High Fructose Corn Syrup

So, what I decided to do is write about something that you should try to avoid in your diet. Then in subsequent posts, I'll try to give you some alternatives, OK, not try, I WILL give you some alternatives and if I can't, well, then I won't write about that topic anyway!

I decided to start with high fructose corn syrup, as per request from my granola, earthy, green living younger brother. He also insists everyone needs an organic nerd in their life, like it or not. Jordan Rubin lists "The Dirty Dozen" which are 12 foods he says to avoid ALL the time. So this is one of them, and I have read and heard about it from many other health gurus. I've read a lot about it and the effect it has on the body so I'll explain it the way it makes sense to me and hopefully will make sense to you.

High fructose corn syrup (from here on called HFCS) is a chemically produced sweetener that is chemically produced by a process that converts milling corn to fructose, which is a super, super sweet sugar (note the word chemically used emphatically). Corn is a grain, not a vegetable, and so it is very high in sugar. This process is cheaper than importing real sugar. Because it is cheaper, you'll find it in TONS of foods, and a lot of foods you wouldn't expect to find it. Foods would would expect like soda and processed foods but also in condiments, applesauce, cereal, salad dressing, fruit juice, jelly, and many others. I've read people today eat more HFCS than ever in history! Because corn is one of the major genetically modified crops (GMO), it could contain a toxic mold. More on GMO's later but basically it stands for genetically modified organism meaning it is a man-made version of the real thing.

Some of you are saying, "Fructose, isn't that a good sugar like in fruit?" When you eat fruit, the body is able to digest the fructose because fruit has natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that help digest the fructose. The body metabolizes fructose from HFCS differently from other sugars. It actually turns it into triglycerides which increases risk for heart disease by increasing your LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreasing your HDL (good cholesterol).

If you aren't yet conviced, another reason is that when you eat HFCS, your hormones are not stimulated to tell you when you’re full. While sugar is not good for you, and I will post more on how insulin works in your body, it does trigger something to make you feel more full and satisfied. What happens is that when you eat something with HFCS, your body doesn't feel satisfied so you will keep eating more and more things that are sweet to try to satisfy that sweet tooth desire but it won't be satisfied.

I know most of us would like to believe that food companies are looking out for our best interests and if they say a food is healthy we should believe them. This is becoming one of my biggest pet peeves and this topic will come up again and again in future posts. Food companies want one thing, MONEY! They will use cheap products that are HORRIBLE for your health to make a few extra (or a lot of extra) dollars in their pocket. Read labels! Avoid HFCS when possible!!