A new silent killer: High Fructose Corn Syrup

Odds are, you'll find something in your pantry or your refrigerator with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. Probably even items that you never thought would have HFCS in it, such as bread. Recently, HFCS seems to have gotten a new PR person because we're seeing ads on television telling us that HFCS is safe and, in small amounts, even okay to eat. Well thanks television! Without you, where would I be? Oh yeah, researching facts for myself instead of believing everything I'm spoon fed. But I digress. This website sugar coats (or maybe they use HFCS) the facts about High Fructose Corn Syrup.

You might be asking yourself why HFCS is so bad. You may be wondering why it's gotten such a bad wrap, it never did anything to anybody right? Wrong. High Fructose Corn Syrup is, as the name suggests, high in fructose which is metabolized differently than glucose. Fructose is metabolized in the liver at a much quicker rate. According to this lef.org article, the rate with which fructose is metabolized in the liver leads to increased fat storage in the liver. This can lead to many problems such as liver disease and heart disease.

Not only that, but it seems like HFCS is found in so many foods today! According to a quote on the Sweet Surprise website, whose link is found in the first paragraph, the FDA "would not object to using the term 'natural' on a product containing HFCS." Natural? I don't know about you but I try to eat natural foods. Organic produce, especially if it's grown locally, and other organic foods as well as breads without HFCS. It seems to me that labeling a food as "natural" when it has HFCS in it, which is not found in nature, is a lie.

"Sugar is not the enemy" so says this everydiet.org article, "Refined and processed sugars are!" A good example of a refined, and processed sugar? HFCS as well as aspartame which itself has a bad reputation and has been linked to several medical problems.

So there is a fair amount of literature both for and against the digestion of HFCS. Of course it is up to you to decide for yourself whether you really want to incorporate it into your diet and, if so, how much. Be sure to look at the ingredient list of all the groceries you buy. A good rule of thumb is, if your grandmother has no clue what it is, you probably shouldn't be eating it. You can also go here for a list of some foods without HFCS. To completely eradicate HFCS from one's diet is a challenge, but it's not impossible. It all comes down to doing your own research, paying attention to what is in the foods that you buy and cooking more meals for yourself. That way you know exactly what goes into the foods that you put into your body. Remember, you are what you eat! Truer words were never spoken.