High Fructose Corn Syrup
Submitted by FatherOfAsh on Wed, 09/03/2008 - 16:13.
I think some of us have heard, and have some basic sentiment in mind, that high fructose corn syrup is bad for us. What many of us might not appreciate is why HFCS is seen as so much worse than sugar. While 'stumbling' (http://www.stumbleupon.com) around the web today, I happened across a good article of "Why Soft Drinks Contribute to Obesity". (http://www.naturalnews.com/024046.html) In the past, my basic thought was that beverages, in general, were not particularly filling and that it was natural that if a beverage meant a lot of calories, but didn't fill you up, the end result would be that you naturally go out and consume more to satiate your appetite.
This is where HFCS pops up as extra specially bad. Apparently, fructose will contribute glucose in the same way as sucrose but the body does not fully recognize it as it does sucrose and, as such, you are not satiated by it. Scary stuff!
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Admitting to Uncertainty
After having read about the bad of High Fructose Corn Syrup, I passed the info along and even sat dumbfounded on my couch when I saw a few commercials by the great big corn growers group (or whatever they call themselves...) but after digging around a bit tonight I admit to questioning whether HFCS is so evil after all. At present, the only statements I can find about HFCS being a bad thing speak of obesity rates rising at a very similar rate to the adoption and proliferation of HFCS in food products, and a theory that this has to do with fructose converting to fat more readily than glucose.
The problem I have with this is that there is no evidence to show causality between rising obesity rates and use of HFCS and the theory is just that, not a proven fact. Beyond that, taking the time to look into it, it appears that HFCS does not contain much more fructose than sugar, so if such a theory is proven to be true, the difference may well not be particularly significant.
The moral of the story for me is to not get too bogged down in trying to find the 0.001% gains, and go for the big stuff. The reality is that we should be mindful of our sweet intake all around, whether sugar, HFCS or some other sweetener. Our bodies will be thankful.
Then again...
So it turns out that someone has really put out a good article talking about why HFCS is bad beyond just the reality of people getting fatter and HFCS being used more. I couldn't possibly expect to do it justice better than this link:
http://almostfit.com/2008/09/14/five-reasons-why-i-avoid-high-fructose-c...
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I thought of this post this
I thought of this post this weekend ... an ad by the corn council (or some such) came on TV, talking about how high fructose corn syrup wasn't really that bad for you, since its made from corn and corn is "natural." I just laughed at the TV, but really, it's not funny. In the ad, two moms were talking and one was pouring a sugary drink into cups for kids at a party.
It's such a commonplace ingredient ... I wonder how many foods and drinks its really in that people don't know about.
Got questions?
Contact me at sandi.beason@jackson.gannett.com.
HFCS on TV!
I saw that ad too and could not for the life of me believe that I wasn't actually dreaming it. It was so completely horrible!
I've always just been baffled by the defense of any number of things that people use of it being natural. Mercury is natural too. I don't want it in my beverages, thanks!
I saw an article in the
I saw an article in the paper the other day about organics, how they weren't any better for you than other foods you find in the grocery store. I haven't done my research on this, but I just don't think that's right. I'll do some digging and post something about that later.
Got questions?
Contact me at sandi.beason@jackson.gannett.com.
re: Organics
I'm pretty sure you'll find a fairly good mix of facts in regards to organics, but I think a lot of it comes down to the same sort of facts that the corn industry is presenting in regards to high fructose corn syrup. Yep, it's natural, comes from corn and has no more calories than sugar. This is true. That they can toss out those facts that don't in any way incriminate it doesn't make the facts against it go away.
I hit up the organics some, though not all the time, a lot more because I would like to support small agriculture businesses that are less damaging to our environment as well as because I just can't honestly believe that having poison all over my veggies and in the dirt they grow in has no effect on my health. It's almost as scary to think about as radioactive deer. - I won't get into that today!