| Recently, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been | | | | (satisfaction and fullness). The result of ingesting |
| the subject of much debate and has been | | | | HFCS is that you are left exhausted and still hungry, |
| demonized, as more research uncovers the ill effects | | | | so you eat more! |
| it has on our health. The sugar industry's response to | | | | Food manufacturers use HFCS because it is sweeter |
| this increased awareness has been to mount a | | | | (and therefore more addictive), cheaper to produce, |
| sophisticated media campaign in defense of | | | | and has a longer shelf life than sugar. This means |
| HFCS, which includes television commercials, viral | | | | they can increase portion size without increasing cost; |
| videos and even twittering. The industry's main portal | | | | and they can also make their products sweeter. This |
| to their campaign is and it is chock-full of distortions, | | | | increased sweetness, the effect on blood sugar and |
| misrepresentations and outright lies. The big debate: | | | | the way it is metabolized all lead to more cravings |
| “Is HFCS really worse for you than sugar?” | | | | and more fat on your thighs! |
| The answer is, “of course it is.” To say that | | | | The commercials touting HFCS as “natural, same |
| I don't advocate sugar is not a small understatement; | | | | as sugar and fine in moderation” are really |
| in fact, I think both sugar and HFCS are downright | | | | well-crafted propaganda.. They are weapons being |
| dangerous for your health especially in the quantities | | | | used against the uninformed in the hopes of |
| consumed in our modern diet. | | | | extending the 'shelf-life' of HFCS. Fortunately, the |
| Webster's dictionary defines the word | | | | people are discovering to what extent HFCS is not |
| “refined” as “purified.” A more | | | | natural, and that it is not the “same as |
| adequate description when referring to sugar and | | | | sugar.” |
| HFCS would be: “concentrate, bleach, process at | | | | HFCS is extremely difficult to moderate because it is |
| high temperatures, concentrate, strip of all nutrients, | | | | in almost everything!! If you eat the average |
| concentrate further and call it food!” Calling | | | | American diet, than you probably eat condiments |
| sugar and HFCS “refined” as in | | | | (catsup, salad dressing, bbq sauce), bread, cookies, |
| “purified” is ludicrous! But let me play devil's | | | | crackers, pizza, pasta sauce, jam and jelly, (yes, it's |
| advocate for a moment and tell you why sugar is | | | | even in jam and jelly!) soups, sodas and frozen foods. |
| definitely the lesser of the two evils. | | | | These all contain HFCS. Even though you may only |
| What it all boils down to: HFCS is metabolized by | | | | drink one soda per day, you are consuming inordinate |
| your body in a completely different way than sugar. | | | | amounts of HFCS in everything else. The USDA |
| HFCS is 55% fructose and 45% glucose, while regular | | | | reports that about one-quarter of the calories |
| sugar (sucrose) is 50% each glucose and fructose. | | | | consumed by the average American is in the form of |
| Seems like they are pretty much the same right? | | | | added sugar, most of which is HFCS. And incredibly, |
| Wrong! The fructose in HFCS is not from a fruit, | | | | this figure doesn’t even include concentrated |
| it’s highly refined, man-made fructose. It is a | | | | fruit juice, sugar alcohol, polyol sweeteners or corn |
| starch and it doesn’t exist in nature. It is | | | | based chemically refined sweetener components like |
| chemically refined into an artificial hydrocarbon, and | | | | maltodextrin or modified corn starch. |
| your body does not even recognize it as food! | | | | And if you can believe that, realize you’re your |
| Sucrose is recognized by the body, and processed | | | | children’s food is loaded with HFCS: fruit snacks, |
| differently. | | | | candy bars, breakfast cereal, hot cocoa, pop-tarts, |
| When you eat sugar, your body converts it into | | | | chips and fruit drinks all have HFCS. Even |
| glucose, which raises your blood glucose levels, | | | | “healthy” foods like granola bars, flavored |
| stimulating insulin production, which turns glucose into | | | | oatmeal, trail mixes and some juices have HFCS. |
| energy by moving it out of your blood and into your | | | | Shockingly, some baby formulas now contain HFCS |
| cells. Eating sugar also causes your body to produce | | | | too! |
| leptin, a hormone that turns down appetite and | | | | HFCS is harmful and should be eliminated from your |
| increases your metabolic rate. When you eat HFCS, | | | | diet and your children’s diet. You can’t wait |
| your body does not stimulate the production of | | | | for the powers that be to clean up our food supply, |
| either insulin or leptin. The fructose in HFCS goes | | | | please start now by doing the following: |
| directly to your liver, where it is way more likely than | | | | - Start checking the labels of all the food that you |
| sucrose to be metabolized into fat, which raises | | | | buy. If it has HFCS, don’t buy it! |
| triglyceride levels. Also, HFCS has been shown to | | | | - Educate yourself about HFCS – you will be |
| suppress gherin, a hormone that signals satiety | | | | surprised just how bad it is. |