A COUPLE whose son died of meningitis tried curing the 19-month-old with maple syrup instead of taking him to a doctor, a jury heard on Monday.

David and Collet Stephan are also accused of giving their son homemade remedies such as apple cider vinegar and horseradish root — instead of seeking advice from healthcare professionals, The Sun reports.

The Canadian couple’s son Ezekiel died in March 2012 but they are now standing trial accused of allowing him to die.

David works for vitamins and supplements company Truehope Nutritional Support, which claim they work to improve people’s mental health though nutrition.

Prosecutors have told the jury Ezekiel had been ravaged by meningitis for two weeks, but his parents only called for medical help when he stopped breathing.

The tragic tot died in hospital after five days on life support.

David, 32, and Collet, 35, from southern Alberta, pleaded not guilty to failing to provide the necessaries of life for their son on Monday.

The Stephans are accused of treating their son with homemade remedies even after their friend who was a nurse told them he could have meningitis.

The anxious parents used water mixed with maple syrup and juice with frozen berries to boost his immune system, the court in Alberta, Canada, has heard.

They were also said to have used hot peppers, mashed onion, and garlic and ginger root mixtures as his condition worsened.

The couple allegedly also treated him with Empowerplus — a product made by Truehope Nutritional Support.

It has been reported that David owns the company, but the firm have dismissed the claim and say he is just an employee there.

The Stephan’s claim the Empowerplus can help people with bipolar disorder, the court heard.

Health Canada launched an unsuccessful court case to stop the distribution of the company’s supplement in 2004 and issued warnings about it.

In an audiotape played to the court the couple are allegedly heard telling a police officer they prefer natural remedies over traditional healthcare.

They are also heard saying that the family has had negative experiences with the medical system.

Crown Prosecutor Clayton Giles told the court on Monday: “I’m not saying they killed him, abused him or ignored him — they loved him.”

“They didn’t take him to a doctor until it was too late — far too late.”

The couple were first charged in February 2013 and Mr Stephan released a statement saying Ezekiel’s health appeared to improve before it quickly deteriotaed.

He told Canadian paper the Calgary Herald: “Like any other good parents, we attended to the matter and treated him accordingly to standard practices and recommendations like millions of parents do each year.”

The couple posted on social media that they were being unfairly persecuted and that their approach to health and medicine should be respected.

They have also written that they now fear for their safety as a result of the public outrage now being directed at them.

“My wife and I are now in a situation that we have so much animosity being directed our way that we are actually concerned for our security,” they wrote.