The new leader of a Maine pharmacy school is facing scrutiny this week over a new report that said he made misleading claims about his own research on the health benefits of maple syrup while receiving funding to promote the maple industry.
Navindra Seeram, dean of the pharmacy school at the University of New England in southern Maine, has published more than three dozen studies in the past 15 years promoting the health benefits of maple syrup, according to the new investigation by the New York Times and health news outlet The Examination. But much of that work was funded by the Canadian maple industry, that country’s government and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The news outlets questioned some of those ties and said Seeram overstated maple’s health benefits to the public while promising the industry he would always promote maple syrup. But the report, which highlighted one of Maine’s iconic and valuable industries, also noted that such industry funding may become increasingly important for researchers as the Trump administration cuts public science funding.
Seeram has previously defended his work and said that industry funding is important because other backing is hard to come by. He didn’t return a request for comment on Thursday.
Officials at UNE, where Seeram started working in January, highlighted his “industry partnerships” and experience getting both federal and industry funding when they announced his appointment as dean.
“He was hired to be the dean of our pharmacy program, and that will be the primary focus of his work at the university,” the school told the Bangor Daily News in a short statement. “He has not conducted any research at UNE.”
The Times said Seeram’s previous employer, the University of Rhode Island, didn’t find misconduct in his previous research. That conclusion was “previously confirmed” to UNE, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, an industry organization, long funded Seeram’s work and separately hired him for consulting and public relations activities, the Times reported. But at least a dozen published studies the group backed didn’t disclose its involvement, his paid consulting or a patent he coholds on a Canadian maple extract.
Seeram’s research identified dozens of polyphenols — compounds found in plants that can benefit health — in maple syrup.
In some studies and when presenting results to the public, he overstated the health benefits people would likely see from typical quantities of syrup, independent researchers told the Times.
For example, his work has suggested maple syrup may help prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, bacterial disease, inflammation and other ailments. But some of those claims were tested in a lab, not with human consumption, according to the investigation. Parts of the studies have been picked up in headlines to say maple syrup can help people improve their health.
The conclusions of Seeram’s studies often recommend further research and say the syrup “may” or “could” have noticeable effects, according to the investigation, but other researchers said that language wasn’t strong enough to show the limits of the results.
In comments to The Examination, Seeram said that he has been open about those limitations.
“No one can go back to direct-quote from me to say, ‘It’s going to cure cancer, it’s going to cure diabetes,’” Seeram said. He has also said he doesn’t promote people eating more sugar, but instead suggests maple syrup as a healthier option.