The food industry seems to be constantly evolving; whether it’s hybrid dessert pastries, sushi burritos, or deep fried tequila, producers are always coming up with something new to keep the consumer entertained.
Enter maple water, the trendy “water” beverage that is made from the water which runs through maple trees. DrinkMaple claims that maple water is non-GMO, low calorie, has half the sugar of coconut water and more manganese than a cup of kale (as well as a bunch of other complicated-sounding electrolytes and polyphenols that are supposedly good for you, too).
Photo by Caitlin Shoemaker
So what does this stuff actually taste like? Pretty good, actually. It doesn’t really taste like maple syrup (unfortunately), but it does have a slightly sweet flavor to it. I added it to one of my morning smoothie bowls and it was pretty bomb. It’s also drinkable by itself—I didn’t mind the taste, but if you don’t like coconut water, you probably won’t like maple water either.
However, science doesn’t seem to agree with the health claims being made…yet. A Huffpost article writes that, overall, there’s a lack of research to back up all of the benefits. Studies have shown that maple water does contain antioxidants, minerals and some compounds which may have anti-cancer properties, but the experts aren’t sure if the water nourishes the drinker as much as it does the maple trees themselves.
The verdict? At the end of the day, maple water is still good for you, and it’s certainly not going to hurt you if you try it. And when you do, be sure to make a trendy post about it on Instagram to get some guaranteed likes.