High Fructose Corn Syrup
15 September 2008The question came up the other day about high fructose corn syrup and why it should be avoided. After all there are advertisements running right now on our television to convince us we have been wrong about this sweetener and that in actual fact it is not bad for us after all. Check out Sweet Surprise Quick Facts.
High fructose corn syrup is commonly used in place of sugar in processed foods in the USA. According to wikihow, the average American eats an astounding 41.5 lbs of high fructose corn syrup per year. American subsidies and tariffs have resulted in corn being a much more economical sweetener than sugar — a trend that is not seen in other parts of the world. Now that high fructose corn syrup is being added to an increasing variety of foods (breads, cereals, soft drinks, and condiments); some people are looking for ways to avoid it.
But often the question remains that: Is it the corn syrup making us fat, or is it that we consume products far higher in calories because of our love of processed food?
The Mayo Clinic has this to say about HFCS. High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener and preservative used in many processed foods. It is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose — another form of sugar. Some nutrition experts blame increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup for the growing obesity problem. One theory is that fructose is more readily converted to fat by your liver than is sucrose, increasing the levels of fat in your bloodstream. But this hasn’t been proved. In addition, animal studies have shown a link between increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and adverse health effects, such as diabetes and high cholesterol. However, the evidence is not as clear in human studies. Despite the lack of clarity in research, the fact remains that Americans consume large quantities of high-fructose corn syrup in the form of soft drinks, fruit-flavored beverages and other processed foods. These types of foods are often high in calories and low in nutritional value. This fact alone is reason to be cautious about foods containing high-fructose corn syrup.
The Weston A Price Foundation reports that one possible link, a lack of copper in our children’s diet might give us a reason as to why our bodies are so sensitive to HFCS “For many years, Dr. Meira Fields and her coworkers at the US Department of Agriculture investigated the harmful effects of dietary sugar on rats. They discovered that when male rats are fed a diet deficient in copper, with sucrose as the carbohydrate, they develop severe pathologies of vital organs. Liver, heart, and testes exhibit extreme swelling, while the pancreas atrophies, invariably leading to death of the rats before maturity. … These experiments should give us pause when we consider the great increase in the use of high fructose corn syrup during the past 30 years, particularly in soft drinks, fruit juices and other beverages aimed at growing children, children increasingly likely to be copper deficient as modern parents no longer serve liver to their families. (Liver is by far the best source of copper in human diets.)”
How is HFCS made?
Our local health food market Earth Fare, chooses to not carry any products that contain high fructose corn syrup and for this I am grateful. My son has a hard time processing fructose, in any form. He gets hyperactive, sweaty, and out of control within minutes of eating any food processed with HFCS and for this reason we avoid it. It can be a hard task as many “natural” products including some apple sauce or tinned-fruit actually have HFCS added, but we are getting really good at reading labels in our house.
How can you avoid HFCS? Read, read, read labels. Don’t rely on the word “natural” on the packaging; marketing companies are very clever and we now know that just because a package is drawn to look like it is an earthy natural product, or even declaring itself 100% natural on the box, there are no guarantees that anything in the product is natural. There are no clear guidelines on what can be called “natural” so it really is a term to be ignored for the most part. 100% organic labels can usually be trusted. Regardless we should already be on the lookout for genetically modified corn, but when manufacturers take that g.m.corn and turn it into high fructose corn syrup you then have something grown from the get-go that is infused with chemicals and pesticides, then it is processed with more chemicals to produce the cheaper than sugar high fructose corn syrup. How would your body know what to do with this by-product of corn?
The San Francisco Chronicle article “Sugar Coated” is fascinating reading about the corn syrup debate. The article lists many arguments about the additive/preservative and is highly interesting reading for those interested in this product. The article mentions a couple of different things including: “Journalist Greg Critser lays out a compelling case against high fructose corn syrup in his 2003 book, “Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World.” He argues that federal policies that aimed to stabilize food prices and support corn production in the 1970s led to a glut of corn and then to high fructose corn syrup. With a cheaper way to sweeten food, producers pumped up the size and amount of sweet snacks and drinks on the market and increased profits.
Further, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2002 published research that showed that teenagers’ milk consumption between 1965 and 1996 decreased by 36 percent, while soda consumption increased by more than 200 percent. “
The Feingold Organization also opposes the use of this additive for some children but not for the reason of obesity, part of their article mentions: Although it is not eliminated on the Feingold Program, some members find that corn syrup is a major offender. The problem is usually not caused by an allergy to corn but is believed to be a reaction to the chemicals used in processing the corn, especially sulfur. Actually, sulfur is an essential element and is found in every cell of plants and animals, but not everyone is able to process some of the sulfur-based chemicals. Some autistic children seem to have a particular problem processing sulfite. It is believed that they lack the enzymes needed to add oxygen to the sulfite, making a sulfate, which can then be excreted.
It’s actually easier to avoid high fructose corn syrup than it is to avoid – say MSG, products that contain corn syrup will have it clearly listed on the label, MSG on the other hand is often hidden under the “natural flavoring” heading.
Check that the juice your child is drinking does not have this corn syrup added. Better yet, limit juice with your child and try to slowly move them to water. It’s not only cheaper to give them, but its far healthier, and when water spills on the rugs or in the car there is no sticky mess to clean up.
Check the canned fruit you are purchasing, many have HFCS added, in addition check the apple sauce or other pureed fruit, it can be another offender.
Ditch the soda, if your child can drink water, you can certainly drink water as well. Water (just remember the filter and stainless steel water bottle) is so much better for us and cheaper than soda or juice. Soda does not just contain HFCS the diet varieties, which many people drink, contain artificial sweeteners, thought to further trick your body and make you gain weight rather than lose or maintain.
Try to limit processed or fast food; many of those products have the highest quantity of high fructose corn syrup.
Make an adjustment: Stay healthy ~ Be Happy ~ Eat Healthy!
Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Family Chiropractic 303.674.1500
or email office@fontanachiro.com
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October 18th, 2008 at 7:43 am
[...] and more consumers and professionals steer clear of corn syrup, especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the industry is spending big bucks to fight [...]
November 1st, 2008 at 12:19 am
Thanks for the great article! I suspected HFCS could have something to do with hyperactivity in children… my 15 month old daughter just had HFCS for the first time (in candy) and went seemingly crazy for about an hour – screaming at things and hitting people. She’s had natural sugar before in homemade cookies and things and never had this kind of reaction, so I’m inclined to think HFCS is at fault.