High Fructose Corn Syrup

I have not blogged in a long time. I have a lot to say, but no time to do it. So, it’s been suggested to me (Angelica) that I blog while at work…so being the productive employee I am, I’ve decided to give it a try.

Something that has been on my mind lately: High Fructose Corn Syrup. Is this the most important thing I’ve had on my mind and wanted to write about? No, not really. But it is the thing that I spend a lot of time reading and learning about because I seriously don’t have much else to do in my 8 hour day. So that will be today’s topic.

I’ve found many interesting blogs and articles on the subject, many of which I will link at the end so whoever reads this can do their own research, if they feel so inclined. I think it’s important to get subjective information on any topic rather than just believing everything you see/hear/read. That’s actually a blog for another day, though, considering passing along unfounded information is a huge pet peeve of mine…anyhow…

High Fructose Corn Syrup (or HFCS as I will refer to it from now on) is, I’ve decided, evil. There is absolutely no good that can come from this stuff, and as anti-conspiracy theory as I am, this has impure intentions written all over it. It’s one of those things that is about money for big companies, and screw the health of all those who choose to trust that their food is safe. This stuff is in EVERYTHING. Sometimes as a sugar replacement, sometimes in addition to sugar, and sometimes in things that have absolutely no need for sweetening (such as Saltine Crackers—I kid you not. Check the label). So why is it there? There are a few reasons that I’ve found:

It’s sweet, cheap, and easy to manufacture. Yes, manufacture. Despite what the Corn Refiners Association of America would have you believe (those responsible for the wonderful new ads touting the goodness of HFCS) it is NOT natural. Just because it comes from corn does not mean it’s “natural” or healthy in any sense…it just means it begins as corn, then goes through this extensive manufacturing process. It is Franken-corn (or Franken-sugar? It’s Franken-something…).

It’s used as a preservative. Not much to explain there…it’s all about increasing shelf-life.

This is the most sinister: it’s possibly addictive. I’m not certain on this one, but I’ve read some articles and it makes sense. As humans, we like things that are sweet. We crave it, even if we don’t consider ourselves a “sweets” person. So this sugary sweet junk is laced into all sorts of food we eat (I’ve found statistics that suggest it’s in as much as 80% of foods!) because we like it. And it makes us want more. So we continue to eat…which means we continue to BUY food. Which all goes back to the lining of the pockets of the big corporations, and at what expense? Our waistlines and our health.

So, why is it so bad? Because, despite it’s claims to be “just like sugar” or “almost exactly like sugar” it is not. The composition of the glucose and fructose is different than sugar. Don’t ask me to explain this…I’ve had to read a lot about it and it’s just starting to click. I’m not a scientist, so I’m not going to play one here, but from what I understand, natural sugars and HFCS are broken down differently in our bodies. The HFCS isn’t broken down as easily as sugar, and as a result, more of it is turned directly into fat. I’ve also read some things about it being processed in the liver like alcohol, but I’m not completely sure on this—definitely don’t quote me on it.

Since the introduction of HFCS 30 years ago, obesity has risen steadily alongside its usage. Coincidence? I’m doubtful. The use of processed and fast foods has grown incredibly, and obesity, diabetes, autism, heart disease, etc are all rising right along with it. I don’t think it’s any secret that making your own foods is healthier than buying the jarred/premade/deep fried version, but we are a nation of convenience. And food manufacturers know this.

One of my big diet “secrets” is everything in moderation. I don’t like the idea of dieting, and I don’t like the idea of depriving myself. If I want a cookie, I will eat a cookie. If I want ice-cream, I will eat ice-cream. I just try to do it in a way that I’m not constantly gorging on it. And if I can’t control it, I don’t buy it (I’ve been known to eat an entire box of Oreos in one day…or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in a sitting). The problem with HFCS is that it’s in EVERYTHING. It has made it’s way into everything that people eat on a normal day—juice, bread, cereal, pasta sauce, fruit cups, “healthy” cereal bars, jam, bbq sauce, etc, etc. So my moderation way of life is very challenging with this stuff—I can’t moderate it. I can’t control how much of it I’m eating because even when I think I’m making healthy food choices, that stuff is making it’s way into my diet, and often in places I don’t expect it to be (like the Saltine Crackers mentioned above).

So how do I deal? I now check the labels of EVERYTHING. I mean literally EVERYTHING. Have I cut HFCS out completely? Not entirely (I have a tub of caramel sauce in my fridge with HFCS as the first ingredient…although I didn’t expect that stuff to be healthy anyway), but we have made some large changes in our house. I can honestly say that less than 10% of what you will find in my house contains it, and it’s probably significantly less than that. We’ve gone to buying organically when we can, checking labels and finding the labels with the healthier alternatives, switched from pancake syrup (which, I’ll have you know, contains no maple whatsoever—it’s purely HFCS, sugar, and water) to organic honey, Yoplait to organic yogurts sweetened with fruit juice, etc. We do have the advantage of being healthier eaters to begin with. We don’t drink pop (often), only 100% juices (rarely), and we try to do our own healthy cooking. So the “transition” hasn’t been as tricky for us as I imagine it would be for a lot of people, but I do think it’s something that can be done for anyone. It just involves a little more diligence when it comes to grocery shopping, a little more planning ahead when it comes to meals, and a little less willingness to put things into our bodies that are toxic (or, at the very least, not proven to be safe).

In the coming weeks, I will continue to blog about food and health related issues. Watch for aspartame (possibly even worse than HFCS!) and sodium nitrites (doing more research on this one…but so far it ain’t pretty). I hope that by doing this I can help not only myself become more educated about our bodies and nutrition, but hopefully help some that might not have known otherwise. And again, I will always back my blogs up with links, both positive and negative on a subject, so that others can do their own research.

http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/health-benefits-of-honey.html

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2008/10/high-fructose-c.html

This is a site by the same people responsible for the "it's good for you ads" the Corn Refiners Association or something. I'm adding it because it's a very biased site since they have something to lose if HFCS goes away, but I'm trying to give all perspectives, so here it is:
http://www.sweetsurprise.com/

Interesting blog:
http://www.thefitshack.com/2007/03/15/what-is-hfcs-and-why-is-it-so-bad-for-my-body/

Article on mercury being found in HFCS:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html