"Phil Hawkins" > wrote:

>I am new to this list and insulin dependent diabetic, can anyone in the UK
>advise me of where I can get sugar free maple syrup. I have tried all the
>major supermarkets and health food shops in my area without success.
>
>In anticipation
>
>Phil Hawkins

Sorry Phil,

If you are looking for _real_ maple syrup, I'm afraid you won't find
any that's sugar free. Maple syrup is made by boiling the sap of the
sugar maple tree to concentrate the natural sugar present in the sap.
Regulations require that maple syrup have a minimum specific gravity
of 66º Brix. This simply means that there must be 66 grams of sugar
(mainly sucrose) in every 100 grams of syrup. Put another way, maple
syrup must be 66% sugar.
There are so-called sugar free table syrups on the market but, they
are not necessarily sugar free. The label may say 'Sugar free,
sweetened with fructose', which literally means, 'Sugar free,
sweetened with sugar'.
Like Alan said, I'd be more concerned with the pancakes. I really
enjoy pancakes but have avoided them for a year or more. One day last
month I fell off the wagon and tried a couple of buttermilk pancakes
with some 'sugar-free' syrup for breakfast. Two hours PP was 10.3
mmol/l. Next day I tried a couple of whole wheat & bran pancakes with
the same syrup - 10.2 mmol/l. Back on the wagon.

Ross.
To email, remove the "obvious" from my address.