Newsweek<\/a> that the results, published in The Journal of Nutrition, showed that maple syrup improved measures of blood sugar, blood pressure and fat, and might help lower the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Seeram, who was not an author of the study, said the results validated his work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But three independent experts who reviewed the research said the conclusions were overstated \u2014 emphasizing a few positive results among dozens of measures \u2014 and the study appeared to show no meaningful difference between maple syrup and refined sugar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThey took it too far,\u201d said Kimber Stanhope, a nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-13\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The lead researcher, Andr\u00e9 Marette of Laval University, said that while the differences between maple syrup and refined sugar were \u201cmodest,\u201d they were meaningful. Through a public relations firm hired by the industry association, he said, \u201cWe were careful to state that the clinical relevance of the work will need to be further substantiated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the meantime, the findings have reached the general public. \u201cSweet!\u201d effused a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/sweet-maple-syrup-coffee-could-153114496.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">headline<\/a> in a women\u2019s magazine last fall. \u201cMaple Syrup in Coffee Could Help You Lose Weight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-798hid etfikam0\">Mago Torres contributed reporting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/15\/health\/maple-syrup-health-claims.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For more than a decade, Navindra Seeram, a biomedical researcher, has praised maple syrup, calling it a \u201chero ingredient\u201d and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19408,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[633,502,271,6091,6092,3149,268,932,168,6093],"class_list":["post-19407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-agriculture-department","tag-conflicts-of-interest","tag-diet-and-nutrition","tag-maple-syrup-and-sugar","tag-quebec-maple-syrup-producers","tag-quebec-province-canada","tag-research","tag-rumors-and-misinformation","tag-united-states","tag-university-of-rhode-island"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Scientist Is Paid to Study Maple Syrup. 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