High-fructose corn syrup: Have you soured on this sweetener?
Photo by banjo d 
Watching TV the other evening, I happened upon something that really disturbed me. It was one of those new commercials touting the safe and harmless nature of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In case you haven’t seen one, it goes something like this.
These commercials are sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association as a response to the bad rap that high-fructose corn syrup has been getting. Now, I don’t dispute the veracity that HFCS is derived from corn, contains about as many calories as sugar or honey, and is probably safe in moderation. What the commercials fail to mention is that corn syrup is present in an enormous number of foods and drinks that we consume every day: from cereal to lunch meat, pretzels, soda, beer, bread, canned fruit cocktail and – well, you get the point. It’s pretty insidious. Moderation? I don’t think so.
Then there’s the issue of manufacturing. Yes, HFCS is made from corn, but eating it is certainly not akin to enjoying a freshly cooked cob of the yellow stuff. The chemistry is complicated, but the manufacturing process basically turns corn into cornstarch, which is then converted to glucose. The glucose is chemically altered into fructose – although this particular form is different from naturally occurring fructose, which is bound to other sugars. Manufactured fructose is unbound, or “free,” and may interfere with our heart’s use of key minerals like copper, magnesium, and chromium. Not a good thing.
Most nutritionists agree that HFCS deserves a great deal of blame for the obesity epidemic that our country is currently facing. In the ’70s, the average U.S. consumer ingested about a half pound a year. In the mid-’90s, that figure jumped to over 55 pounds per year, per person! Environmentalists are also concerned with the heavily subsidized corn industry’s overuse of artificial nitrogen fertilizer, which destroys soil, leeches into the water-supply, endangers marine flora and fauna, and creates a host of other problems.
Evidence seems to suggest that the current trend of immoderate use of high-fructose corn syrup is detrimental – to your body and to the environment, but what do you think?
Is high-fructose corn syrup the harmless ingredient the Corn Refiners Association would have us believe, or is it a dangerous substance that we should avoid at all costs?
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As a long time sufferer of migraines, I have come to the conclusion that any ‘non-natural’ (i.e. chemically altered) substance endangers our bodies in ways we can’t even imagine. I know that HFCS gives me migraines and other health issues. I think we will discover in the future that there are many other side effects from this that have not yet emerged, as well as from all the additives and preservatives we put in our food because we can’t or won’t make our own meals anymore. As a result, I eat as close to the ‘earth’ as I can — fresh, non-processed, bought from the producer if I can and cooked by the loving hands of my husband!
At first I thought it sounded legit. But your article makes that High fructose stuff sounded pretty bad.
Ya, I noticed “RIGHT AWAY” that those commercials were sponsered by the Corn Refiners Association!!
That, right there, should tell you that something about that is just not right…
I’ve felt for a long time that High Fructose Corn Syrup is not as good for our bodies than just plain old regular sugar…
Then, I just saw a piece on the local news last night, that scientists have proven that “Fructose” causes people to gain weight!! Well… who would’ve thunk it??
There were people overweight long before HFCS came into extensive use – the beer belly problem, for example. As well as men gaining weight after they are married because their wife is such a darn good cook they eat and overeat everything she cooks.
But the problem is also caused by portions-too-large (I could easily eat two hamburgers when I was a growing teenager but it’s not wise as an adult), way too much sugar (big milk shakes), and not enough exercise. When I was a college student and lived on campus, I walked everywhere I wanted to go on campus, using my automobile only to drive to a job. When I moved off-campus and drove to campus, I had little incentive to keep walking ‘everywhere’. After graduation it is even harder to walk ‘anywhere’.
Many suburbs are not pedestrian-friendly, so how does one walk off that really large meal just consumed?
But back to the huge 55 pounds of HFCS that people consume (average) each year. That calculates to be 880 ounces of sugar, which is less than 3 ounces (or 69 grams) of sugar per day.
A can of soda water can have 28 grams of sugar in it.
An 8-ounce serving of orange juice can have 24 grams of sugar.
A one-quarter cup serving of raisins has 29 grams of sugar in it.
See how fast the sugar adds up?
The two real foods I listed are 53 grams of sugar already, and it isn’t HFCS.
The soda water’s HFCS is an overload of sugar that should not be in anyone’s diet, yet some people drink the stuff everyday, more than once a day.
For me, rootbeer is a delicacy, to be enjoyed on special occasions.
Why not get a list of foods, real and manufactured (ice cream, chocolate candy bars, etc. are manufactured) and show only their ‘portion size’ and the sugar content for the portion and for the whole packaged food. That should be an eye-opener for some people.
Just like real sugar. Use sparingly. I dare you to find a brand of yogurt without HFC, jam, otherwise we eat very little of both.
I think it’s true that it’s not very good for us because sinces it’s introduction in the 70′s there have been a lot more cases of type 2 diabetes. At least that is one factor.
thanks. been meaning to look into this ever since i hear ‘that’ commercial. good article.
i definitely agree. people don’t realize how much HFCS there is in their foods. therefore, contributing to america’s obesity problems.
After some research on this, I discovered that HFCS is pretty much the same thing as sugar. Both break into about 50% glucose, and 50% fructose in the stomach. It’s the fructose that attacks the liver. The body can handle quite a bit of it, and consuming some is fine. The health problems are caused by the excessive consumption of all sugars. They all contain about half fructose, and in the absurd quantities the average american consumes, causes all kinds of problems with the liver. HFCS is no better than sugar, but it’s no worse either. I cut way back on my consumption of all soda pop. I now limit myself to one or two 12 oz cans a week, and I’ve lost a ton of weight and feel much better.
I agree that HFCS is bad for us, along with many other chemically altered products.
Our grandparents and great-grandparents lived well into their 90′s eating all kinds of meat and even lard. These products were grown all natural and not chemically altered though.
I try not to eat it intentionally and avoid it if i can. This stemmed from a front page on a health magazine with the featured article being on this lady who lost 65 pounds from just cutting HFCS from her diet. I think HFCS is definitely not just made from corn. Anything inorganic is always not better for you than the natural stuff.
Well, if we ARE to avoid it all costs, we’ll have to be ready to take the euphemism literally– because replacing HFCS with sugar will be very expensive for manufacturers and thus for consumer as well.
The big reason food producers started using HFCS to such excess is because the import tariffs on sugar in the U.S. make it more cost-effective to just use the corn syrup. It sweetens just like sugar, tastes almost the same (average people can’t tell much difference), and costs way less. It would take massive government action (by dropping the sugar import tariffs and also regulating) to change things on the large-scale.
As for avoiding HFCS on the small-scale, one person at a time, good luck with that! It would mean giving up the vast majority of prepackaged food items you currently consume now. Be prepared to read tons of labels, limit your consumption of any manufactured food item, and watch your grocery bill leap higher as you pay for sugar-containing replacement products.
My teacher and I also hate HFCS.
It’s like anything else, moderation is the key. If you already consume enough HFCS in your daily diet to the point that you’re obese, then you should probably think twice about tipping back a bottle karo syrup.
Moderation, it’s that simple, instead of labelling a product as “bad for you”, lay the blame instead on the people who use too much of it! It’s not rocket science here, too much of anything is bad for you.
Those commercials disgusted me also!! Corn syrup is made from GMO corn, and it freaks your system out because it enters the bloodstream so fast, and your body thinks it is sugar and creates an overload of insulin to combat it, but it isn’t sugar, and it’s converted straight into fat, leaving you with a sugar low and a craving for real sugar. An ad that promotes something thats so bad for you in a society where obesity is an epidemic, is tacky, and just downright wrong.
I’ve been powering a personal atomic reactor with HFCS for 2 years now. My electric bill is zero. I also use it to make moonshine with the waste from the reactor. I love HFCS!!!!
a major reason i am aware is the corn allergy situation. how that has all recently come about is baffling to me….how did we all grow older suffering all these allergies they find today ” “
Yes I agree that it is detrimental to your health.
Men’s Health called it ‘Hell on your health’ and I’ve heard of studies that link it to diabetes. And the FDA needs to look at putting lables on foods that contain the substance to the get the message out and deter companies from using it.
Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to avoid it. You can usually find a brand of each food that doesn’t have it.
It’s good to see this here. I’ve known it for quite some time. (Luckily, I found Radiant Recovery dot com in 1998 and got rid of my “sweet tooth.” I don’t consume any sweeteners, now.)
How about the correlation between HFCS and Diabetes? That’s a good one! (Actually, it’s horrifying.)
Has anyone noticed the rate of increase in the USA of diabetes?
The only way to avoid being poisoned by food products these days is to grow your own organic garden. Have you ever heard of the company Monsanto? They were a chemical company many years agoand they’ve since moved into the agricultural business-infactthey now control over 80% of the entire worlds food supply. Together with the Global Nazi Elite, theier goal is to eliminate 90% of the population.
Don’t believe me do the research yourself.
I won’t eat it. After doing my own research, there is nothing good about it, and only bad. I have thrown everything out that has it, and won’t buy anything new wiht it. If anyone did their research, they wouldn’t buy it either. From making people fat, to changing cells in people’s bodies, to the radiated corn, you name it. It’s bad all around.
I don’t think that people realize that high-fructose corn syrup immediately turns into sucrose upon entering the body, it’s actually no worse than any other suger.
sorry, “sugar”*
What one problem with HFCS that no one mentions is that the body does not recognize it as a sugar and does not release the insulin to store it as quickly. If you look at the stats, the rate of diabetes and obesity started increasing with the introduction of this garbage. I traveled to Europe for two weeks without altering my diet and would up losing ten pounds.
by the way the stuff is banned in Canada, Mexico and Europe.
Worked with biologists. Asked about using dextrose for coffee. Said no way, will screw up body’s ability to use sucrose. Since coffee/caffene combination with high fructose seems to get the body to raise blood sugar very fast, something foreign is happening. Maybe the combo does something that sucrose doesn’t. Just be careful and don’t do excess.
I just found the most amazing thing!!!!! There are these words on the back of all my foods!!! One day I decided to read them. (obviously, unlike you) It turns out, they list ingredients on the back off ALL OF THEM! It’s amazing! You can figure out what you are eating! Thus, being able to avoid high fructose corn syrup. Point proven.
I thought those commercials were funny. Actually, I first saw the ads here on Yahoo! Answers. I do everything within my power to avoid unnatural chemical junk. Sure, it took a bit of education and label reading, but it’s worth it. Yes, some of my groceries might be more expensive than my in-laws’, but it’s worth it. They don’t eat much real foods and they are overweight and have health problems. Sadly, this includes my husband who was doing decent until we moved in with his parents. My SIL tries some, but she still thinks that low fat Oreos are “healthy” and will have several at a time, even for breakfast. The son of my husband’s other sister has high cholestoral at the young age of ten or eleven. I have mentioned to them about his lack of vegetables, but my SIL seems to take a laissez faire attitude about it. Even when she told her mother and me that he had high cholestoral she seemed to be nonchalant. We don’t want that for our daughter who, at 13 months eats mostly organic. She does get some big girl food that isn’t organic, but it’s in small doses, usually.
I would rather pay more for real food and enjoy it and life now than to pay for it in medical costs and not enjoy life as much due to illness, limited mobility, etc.
I digress.
So why,if that stuff is so unhealthy, and the FDA knows it, is it put into almost everything we eat? Why is the goverment shoving it down out throats? I guess it has something to do with MONEY??? Help!
If you are interested in any of these categories; Health, Society, Anomaly, then MUDUTU.com is a good place to share and learn knowledge.
Mudutu.com – Knowledge is Power – Share it – Mudutu.com
When I saw the commercial I was outraged. Those ads are deceptive and irresponsible and should be illegal. Not only is HFCS horrible for people, but its mass production is destroying our environment. I am glad to see more information on the harmful effects of this stuff and hope that eventually it will stopped being manufactured.
Well if you think about it sugar is chemicly altered so is honey for that matter I mean do you know how honey is actually made, in moderation is the key people should take responsibility for what they consume, read the labels no one is holding a gun to your head and forcing this stuff down your throat, this is just like the people who sue Mcdonalds for making them fat, or smokers sueing cause they got lung cancer everyone knows that these things are unhealthy, heck if we just ban everything thats unhealthy we wouldn’t have cars or electricity or computers etc etc.
I avoid it at all costs, but i also eat healthy compared to everyone else i know. it’s an unecessary ingredient thatyou should avoid, they put it in everything nowadays though even in ketchup
For some reason a little pink packet comes to mind as an alternative to HFCS. The little pink packets that say they have caused cancer in lab animals.I know personally that when I have used other “artifical” sweeteners ( Equal, Nutrasweet, Splenda, & Aspartame) I have had severe stomach cramping, IBS, other very unpleasant side effects and a very nasty after-taste. Usually when I have had HFCS I don’t have those problems. If most people actually followed a Diabetic Menu and tried to keep HFCS to a (like the commercial says) moderate amount instead of overindulging in “produced” foods there wouldn’t be such a big (no pun intended) obesity problem. Eat a carrot or celery stick instead of cookies, chips, or poptarts. Drink water instead of soda, and if you want that extra flavor add lemon or lime slices. Fruit juices are very high in HFCS so limit them or even water them down. There are so many different choices for a real natural substitutes, it all depends on the choices one makes. But frankly I would rather be fat than take a chance at cancer. Much easier to lose weight than to lose cancer.
The ads are similar to the ones that run about how great the chemical companies are toward supporting medicine and the environment. Or oil companies for clean water, or tobacco companies for smoking awareness. Its just spin.
While HFCS is present in alot of PROCESSED foods, the simple answer is to stop eating the processed junk! If something has more than 3 or 4 ingredients on the ingredients list, its probably not very good for you. Corn syrup isn’t the worst of the junk that is in processed food….the artifical sweeteners, preservatives, colors, and overly refined flours are probably worse for us. In the 1980′s, my body literally crashed….my pituitary gland and adrenals just got overwhelmed and all screwed up. Doctors couldn’t help me. I was fainting 15 times a day. Within a few weeks of stopping eating anything with an ingredient list or anything artificial, I started to get better. It took two years for my body to rebuild itself, but it did. Now, if I accidentally get some salad dressing with sodium benzonate or MSG in it, I get a killer migrane, and am sick for a couple of days. The best benefit was that I became an incredible cook!
We aren’t radicals. We still have a Pepsi and an occasional Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and we get cereal with more than three ingredients. But other than that, I cook. And it is cheaper than buying all the processed stuff, tastes WAY better, and is just better for you. Keep living in moderation. Move more,eat less, laugh more, plant a garden, play outside, walk, and instead of eating fast food so your kids can be in 3 or 4 activities or sports, make a rule that everyone is home at dinnertime. Every night. That kept us pretty darn lean and healthy as kids!
My great-grandfather used to say “corn is for horses.” And it turns out he was right. Ever eat plain old corn? Realize your body, um, doesn’t DIGEST corn? We’re not meant to digest corn.
So when they break it down into a substance for our bodies that is easily digestible, it’s very harmful. See the documentary King Corn and you”ll see why corn is, indeed, King in this country. It’s quite frightening.
If you eat a healthy diet it’s not THAT hard to avoid HFCS.
In Europe soda is made with sugar not corn syrup.
There is evidence coming out that shows that type 2 diabetes may be linked to corn syrup . Again, your body is digesting/metabolizing something it is NOT MEANT to digest. We don’t digest corn in its natural form. Our bodies don’t know how to break it down, for good reason.
Lite BEER is best. Very low carbs and by drinking slowly you can stay half gassed all day. Just stay away from your automobile. Lay in a good supply beforehand.
If it were so harmless then why is it banned pretty much everywhere but the U.S.
Why is it that no European country AT ALL allows high fructose corn syrup? It’s forbidden in the Latin American countries in food for humans as well. Mexican Coke in glass bottles gets imported into the U.S. because the smart people know it tastes way better and doesn’t have this crap in it that the U.S. politicians – once again – allowed b/c they got bought off undoubtedly. Again. I wish I could say it was only the Republicans that allowed the stuff.
HFCS DOES NOT CAUSE OBESITY. Eating an excess of processed goods that are usually high in fat and calories does. And, since it;s cheap, HFCS is found in those foods, too. Those foods are generally energy dense, and take up space in the diet that would do better w/ nutrient dense foods.
I thought the same thing when i first saw that commercial! Corn syrup is NOT good for you.Look at trans fat. A chemically altered fat. Look at corn syrup. A chemically altered sugar. How long do we need to go before something is done; as it went with the trans fat? Do we really need half the population to blow up before someone goes: “hmm maybe..”
Anything food that needs a chemist to prepare…should be a food or additive not consumed by the human being.
*Any food that
I quite consuming HFCS 5 years ago. It was in everything, even pickles!
I feel better, lost 25 pounds and am the only one in a family of 5 without diabetes.
What laughable ‘journalism’. If you leave the U.S for 12 months and get away from the food chain, ANYBODY will lose 10-20 pounds just because you’re not eating the crap sold here. HFCS is just one of many issues. You’ve been brainwashed, you’re kept asleep like a slave and you were born into this existence for the sole purpose of working until you drop dead and consuming products. Now, go do your job: GO TO THE MALL. That’s what you were born to do and that is your purpose. Rack up some debt, spend spend spend and take a pill when you’re feeling depressed. But thanks for the laugh of this article and especially the ‘concerned’ respondents who think they know what’s going on. Get a passport and leave for a couple years, then you’ll see the truth. Until then, GO SHOPPING.
I am not a health nut – I like my cookies and ice cream! But this is what I think – our bodies evolved to process things that occur naturally. When substances are chemically altered they are probably not effectively processed by our bodies and health problems will occur.
Eat what you like to eat, but become informed. Read studies, but check who sponsors the studies (studies by the Corn Refiners Association are probably going to have findings favorable to that association).
Lastly, if a food is refined, processed, cooked by a commercial chef or packaged it is likely not as healthy for you as something you make yourself from “real” food.
My mom is always saying how bad the stuff is for you, and so I try and say away from it, so I guess this is just one more reason to stay away from it.
I don’t know if any of you realize this, but sugar tastes a lot better than HFCS. Get Canadian or Mexican pop and check it out. It’s the same stuff, except on the ingredients list, SUGAR is in it. That’s enough for me to hate HFCS.
I’m personally allergic to corn. It’s not a big deal, but I technically shouldnt eat HFCS. I went a couple of weeks on a corn-free diet, and omg, i’d rather deal with the allergy than the shopping! thats when i realized that EVERYTHING has HFCS in it! It makes me produce excessive amounts of saliva, and I talk funny if i dont make an effort to swallow before i talk…
Government subsidies support the corn growing industry and ultimately it is our government paying for these ads to promote what amounts to poison for our systems. But what would you expect, since the grain-based ‘food pyramid’ has been replaced by the vegetable intensive one?
This is an awesome post!
Personally, I try to avoid high fructose products.
Just as much as products that contain “Sugar free” ingredients (such as Splenda, Nutrasweet, Equal, Aspartame, or anything else that mentions Phenylkurotonics (sp?).
It appears lately that the manufacturer of those “left-handed” sugar substitutes is now able to not bother listing their product (which can potentially cause cancer), in the ingredients list.
Read up somewhat here on those things: http://www.dorway.com
*Stands up, applauds, nods head while smiling*
Those commericials make me sick. They are the biggest lie I have ever seen. I start yelling at the T.V. when I see those things…HFCS is terrible for you, as every one on this posting has mentioned. Just wanted to say I’m 110% behind you on this one, and I’m glad someone spoke up about those unfactual commercials.
HFCS is bad for you in any amount, period. Most man-made products are no good for the human body. Partially Hydrogenated and Hydrogenated ingredients are extremely harmful for the human body; they are directly linked to heart disease…as a cause/something that makes any poor cardiac condition worse.
There is an amazing book, by Michael Pollan, that explores the food processing industry in detail. It’s called the Omnivore’s Dilemma, and it really opened my eyes to the world of corporate food and especially corn. I highly recommend it.
The fact that HFCS is in almost everything is the bad part. Do we really need any sweetener in all of our food? I would be wary of any other processed foods, sweeteners, “diet” foods, and convenience foods. For the best health, get as unprocessed as possible and prepare it yourself.
BTW, good thing that processed foods have ingredient lists and nutritional labels. Unfortunately, reading an ingredient list is truly a lot of work. The print is small, and the list is usually extensive. Check your ingredients, you will be surprised.
this nation is run by Corps telling the Gov what they want: the chemical companies pour chemicals into everything for 1 purpose: to harm the citizens to get more $ for their sister company the Pharma: who pays doctors offices for meeting prescription quotas; and mega prizes for pill of the month. If you go to http://www.barnesandnoble.com & type in pharmacutical you can get books explaining & detailing this; Don Rumsfeld the previous head of Dept of Defense was the person for whom the FDA put through asparteme which contains formaldehyde which is one of the most toxic chemicals on the Earth. It turns to poison in your system after ingesting it; it is also what caused the FEMA trailers to be toxic. It is used in Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo; probably another one of the reasons (besides the toxins in infants formulas) that USA has been #1 in infants deaths for years; recently went to #2; there is NO REASONABLE explanation for formaldehyde to be used in anything other than by morticians. The only reason it is used so aggressively in everything from carpets, drapes, clothes, cars, furniture, is to do the greatest harm to citizens of the USA to make $ for Corps & Pharmas; this is all done with full knowledge & consent of the USA Gov. Sadly, so is the fructose. There are many cures for cancer the best one is stopping the chemicals causing it. The cures are not allowed to be done in the USA cuz it brings them in so much $. Sad when $ for pocketbooks of wealthy, & Corps means far more than human lives. I believe it is called by the Gov “for the greater good”.
I was a long time sufferer of Restless leg syndrom and migrianes I was only 18 at the time (2 years ago) and at times it was so bad I would cry because I just wanted to sleep and it was impossible. The only releif I could get from my migraines was to vomit then I would feel better. I have been drinking soda for basicly all of my life with high fructose corn syrup in it, not to mention all the bread with high fructose corn syrup and everything else. It is an almost unavoidable thing unless you know to read the ingredients. I found out about a book about natural cures and got it as a gift and read the whole thing. While I was reading the book a commercial aired on TV for a medication for restless leg syndrom. It was suspicious to me because how can something like that pop up out of nowhere unless it was something we ate or drank. Well in the book the author talks about how as soon as a disease is identified big pharma comes up with a magic pill. High fructose corn syrup was said in the book to be the ONLY cause of restless leg syndrome. I decided to change my lifestyle and go green and eat and drink products without high fructose corn syrup and food additives. Instantly my restless lef syndrome and migraines disapeared.
To the one poster who dared us to find a brand of yogurt or jam without high fructose corn syrup….I just ate an organic yogurt free of high fructose corn syrup and other food additives. Have more in my fridge along with several jars of organic or all natural jam without high fructose corn syrup. I urge you all to go organic or all natural as well and see if your life doesn’t change.
To everyone who says moderation is the key…that is completely impossible if literally almost EVERY food in the grocery that is not labled all natural or organic has HFCS in it. At food city they carry ONE brand of bread without HFCS out of ALL the brands of bread to choose from. It is in drinks it is in pasta sauce, it’s in so many different things it is hardly possible (ecspecially if you are on a tight budject) to avoid it.
Well… yes I believe it is bad for me and have worked hard to cut it and many other processed foods out of my family’s diet. Moderation is a good plan, but… we are advertised corn based products from the time we are set in front of the TV as babies. Our entire distribution system is based on processed corn/grain products. And, (it gets tough here) we subsidize – ie with tax dollars – corn production and processing. So, even if we could give it up on a mass personal, or policy level, it would bankrupt the American farmers (and related industries). It will take a radical shift that will come through another (more?) radical shift in health care. They would decide that making patentable drugs isn’t as good for people as providing excellent nutrition. Or maybe it will be economic. As in, now that we’re starving, maybe we’ll learn to respect our food. This has worked for me as times have gotten tough and it hasn’t been tempting to eat schmack. Maybe someday, the man that picks the organic produce in your favorite fancy supermarket will be able to afford to buy it there. Socialist, maybe, but the Founding Fathers were farmers before they were politicians – maybe there is some dignity in the work that we are too good to do.
If other countries can do it, we can too… right? My father in law went to Germany recently and a simple can of soda there “Coca Cola” had real sugar in it instead of HFCS. In United States we seem to be complacent on many issues and our food standard is at the top of the list.
We should demand higher quality of foods.
I now look at all lablels and HFCS is in our Spaghetti Sauce, Juices, Cereals… just about everything. Even Bread. I have started to make many things from scratch to stay away from the HFCS, but I know I am still way above the 1/2 a pound standard of the 70′s.
HFCS should certainly be banned completely.I know also sugar is very bad for ones immune system.I use honey and love it.If I did not watch my die t I would not have reached 79 in good shape.I have advantage of most above my food is australian and not so bad as in usa but can be better.I was recently shocked to see that the usa life expectancy has dropped in 5 years to 69.3 years only and this is the same as the poor country of the philippines.Disgusting but still philippines consumes a good nut -the coconut and juices.
The REAL reason that HFCS shows up in many food products is not because of sugar’s sweetening properties but rather becauses of sugar’s properties as a preservative
HFCS like all sugars is hygroscopic ;it retains moisture and in doing so it denies it to the microbes that require it.
The end result is that the product doesn’t spoil and retains it’s palatabilty for a longer period of time all of which contributes to a longer shelf life.
HFCS just happens to be the least expensive sugar to use for the purpose
I try to avoid this “chemical” as much as I can. There are times when I have to buy something that does have it in the ingrediants but, most times I can find an alternative.
Sure blame it all on High Fructose Corn Syrup and IGNORE sugar. Oh look how much obesity has gone up because we consume so much more. Well let’s look in to how much SUGAR was consumed back then as well. It wasn’t as common in the 70′s, and has REPLACED sugar. Personally I drink Diet Soda, it contains no sugar(no HFCS) but the main reason I switched was the no calories. Perhaps if people made those SMALL switches they would notice the obesity rates went down. The problem is we don’t teach proper eating in school, and most adults don’t eat right so the kids never learn. Give kids a nutritional class. Do it yearly. Teach them the SMALL things, the ones that they would be most likely to do. Tell them how much better diet soda is(they wouldn’t have to give up the pop which would be difficult to get done). Teach them to have pretzels as oppose to chips(gets rid of the fat).
This is a great article. I definitely believe that HFCS is not a great food. It has zero nutritional value. The first step in reducing the amount we eat is being aware of it. I was amazed to learn recently that Campbell’s tomato soup has HFCS – they claim it is what their customers want – so everybody write them and tell them they are wrong. I try to read all the labels on the food I buy and if there is an alternative, I will buy that. Sometimes I still get taken – like the supermarket pie that says on the top – no sugar added – but on the bottom lists HFCS as an ingredient! Then I bought Cabot whipped cream at Trader Joe’s – another gotcha!
There is a growing volume of research that points to sugar and high glycemic index foods as the main culprits in heart disease – so don’t assume a fatty burger is worse for you than that chocolate milkshake!
Read the book ‘Good Calories, Bad Calories’ by Gary Taubes and subscribe to the New England Journal of Medicine to find out more about this research for yourself.
Have a healthy day!
I knew that commercial was a steaming pile, especially after I saw it was from the Corn Refiners Assoc.
I’m haven’t read your article yet, but it’s probably due to a decline in soda sales / candy sales etc that’s making these corn refiners (giant corporation) piss themselves and have to run a campaign like that.
HFCS is disgustingly unhealthy, and that commercial is fooling NOBODY!
Those new comercials remind me of Adam and Eve when that girl is coercing her boyfriend to eat the popsicle. They actually repulse me because they try to make people who care about there health look stupid.
Any refined sweetener is bad for you.
I use Stevia and Agave nectar
I agree that HFCS is bad for you and that those commercials are ridiculous! They said that it is safe in moderation… HA! yeah pretty much everything we feed our children and ourselves has HFCS in it. HFCS has a negative effect on our body’s blood sugar levels. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have conducted studies that prove that eating refined sugar and HFCS is directly linked to obesity and diabetes.
There are other Natural sweeteners that most people don’t know about because the FDA doesn’t want you to know about them. That is the goal of the government… to keep us fat and stupid. It’s true! Agava nector or syrup is one healthier alternative. It is a high nutrient sweetener that is actually beneficial to your health and can be used as a replacement for sugar in ANY product. Stevia is another sweetener that has been used by millions of people around the world for many centuries. This one is also beneficial to your health and has been used to balance blood-sugar levels and it inhibits bacterial growth. It is completely safe for diabetics because it does not alter blood-sugar levels and it contains ZERO CALORIES.
So why won’t the FDA approve of this sweetener, Stevia? Because they want to keep Americans fat and stupid, so they can take all of your money when you don’t have any health insurance and have to pay for all of your diabetic medical supplies and prescriptions right out of your pocket. Oh and I know how many people have do this because I work in a pharmacy.
Anyway’s I got this information on the sweeteners from a book called Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It’s a great book that I think everyone should read to find out the truth about the crap that we have been putting in our bodies!
It really irks me when people say, “Oh, no one holds a gun to your head…” Listen, what Richard S. is suggesting is that the corn industry has become so powerful that they have a tremendous amount of influence on Washington and in the food industry as a whole. This creates the problem that monopolies always do: access to alternatives. It is my understand, for example, that in many other countries you have all sorts of different sweetners available from beet-root-based to corn-based to cane-sugar-based. So, yes, to an extent, we have free will, but it becomes increasingly or near impossible to seek alternatives when there aren’t many available or they are cost-prohibitive, so in a sense, you are being “forced” into eating foods with HFCS.
I wanted to follow up with solutions because another thing that irks me is pointing out problems or issues, yet not providing solutions.
I wish I could take credit for this, but an author by the name of Michael Pollan (who writes, blogs and lectures extensively on humanity’s connection to the food it eats) suggests that to help stay healthy, always shop the perimeter of your local “chain” grocery store. He found that most of the “natural” foods (i.e.: those without many or no additives and processing) tend to be located on the perimeter of the way the aisles are set up. In the center, he argues, is where you find all the over-processed-not-so-good-for-us crap! Lol. And, for the most part, he’s right. I’ve been doing that for the past year, and I’ve lost about 27lbs without even exercising. Though that’s probably because I have to walk to catch the bus, but you get my drift. : )
HFCS is gross.
Since I cut it out of my food intake (switching foods not avoiding them)
I’ve lost over 20 lbs.
I actually get stomach aches now when I eat it.
it’s in your bread, yogurt, and you’re POP.
We avoid anything in our daily diet that has high fructose corn syrup or other artificial sweeteners. We also eat food we prepare a large majority of the time. If we need a sweetener we just use sugar. I believe the Corn Syrup as well as all of the processed junk and preservatives are the reason that more and more people are gaining weight and having health issues. I also believe that there is no magic bullet and that too much of any sweetener can be bad and that people must address their whole diet. They also must learn to read labels if buying pre-made foods and note how many ingredients are in them that are not in nature. Also, it is good to be well balanced and exercise regularly as part of a routine. This makes the occasional splurge guilt free.
Excesses in any form is detrimental to one’s health. Even LSD, in a small enough dose, can be used in a beneficial way. However, most people who take narcotics, do not take them in moderation; they take them in excess. And then they wonder why they get hooked on it, or worse. High Fructose corn syrup is a highly concentrated sugar. Consuming a small amount of it won’t harm you, just as consuming a small amount of anything – even cyanide – does not harm you. But the problem is in knowing how much is too much; especially when we’re dealing with something sweet. The human mind craves sweetness because it equates sweetness with an abundance of easily digested calories. There is a mecahnism in the brain designed to tell us when enough is enough. That mechanism works by roughly measuring quantity consumed, rather than quality. But by concentrating sweetners like we do, we are tricking that mechanism and consuming far too much before it is triggered.
I think the people who push these things on the public know this, but are cynically using this truth for their own profit. The more concentrated they can make it, the more they can get you to consume before your brain is telling you that you’ve consumed too much. If this sounds reminiscent of the Tobacco industry, you’re right to make the connection. There’s a number of industries that have learned from the T.I.s past public relations successes.
As long as they have corrupted government agencies willing to legitimize their product by insisting it’s safe (and thereby protecting them from the consequences of their actions), then we will always have industries willing to say and do anything to get us to consume more of their product. The onus is on the individual to turn the darned TV off and learn how to think critically about the messages we receive – and that’s not limited to the things we eat.
HFCS should be outlawed. This stuff has proven to be so dangerous to our health it is unreal. Unfortunately I can not afford to purchase the alternative versions, except for peanut butter. You can’t beat the flavor or price of fresh ground peanut butter. I grind it myself at Whole Foods and its sold by the pound. Best part…not loaded with salt, no HFCS, no sugars (unless you buy the honey roast version…also excellent), and no weird chemicals.
To poster Samuel above:
The artificial sweeteners in your diet sodas are far more dangerous than HFCS. Growing up I did drink lots of diet sodas and I’ve paid for it too. My memory and nervous system have been damaged from the effects of the artificial sweeteners. In fact I’m highly allergic to all artificial sweeteners including Splenda. When the first Splenda flavored diet soda entered the market I tried it and nearly passed out on the floor after drinking roughly 1/4 cup (only 2 oz) of the stuff. Do you remember the Gulf War back in 1990 when the troops were getting sick? This sickness was from them drinking the diet sodas that were left out in the hot desert sun. When aspertame gets heated it turns into formaldehyde. It’s the very same chemical used to preserve the critters you dissected in high school biology class. And did you know that by the time you get your diet sodas at the store the aspertame has already converted to formaldehyde from sitting around in hot warehouses (no A/C) and being transported in hot unrefrigerated trucks?
I am amazed at how many different things are made with HFCS. I try to avoid it whenever possible, but it’s not always easy!
I can’t help but believe that our Health Industry and our Agro-industry aren’t working together. One to make us sick and the other to merchandise treatment making both of them very wealthy at the expense of our health. The Health Industry keep us roiled with claims of this and claims of that; as if the were being very conscience about the state of our health while in the technical papers for the Agro-industry they counsel them to do the very things they warn us about. To both industries we are nothing but pigs to be slopped and given hormones, antibiotic and vitamins to placate our complaints. A pox on both their houses!
I’m a parent of two boys, one of whom has behavioral issues. I’m convinced that the amount of artificial ingredients in foods and the numerous sugars plays a part in the “hyperactivity” of the youth in the U.S. Prior to the 1980s, HFCS wasn’t in foods; it became a cheap and plentiful sweetener and replaced sugar in pretty much everything… and the obesity epidemic began. HFCS, according to many articles I’ve read, actually makes you *crave* more — it doesn’t satiate your appetite – it whets it. So you eat more … and get fat because your body can’t process HFCS like it should.
About 4 years ago, I began my attempt at eliminating HFCS (as well as soy products and Hydrogenated Oils) from our diets. It’s not easy: pretty much anything that comes in a box has at least one of our “triple whammy” ingredients (Pop Tarts has all three, I think). So I buy next to nothing that is in a box or considered “convenience food”. Cereals, yes, and we have only a few brands and types that we can buy, excepting the expensive “organic”/”natural” lines. I make my own pancake syrup from natural sugar and water; I make my own bread b/c it’s easier than reading bread labels in the store. We rarely buy anything with HFCS b/c I read EVERY label of every product I purchase. It’s not easy, but I look at my kids, who are healthy and not overweight, and I know I’m doing the right thing for them and my family.
Would you scream so loud if you knew that most of the refined table sugar in the US isnt made from sugar cane, but from BEETS???
This alarm is a non-starter. HFCS WAS an inexpensive alternative to table sugar in food product. Now that Ethanol and fuel saving products are coming into their own, you will be seeing less and less of it in today’s food products—not because it is a bad food… but because it will have become too darned EXPENSIVE…..
I’ve been in the grain/food business for 18 years… I think I know of what I speak…
It is terrible for you. Unlike normal sugars, HFCS does not stimulate the body to produce leptin when you eat it. Leptin is a naturally occuring hormone that signals your body’s metabollic pathways are full with fuel and no more fuel is needed. It is what helps you feel full. This is why you can eat an entire box of cereal or consume so much soda. Your body is not recognizing this imposter as sugar fuel even though it is high in calories. There have also been many studies showing that the body processes HFCS as a fat instead of a carbohydrate. A typical pop has around 33g of carbohydrate, most of which are coming from HFCS. This would be equivalent calorically to consuming about 15g of fat (and unfortunately we’re not talking the healthy, unsaturated kind). This is just for one 12 oz soda! Is it any surprise that America is obese and suffering from Type II diabetes at unprecedented rates? HFCS began being pumped into our foods in the 1970s. People consuming it at that time are now reaching ages where clinical disease is present. It is only going to get worse from here as we encounter generations raised from birth on HFCS. This is evident by the spike in childhood and teenage obesity and type II diabetes. HFCS is actually banned in other countries, but the US corporate greed machine has no qualms about poisioning its people to benefit a few top CEOs that probably aren’t eating the chemical garbage they produce.
Please start reading labels and make an effort to avoid things with HFCS and partially hydrogenated (trans fat) oils. You cannot trust the marketing or advertising on the box. I cannot tell you how many products I see in the supermarkets labeled “all natural” that include HFCS and partially hydrogenated oils. Also many foods will say their trans fat is zero, but when you look in the ingredients you will find partially hydrogenated oils. They are not zero trans fat, they are simply below the required amount that needs to be listed per serving. This stuff is in everything from peanut butters, bread, cereals, crackers, jellies, etc.
I haven’t eaten that junk in years. That means I have to newly everything from scratch.
Watch the movie King Corn.
“While Americans have been eating sugar in one form or another for centuries, the influx of high-fructose corn syrup into everyday foods—even those not normally associated with sweetness—has helped boost overall sweetener intake by 19 percent since 1970. As a result, Americans now eat about 523 more calories each day. And about 76 of those extra daily calories come from sugars and sweeteners like HFCS. At last count in 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that Americans eat 79 pounds of corn sweetener per year—a four-fold increase from 1970.”
Gives me the crappers. And it’s so hard to stay away from; it’s hidden in everything. It must be so cheap to use.
HFCS is sugar on STERIODS! It gets into your system faster than regular sugar. If you look at the ingredients on ANYTHING from ketchup to BBQ sauce to salad dressing you make from a package,when you think it it more natural HFCS is in the first 3 ingredients! DON’T BUY IT. AVOID HFCS and stay away from DIS-EASE!!!! READ, THINK BE PRO-ACTIVE. You’re not babies for crying out loud!!!!
Hi. I think the high fructose corn syrup thing is a marketing battle between cane sugar producers and corn sugar producers. They are each trying to make the other’s product seem more unhealthy for their own benefit.
They’re both full of empty high calories. They both cause the same bad health issues like diabetes, obesity and tooth decay! : )
My guess would be that corn syrup has become cheaper to produce because corn grows more easily in our U.S. climate. A lot of cane has to be imported (with higher shipping costs.) So the cane growers are probably losing huge $$$ customers (like brand name soda manufacturers) who are cutting costs by substituting corn for cane in their products.
I’d hate to have to live on the difference between them. I’ll bet its mighty small. Both are highly refined, empty calories that whack our pancreas. But they taste good (and are probably somewhat “habit forming”). So they sell. Choose your poison.
Peace, Lisa
High frutose corn syrup is worse than people think. Like that one commercial with the lady with a popcicle and her boyfriend declining her offer for some because of HFCS. Just because it had CORN in it doesn’t mean its perfectly fine to eat in things. I try to avoid that stuff as much as possible. That is so gross! They chemically alter a natural compound to…pretty much nasty chemical soup. Who knows, maybe it causes heart attacks and slowly killing us all. I dont’ think it just makes us fat. It creates problems with your body probably.
If people would just avoid the junk food aisle and cut back their portions, (and duh, DON’T DRINK SODA) maybe we wouldn’t have to dodge bullets trying to avoid foods with high fructose in it. I’ve never had weight problems, I also never have liked soda. Soda is an obesity problem, sorry folks.
I’ve decided that I need to start paying more attention to the HFCS on the labels and start staying away from this stuff more often. Recently I kept hearing about how we need to stay away from full fat salad dressings so I opted for the fat free at my work cafeteria. I was absolutely disgusted to see the corn syrup blob ooze out of the fat free ranch packet. So I was like I know this is NOT healthy. No more dressings for me. YUCK!
1) High Fructose Cprn Syrup has been demonstrated to turn off the appestat which sends the satiation signal to the brain. Hence people do not know when they are “full” or had enough to eat which is what the contributing factor to obesity is actually about.
2) The FDA is totally complicit in ratifying the products of the agribusiness and chemical corporations such as Monsanto Searl, Dupont, etc. because there is a direct link to their management and the management of the oversight agencies. See Your Right To Know by Andrew Kimbrel, which has an entire double page spread which contains a graphic demonstrating those linkages. And yes, those companies also have a direct link to pharmaceutical research and manufacture which makes it all the more insidious. You can follow the history of the corruption of the integrity of the government agencies from the time of the election of the allegedly ‘great’ Ronald Regan and his political connection to Donald Rumsfeld over both the FDA, Monsanto Searle and Aspartame. That information is available on line. All you need to do is search for it.
http://www.wnho.net/the_ecologist_aspartame_report.htm etc.
I don’t think you can get away from High fructose corn sweeteners there in everything. Even so called healthy whole grain bran muffins. There are lot’s of foods that way. Meal fed to cow’s to fatten them up there again HFCF? Unless you go out and shoot a dear take it home process it into meat your likely to eat much more stuff that is not good for you. You should take a gallon of white stuff and get it chemically checked out. Lot’s of weird science is carried out on processed MILK these days. Poision Parmasian Cheese packets from China? Be aware!
It’s been my personal opinion for many years now that High Fructose Corn Syrup is akin to “the root of all evil” in our society. It seems to me that ever since it was injected into the food supply our country’s health has gone down the tubes.
Just because something is cheap, packs more punch as a “preservative,” and gives more sweetness per weight does NOT mean it is good for you.
Personally, if it says High Fructose Corn Syrup on the label I don’t buy it. It’s that simple. Consequently, I drink a lot more water these days.
It should be consumed in moderation just as sugar. Plain and simple.
The new commercials are a joke. Have you ever noticed the way they say “in moderation”? It’s like they really don’t want you to hear those words. The first time I saw it I had to back up my tivo to actually hear what was being said. HFCS is in some many foods if you don’t read labels moderation is out the window. It’s poison! Corn growers are losng money.
Absolutely ANYTHING is better than aspartame, though. It causes so many health problems, it’s insane. Look up Sweet Misery; a Poisoned World online, it’s a documentary. Or read Sweet deception.
I’ve also heard that HFCS is a preservative from the lovely Bob of Biggest Loser, on the Fine Living Network.
The three biggest harms to our body today are:
1. HFCS
2. Psych meds (throw off metabolism; mess up the CNS; give you everything from headaches to IBS and doctors will never tell you that)
3. All processed foods.
Sorry but your article is a bit DUH because anybody well read knows that HFCS is the CRACK COCAINE of foods.
There is a simple solution. Eat no processed foods. It’s not that hard, it just means fresh produce.
Namaste.
my Grandson has autism, when we took him to a DAN doctor he sent off tests to see what allergies he had and the first thing on the list was high fructose corn syrup. Everything on the list went in order from what he was most sensitive to with corn syrup leading and you can definitley tell when he has something with hfcs in it because he is high strung loud vocal stimming, can’t sit for more then 3 seconds just bouncing off the walls so obviously hfcs is not a good thing
HFCS tastes good to me but in the long run i still dont see any thing wrong.
HFCS is horrible stuff! I first learned of its detrimental effects via Oprah, from Dr. Oz, who has a very high credibility (as far as I’m concerned). The stuff looks like glue and encourages the body to store fat. I read labels and avoid added sugars (and chemical substitutes). But it’s usually easier to cook from “scratch”. For sugar-free yogurt, I go to the local health food store. Ironically, it costs about the same as the sugar/ artificial flavoring-saturated stuff!
No surprise that the Corn Refiners Association would be pooh-poohing this. Remember what the tobacco companies used to (and still) say about smoking and cancer, heart and respiratory diseases…
I’ve done a lot of research into this and HFCS is different than regular sugar chemically, and your body deals with it different than regular sugar. I mean it’s not poison but it is worse for you than regular sugar. It would be fine in moderation but it’s really near impossible to do that. I’m so happy Richard S. for your post and everyone else because I’ve been feeling so outraged about these commercials. I don’t even see why they are making the commercials, they still sell a ton of HFCS to the biggest food companies in the country. Yes a lot of small food producers have stopped using it whether it’s because they have more integrity or they just think it will be easier to sell a product that says no longer with HFCS, I don’t know or really care. I don’t know maybe the corn refiners of america’s sales have been down or the fact that other powerful countries have outlawed it scares them. But these ads are not acceptable. In the ads the people who say HFCS is bad for you are portrayed as bullies and idiots, and the ads are full of half-truths. It just bothers me because so many people who hear that HFCS is bad for don’t actually know why and are likely to listen to the ads.
Also if you are curious why so many companies use HFCS it’s because it is much sweeter than regular sugar, it is also cheaper to make and sells for less than regular sugar. So big companies spend a lot less to produce their product. Now some people say it’s so they can then sell their products for cheaper and the savings go to you, but that’s not true. Just like slave labour products it’s all about big companies trying to make more money at the expense of others.
Not only is Hight Fructose Corn Syrup found in just about everything mass produced by the Food (Plastic Alternative) Industry, but Corn is one of the Crops grown from GMO seed. Genetically modified seeds have had Round-Up and other nasty chemicals scientifically implanted in them. So, stay away from GMO Crops. As of now, there are 3 – Corn, Wheat and SOY – which is something else you should never eat………
i personally have always thought that HFCS is gross. i don’t drink pop anymore partially for that reason and juices and smoothies that contain HFCS always leave a slimy film covering the back of my throat. that’s gross and can’t be healthy. i have tryed to aviod it, but HFCS is completely unavoidable. i don’t like consuming large amounts of sugar either, but it doesn’t make me feel as grossed-out as HFCS does. yes, in moderation HFCS may be ok, but a lot of people don’t even notice that it is in basically every food or drink you can imagine. in order to have high frutose corn syrup in moderation, we would all have to go on a diet that excludes almost every food and drink that we are accustomed to consuming.
Yes, I read labels and usually don’t purchase foods that have HCFS. There is enough good evidence for me to believe that it is harmful when it’s a regular part of our diet — even in “moderation.” I treat it like trans fat – I will only buy products containing it, if it’s a very occasional treat and the amount contained is small.
I’m pretty chagrined to know that most children consume huge amounts of this stuff… the negative effects are lifetime health effects, not immediate pain, and there is an instant-gratification factor, so it’s the perfect way for industry to take advantage of people. One of the big problems is, things are deliberately set up by the gov’t and food industry to make it so that HCFS sweetened products are cheaper for us than sugar. The non-HCFS bread is more than four dollars a loaf where I live. This is sad and ugly.
Yes, I read labels and usually don’t purchase foods that have HCFS. There is enough good evidence for me to believe that it is harmful when it’s a regular part of our diet — even in “moderation.” I treat it like trans fat – I will only buy products containing it, if it’s a very occasional treat and the amount contained is small.
I’m pretty chagrined to know that most children consume huge amounts of this stuff… the negative effects are lifetime health effects, not immediate pain, and there is an instant-gratification factor, so it’s the perfect way for industry to take advantage of people. One of the big problems is, things are deliberately set up by government policy and the food industry to make it so that HCFS sweetened products are cheaper for us than sugar. The non-HCFS bread is more than four dollars a loaf where I live. This is sad and ugly.
Put me in the camp of anti-high fructose corn syrup. I have been working hard to change my dietary habits, and lose weight. One big change I have made is to try and eliminate high fructose corn syrup form my diet, which is very hard, since it is in *everything*!
I read that it actually makes you hungrier, which makes sense – the food manufacturers would want to increase your appetite, right? While I have not eliminated it completely, I have reduced it drastically, and with other life style changes, have lost 30 pounds over the last year, and also managed to get my blood sugar back out of the pre-diabetes range!
I have more weight to lose, and more life style changes to make, but it all started with high fructose corn syrup, so when I see those commercials, I cringe! Talk about propaganda…… yeesh.
Actually, Most of Breyer’s, Mountain View, and high end Dannon Yogurts have no HFCS. Sure Fine (in our area at least) has eliminated it in most of their yogurts (except the cream yogurts which I avoid anyway) although they seem to have gone heavy on the food coloring and the actual fruit seems nonexistent. We drink the Mexican Coke since it is made with glucose in that country! (What do they know that we don’t) They also make a Pure Vanilla without any alcohol in it. We have to use twice as much, but the taste is phenomenal. We are trying to eliminate HFCS, MSG, margarine, coconut oil and other saturated fats from our diet altogether. It isn’t easy and we have had to give up or buy more expensive brands of foods we used to take for granted but we are already noticing a distinct difference in our overall quality of life and we have been noticing that as we refuse to consume some products, the ingredients are actually starting to be changed! We don’t have a Trader Joes in our area, but we do have a Sun Harvest market and a food Coop in Las Cruces, about 65 miles away. It might amaze you to find out who the parent companies of these health food stores are by the way. We used to shop at a lot of the same markets (or their parent companies) in Berlin when we lived there for over seven and a half years. Why do Germans take healthy food more or less for granted while we have to research, scrounge and save for ours?
Have you tried Agave Nectar by the way? It is a cactus sweetener that they use to make Tequila, but it is not supposed to raise your glycemic index and overall seems very pleasant. I also try to get some Stevia every day. Don’t buy the cheap stuff because they don’t take the stems out of the leaves which makes it bitter, but other than a slight licorice aftertaste which I don’t mind, there seems to be no down side to it. (If you put it in fennel tea, the tastes actually compliment each other!) The Japanese have been using it for twenty five years and unlike HFCS, or even aspartame, it is completely natural. It is said that it stimulates the Pancreas to create more insulin, and has antibacterial properties. Of course, the FDA is one hundred percent against it. I wonder which Lobby is blocking approval this time? Stevia, buy it as a non nutritive sweetener, get the antibacterial benefits as well as a possible guard against the onset of type II Diabetes at no extra cost! One of the ironic things about Stevia is that it is listed as a mispelling on this board. Imagine that.
By the way, research has pretty much concluded that diet sodas make people nervous and hungry, which leads to binge eating. We are getting news and magazine reports on this every day. I’m surprised you’ve missed them. Don’t take my word for it though, go Google it for yourself. The truth is out there. You just have to dig a little deeper for it in America. – sigh -
HFCS raises the level of uric acid in the blood and crystals form in your joints and inflame them! Gout is what it is when the joints inflame that way. I have noticed on the labels of some foods that the producers print their product has no HFCS. To me that says they know it is bad for people and are letting you know their product is HFCS free.We must read labels and watch for the ingredients like HFCS.
It’s funny you say this because just now I was googling it and youtubed it. Turns out those commercials are blatant propaganda. I found a really funny spoof on it though!
I always KNEW there was something wrong with the stufff but i couldn’t narrow it down. THANK YOU!!
I have read that HFCS also “tricks” your body into not realizing when it is full… so you remain unsatisfied. That is a side effect of it that is not well publicized. If you read “your body on a diet” by Dr. Oz, it gets into that and other bad things about it. Worth thinking about. You gotta ask, if it is no different than sugar, why not use sugar?
I cannot believe they made these commercials! I have insulin resistance and have been told by my doctor to stay away from high-fructose corn syrup. Maybe it would be ok in moderation for most people, but its in everything! All natural is best!
My dad is a registered dietitian. And I asked him if that commercial was true or not the other day.
He said that its true for some people. High fructose corn syrup causes a chemical reaction in some people that causes them go gain weight. It isn’t HFCS (High fructose corn syrup) that directly causes it, there is just a certain chemical IN it that may react with another chemical in your body, sometimes causing weight gain. So in short, it MAY cause you to gain weight, and MAY not. HFCS does have about the same calories as sugar, but that chemical may cause you to gain weight.
I noticed those commercials too. And strangely, I had the EXACT same thought. If the people that did those commercials went into the store and picked up everything that they eat in a typical day, there is NO way moderation is even remotely possible for the average American! With food prices at an all time high (not to mention the prices of everything else), eating healthier is becoming harder and harder!
The commercial is accurate. Unlike many industry apology spots, it directly targets the nonsense spewed by health fringe lunatics. It makes no absurd claims that HFCS is good for you, or that it ought to be a large part of your calorie intake. Yes, if you drink soda by the case, you’re going to have problems. Duh!
A little HFCS here and there in a generally nutritious diet won’t hurt a healthy active person.
No, I have no connection with industry. Just some common sense. I detest advertising in general, but I was impressed that this particular ad was straightforward and honest.
High fructose corn syrup does not stimulate the beta-cells of the pancrease thus does not stimulate insulin production. Also HFCS does not stimulate leptin production. Leptin and Insulin help to cause satiety (the feelng that you are full) in the body.
One of the reasons high consumption of HFCS leads to weight gain is because it does not give you a “full” feeling so you continue to consume what ever product you have with it. Children are especially vulnerable to this because they will eatdrink sweet things until they burst. If they don’t get that sick feeling for over consumption then there is no way for the body to tell them to stop the consumption
Reference:
Bray Nilson and Popkin. “Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a
role in the epidemic of obesity” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004;79:537– 43.
I knew that corn syrup was a sugar substitute more than a decade ago.
It was cheaper to process and use for the increasing demand of sugary high processed foods.
I figured out that if I raised my kids on the similar types of foods/diet that I ate as a child that they wouldnt be carrying around the extra fat that I noticed other kids had. I KNEW that it was from the food choices that the parents made.
After divorce, my ex’s new wife commented that my kids ‘looked’ like I didnt feed my kids! Just because my kids werent fat!
My kids are healthy.
They eat Food in moderation. But unlike most of the population, I took notice of this ‘fat’ phenomenon and noticed that it is about what junk everyone eats nowadays.
What is unfortunate is that advertisement media has always come before the general health of the population and preys upon people’s belief that if it is advertised or offered for sale, that it is therefore healthy and somehow ‘government’ approved. So, if it’s on tv, it’s good for you.
The drug companies tell us everyday via media how sick we all are and to diagnose ourselves and tell our doctors exactly what medicine we should take. blah blah blah.
Want to blame somebody? Blame the media that allows it. They used to stop shows from using foul language for example. Even now, there are politically correct words not to use or scenarios not for specific viewers. Where are those people to stop this push to eat junk?
If you stop the advertisement, you just stops sales and production. Stops consumer spending. Stops the producers from making money. Puts people out of work. Everything is connected! It is a big business. The world is a big business. Feeding people is a big business. We dont have to plow crops or pluck chickens. We can sit back and enjoy the show that’s on tv 24hrs a day. And we People grow fat and happy and businesses make a lot of money which makes more business which increases everything that we take for granted here in this very very rich country USA. bottom line GOD BLESS THE USA.
Karo syrup is corn syrup; and is NOT banned in Canada nor any other country. Cooks like me use it for several recipies, including fudge, taffy, and much much more.
People should limit thier intake of all sugars and processed foods. Even corn flakes and Cheerios has corn syrup.
Not all jams and jellies have corn syrup; Look carefully at the labels. Not all yogurts have corn syrup. Danon still makes a pure unflavored yougurt made from just milk and cultures. I buy it by the pound, then add the fruit in small 8oz containers.
People MUST take charge of their diets and their exercise. Every 3500 calories of intake over the normal burn rate adds another pound to your weight.
Cut out 3500 calories each week, and you shed one pound.
Ok my comment is bound to be lost down here.
My Neighbor is a bee keeper. They feed bee’s Sugar and take there honey to sell . For a long time Bee keepers where feeding bee’s corn syrup – and couldent figure out what was killing them ! Its MOLD in the syrup ! You can’t see it , you cant tast it , but it kills bee’s and it causes many people to have sever head aches and allergic reactions.
Hey Samuel,
those diet sodas are just as bad, they contain chemical artifical sweetners like aspartame (which turns into formahyldehyde) and Splenda which case a myriad of health problems, do some research and quit soda all together or only those than use pure cane sugar in moderation.or Zevia, is a soda made from a natural safer sugar alternative that comes from the sweet plant leaf, Stevia.
I’ve been trying to lower my intake of HFCS for a while. I agree, that these commercials are deceptive, because people don’t understand that nearly everything we consume contains HFCS. There is no “moderation”. Unless you’re going to start growing your own food, or resorting to a raw food diet, you’re kinda screwed.
I’ve switched to sugar free drinks, and drinks with pure cane sugar (not HFCS). I won’t use Aspartame at all, and I’m cautious about everything else I eat.
I am fructose intolerant. It is like lactose intolerance, except I cannot have too much fructose. I can eat fruit (which has fructose), but HFCS is too concentrated for me. Unlike lactose intolerance, there is no pill that I can take, so I am basically screwed. I have to completely avoid HFCS in order to avoid a reaction. However, that is not an easy task…HFCS is in EVERYTHING…it is in soda, juice, and even bread.
I think someone needs to stop preaching, get off the soapbox, and decide to collect real facts.
Yes HFCS is in a lot of stuff, but that’s a case for moderation in what we eat, something already well known, and not a reason to get rid of HFCS. Americans are all fat, all eat 20x what they should, etc, etc, etc. (yes, I’m being slightly sarcastic, though it is more then slightly true). The only reason so many people are obese is that they don’t know how to stop, they eat because they want to, not because they need to. That though has little to do with HFCS.
Interfering with our “absorption of key minerals” is simple nonsense, our body uses so little of it (micrograms per day), that having a harder time absorbing it really isn’t a problem, especially since we already eat too much food.
People have an obsession with hating artificial that doesn’t make sense. If nature produced it the way we produced it no one would have a problem, but since we make everyone makes a fuss. When we get down to it, everything has a manufacturing source, and just because plants manufacture something sure doesn’t make it safe. A chemical formula is a chemical formula, where ever. Everything in this world has one.
Again, the problem with issues of immoderate use is one that simply doesn’t apply, we need to fix the source issue- eating too much, fixing the immeadite issue won’t solve anything except allow us to spend money on another problem chemical after we eliminate this one simply because people are addicted to food.
I know, since the introduction of corn syrup, I have had problems with products that had origanally contained sugar. IBS has been the most problems.Until recently, I thought I was alone in my findings. I am happy to know, it’s not just “me”.
I also have problems with asparatame, and the new Splenda, as well as MSG.
I am heartened to see that there are so many that abhor HFCS. Seems to me that we, as a nation, have to send the message to manufacterers by simply refusing to purchase products made with it.
I’m from Europe. Over there corn is regarded as livestock feed and NOT fit for human consumption. Humans do NOT have the digestive system to handle corn. Therefore CANCER and many illnesses ensue from this toxic “food”.
Corn is used in France to fatten pigs and geese. Corn will fatten up pretty fast. Look at ethnicities who use corn as a staple: (South of the border, anyone?) they are fatter than the average human!
So when you extract the sugar out of corn via chemical means at that, you have “toxic” many times over or highly concentrated toxicity plus the carcinogens of chemicals.
AVOID CORN & CORN SYRUP AT ALL COSTS!! You’ll lose pounds and get rid of many ailments!
PS: the drug companies are behind the corn industry! No corn = less illness = less money for drug pushers… I mean manufacturers!
I certianly think that high-fructose corn syrup is gross. I mean, u don’t even know what’s in ur food, or what you are eating, anymore. The think that also gets me, is that this ingredient is approved by the National Food & Drug Accoscation. (Yeah, great move!) This is why so many Americans get ill, from eating food with all this junk in it. 0MG!
first off, HFCS is not as easily broken down by the body. This makes it much easier for the body to store it as FAT rather than to break it down and use as an immediate energy source (like sugar does)
while the it says that it is okay in moderation (like Sugar or Honey) is true, HCFS is in almost EVERYTHING we eat. so what if you stay away from the cookies that have HCFS? guess what…it will be in alot of the other snacks and foods and drinks that you consume.
now, i dont want to start a huge war over various topics, cause it will never be solved here, but the corn industry is simply planting the seeds of “DOUBT” into people’s heads. That same doubt that said the global warming doesnt exist. That same doubt that created ads that had a “doctor” that said “i prefer x brand cigarettes”
sorry, but i hit the submit button by mistake…
part 2, i guess…
I have also read studies that HFCS also inhibit the receptors of the brain that tells someone that they have had enough to eat. so not only is it difficult to limit the intake as it is in many foods, it actually tells your brain that you are not yet full, and you end up consuming more food than you need.
Just because its made from corn does not mean that you should consume it. E85 ethanol is made from corn. Someone please let me know what a tall frosty glass of that tastes like cause im curious =P
and as a side note, i am an avid weightlifter – as a way to relieve stress and sports training (not competitive bodybuilding). When i continued working out the same way i always was, but cut out the HFCS, my 6 pack started to show.
No sugar is good for you, and refined products are never going to agree with the human body. Artificial sweeteners have been proven to cause bad reactions and cancers in humans, so that’s not safe either. I would rather eat HFCS than Splenda any day, but for my health I use turbinado and cane sugars (unrefined) to sweeten my food. Much tastier and actually have some health benefits.
My son has ADHD, and I started baking cookies and bread (white bread) and giving him fruit. I noticed that while not all the symptoms of the ADHD were gone, ( we still had some processed foods) he was noticably calmer. I believe that the change in him was not only from the HFCS but from the lack of all preservatives that would be in the packaged foods. Besides home made stuff just tastes so much better. Here is a thought, if we still did things like they did in the old days…plant gardens, make more home made goodies, cooked at home, ….how much of the allergies and health problems would be gone because of the lack of preservatives and other junk in our foods. If scientists had to mess with it to make it, should we really be eating it?
I say get over it. HFCS is here. I am also sick at people saying we need to worry so much about obesity. There are some people who like to be fat, and there are people like me who are underweight no matter what we eat and would love to have a pill to take to gain 20 pounds.
Before worrying what I eat, why not work to eliminate rapes, robberies, racism, ignorance, etc?
These commercials really bother me. Once I had an off-brand of chocolate syrup, and I got horrible heartburn. Upon investigating the label, I realized the main ingredient was, lo and behold, corn syrup. I steer clear of products with excessive amounts of corn syrup now. It bothers my stomach and, in my opinion, isn’t as healthy as pure cane sugar (I’m not saying sugar is *healthy* — I just think it’s better than corn syrup).
If you’re not diabetic it’ll make you that, and if you are it’ll maime you, blind you or kill you. Down the drain with the garbage!
I can understand why anyone, especially Moms who just want to do the right thing for their children, would be concerned or even scared with all the confusing information about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Misinformation abounds on the Internet so it’ easy to be more concerned about ingredients than calories. The current urban myth portrays high fructose corn syrup as the evil sweetener that is making everyone fat. But science says that the real deal about high fructose corn syrup is that the body doesn’t see it any differently than sugar or honey. Why? Because HFCS is made of approximately equal ratios of glucose and fructose just like sugar (sucrose) and honey. It is not higher in fructose than plain white sugar. It is purified from corn with no artificial ingredients as sugar is processed from sugar cane and sugar beets making one as natural as the other from a processing standpoint.
Sugar and corn syrup are equally sweet and both contain four calories per gram. Did you know that there is no difference in how the body metabolizes table sugar and high fructose corn syrup? In fact, the body has no idea what sweetener source the glucose and fructose came from. This past June The American Medical Association concluded from evidence-based research that “high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.” Bottom line…HFCS doesn’t make you any fatter than sugar or honey. Whether a sweetener comes from the cane, cob or comb… whether it’s sugar, high fructose corn syrup or honey…these sweeteners are all basically the same as far as your body is concerned. Once they get into your bloodstream, they are indistinguishable.
It’s all about the calories. Take a look at other countries such as the UK where obesity is becoming a problem. Around the world, sugar accounts for over 90% of caloric sweeteners consumed not HFCS. In the US, portion sizes are obscene, we consume more calories from all food sources including foods made with these various sweeteners and we exercise way less. The remote control and computer mouse see all the action.
Instead of being sour on high fructose corn syrup, sugar or honey, empower yourself with the accurate facts on each of these sweeteners and then become a label sleuth and decide how much you allow in your diet.
Susan Mitchell, PhD, RD, FADA
I stick by my post from earlier. It seems people are going to believe what they want with no data to support it. Yes there are case studies and other data out there claiming that HFCS does not elicit any responses that are not caused also by sucrose. However, I am a PhD biochemist and I am telling you from a molecular aspect HFCS should not be put into your body. I do not consume it nor do I know any of my colleagues that feel it is ok to consume. I do not mean to insult the knowledge of a dietician, but from a signalling and molecular viewpoint I believe dieticians, in general, are ill informed.
Yes major problems are in portion sizes and sedentary lifestyle, but we have to ask ourselves why can we consume en masse these huge portion sizes without feeling full? When I first started eating clean I found I reduced my food consumption significantly and still felt full. Just ask yourself if it is better to let the food and drug administration decide all the laboratory synthesized chemicals that are better for us to put into our body or to stick with what mother nature has had available for millions of years? Why do we feel skeptical of the medications doctors tell us to take but will gladly consume any new chemical a food company comes up with?
Maybe if the ads weren’t from the Corn Refiner’s Association we’d be more likely to believe what they are saying. The CRA is so full of it. They’re only worried about their wallets, which are quite fat with cash already. That’s the only thing the U.S.A. values is money.
The processing and chemical separation required to make HFCS is complex and perverted. It is not fit for human consumption. It is the one of the main reasons that Americans have been entrenched in an obesity epidemic and why children now get the type of diabetes that we used to only see in adults.
Hi all,
There’s another site I found on those corn syrup ads! http://devz.naturalsolutionsmag.com/blog/index.cfm/2008/10/13/Lies-on-TV#comments
It seems everyone is feeling the pressure underneath the ‘joy’ of eating corn syrup.
-Dillon (greenhome.com)
I am assuming that everyone knows how to read a label, and everyone knows how to google something. Don’t want it? don’t buy it or eat it. You can pretty much eat anything you want in moderation and have a balanced exercise regime. Everyone is so quick to find a culprit or blame a food, when all you need to do is look in the mirror, you control what you buy, what you eat and to educate yourself.
CONTRADICTORY TO WHAT THE COMMERCIALS SUPPORTING HFCS CLAIM, MY BROTHER SUFFERED SEVERE DEPRESSION FROM DRINKING TOO MANY BEVERAGES CONTAINING HFCS. WITHIN 3 DAYS OF DISCONTINUING HIS INTAKE OF THESE BEVERAGES HE WAS NO LONGER DEPRESSED AND HAS BEEN “CLEAN” FOR 2 YEARS AND IS EXTREMELY HAPPY, PRODUCTIVE AND CONFIDENT. MY ENTIRE FAMILY AND MANY OF MY FRIENDS MAKE THE MOST VALIANT EFFORTS TO REFRAIN FROM CONSUMING PRODUCTS WITHOUT HFCS CONTAINED IN THEM. I TELL EVERYONE ABOUT MY BROTHER’S STORY AND I’M CONVINCED THAT HFCS CAUSES A PLETHORA OF OTHER AILMENTS AND MEDICAL ISSUES. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT MOST CASES OF ADD AND ADHD ARE RELATED DIRECTLY TO THE CONSUMPTION OF HFCS.
Kathleen Petrey
I’ve read enough about it to know that it’s unhealthy, and I won’t eat bread or anything else that contains it. Fructose, in general, is very fattening. Fruit juice is out now, so is jam, ice cream, pork and beans, ketchup, wine…it’s all very unhealthy because of the fructose. It only takes a little corn to fatten pig, by the way. They use corn and skim milk to fatten pigs. Our digestive systems are almost idenitcal to a pig’s. That’s why we study their digestive systems in biology class in college. Corn and Skim milk!
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it but don’t forget about the mercury content in HFCS. Up to 50%of samples of HFCS have contained mercury. The information has come from the FDA and the IATP.
http://blog.calorie-help.com/2009/02/09/high-fructose-corn-syrup-andautism/
Oh god, I hate this stuff. When I saw the commercials I threw a shoe at the TV and fumed for quite a while. I grew up eating pretty healthily — my parents were into organic health stores and so on — and I discovered long ago that whenever I ate at a friend’s house (things like coke, cookies, doughnuts, chips, bread, etc.) it would make me ill. Lo and behold! All of them contained HFCS. Today I needed some crumbled graham crackers for a recipe, and oh joy, I found out they contained HFCS. In fact, every single cookie in that store aisle did, except for some Pepperridge Farm ones and several boxes of shortbread. Good grief.
Its NOT banned in canada. In canada its labled as “Glucose-Fructose”