The battle over high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been going on for years.
Some say it’s horribly bad for you, some (namely the Corn Refiners Association) say it’s no worse than sugar, and that like all other things, in moderation, it poses no significant health risks. Most recently, some have accused the FDA of burying evidence that HFCS contains mercury.
So as you can see, right now it’s really a “he said, she said, they said, research said” argument.
It’s hard to decipher what the real risk of HFCS consumption, and whether or not it’s dangerous even in moderation. The big problem I see, even when it is consumed in moderation, is that it is in EVERYTHING. A sample of foods containing HFCS
The vast majority of processed foods use it to some degree, and if you want proof, start reading the labels in your cupboard. Given the heated nature of the HFCS debate recently, some manufacturers are starting to use aternatives that are deemed safer.
It’s turned into a mano-y-mano battle between sugar and corn sweetener producers.
Take Pepsi for example. The new old-school beverages Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback are both sweetened with “natural sugar.”And Pepsi is not alone, other products making the switch to sugar include, Snapple, Log Cabin Syrup, and others.
Which, everyone knows, when consumed in vast quantities, is bad for you. In other words, the inclusion of natural sugar does not mean that these products are any better or worse for you than other similar beverages, they are just sweetened differently.
The corn sweetener industry is fighting back, pointing out that HFCS is also a natural ingredient.
According to a report published by Minnesota Public Radio:
Some studies have pointed to soft drinks and corn sweetener as a contributor to obesity, but others point to health risks from fructose, which is found in both corn sweetener and sugar.
One study found fructose raises the level of triglycerides in the blood, contributing to heart disease, another found it metabolized differently, increasing the risk of diabetes.
The corn sweetener industry contends those studies are flawed because they only studied fructose, one component of corn sweetener.
Both sweeteners contain about the same amount of calories. Both, when consumed in mass quantities contribute to obesity. The only way to find out which is the lesser of two evils would be to do side by side research with both; preferably in studies not funded by either of the two sweetener industries.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Go Sugar!!!!!
HFCS and Corn Petroleum additives have caused and HUGE imbalance in US farming and farm subsidies. The need for more and more corn farming land has caused the destruction of hundreds of thousands of acres of rainforest in order to make room for either more corn, OR in some rare cases other crops (due to old land being used for corn only). All this equals IMPACT on the Environment and Climate.
The corn growers advocacy group is technically correct, HFCS is nutrionally equivilent to sugar, but it is the protagonist in a very dangerous movement in this country going back to the 1930’s called “nutrionism”…I concur with Seth. Everyone please look in your pantry and read the labels…take note of how 50% or more of what you see has HFCS (or Hydrogenated Oils, which is another story all together)…then read In Defence of Food by Michael Pollan.
Remember that if it comes in a box it probably has more processed crap than you need to eat.
Eat Whole, Eat Local!!!
Off my soap box now….enter Mrs. Jeley…she has a much bigger soap-box.
*forwarding to Mrs. Jeley
IMHO . . .
Any sugar – whether it’s HFCS (which isn’t natural – - – Hello — have any of you seen corn? HFCS looks nothing like it!), sugar, honey, agave nectar, etc. in excess in bad for you. And, quite frankly, our Western diet is full of it in both the obvious places (soda and candy) and the not so obvious places (bread, granola, ketchup, BBQ sauce).
The problem is that we eat too much sugar.
The problem is that we eat too much manufactured food that has this and that nutrient added to it. (Do we really need to buy Shedd’s Spread Country Crock with Added Vitamin D? Not if we get a little exposure to sun every day for about 10 minutes. Not if we eat natural, whole foods that are high in Vitamin D.)
The problem is that the various industries have powerful lobby groups that prevent ANYONE from saying anything bad against their food (the Corn Grower’s commercials are a REACTION and marketing campaign to the fact that we’re on to them!)
The problem with obesity isn’t ONLY that we’re more sedentary as a society.
The problem causing our obesity epidemic is that as a society, we eat crap. If we all took the time to buy whole foods like fruits, veggies, lean protein, healthy fats and whole grains, we wouldn’t need to buy manufactured food that have “added fiber” or “added vitamins”. Back to the Shedd’s Spread. Not only do we not need Shedd’s Spread with extra Vitamin D, we don’t need Shedd’s Spread.
I challenge everyone to start eating a more whole food diet. Start frequenting the garden/farmer’s markets in town. Join CSA’s. Support businesses that supply local products. Eat REAL food. . . and don’t eat TOO much of it.
OK, I’ll get off my soap box. Sorry, Seth. I’m a little passionate about this.
Eat well. Eat often. Splurge occasionally. I see no problem with an indulgence every so often. I do have my weaknesses. I guess I’m just saying I wish people would be cognizant of
ALL
of the choices they make in life, not just with food. Life is supposed to be enjoyed after all. And life is definitely more enjoyable when you eat healthy foods. Try it. Your body will let you know how much it appreciates it.