It goes without saying that you should leave the pancake syrup well enough alone. You are already committing a dietary sin by eating pancakes. When you add syrup to the mix, you’re only making things worse. If you use maple-flavored syrup, you are just fooling your taste buds. Flavored syrups are made from high fructose corn syrup. Fructose in fruit is not a problem, but as soon as it is concentrated, bad things happen

It has been linked to metabolic syndrome and increased belly fat, for starters. As you grow older, you will get to realize that nothing comes close to the natural products. Man has not yet found ways to make artificial foods as healthy as their natural counterpart. Stick to real maple syrup. It might be pricey, but it is packed with antioxidants and other trace minerals, all of which your aging body needs.