Read the Labels!

[tsilcyc]

I wrote this for my group but I thought some people here might be interested in it as well...

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High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly refined, man-made, processed sweetener made from corn. It is not only cheaper to produce than sugar; it is also six times sweeter. Unlike sucrose and dextrose which are broken down in the body, HFCS does not breakdown and goes directly to the liver releasing enzymes which instruct the body to store fat. When you eat, your body is stimulated to produce insulin which causes the body to feel full. HFCS does not stimulate the body to produce insulin and you will therefore eat more than you should. HFCS is not only linked to the rise in obesity in America, it is also believed to cause Type 2 diabetes.

Now here's the real problem... it's in EVERYTHING. Why? Because it's not only used as a sweetener, it can be used as a preservative, and it makes products look better. If you're interested in removing HFCS from your diet, and you should, you need to start reading the labels. You will be surprised where you find it. Here are some examples of products that "might" contain HFCS: baked beans, bbq sauce, beer, bread, fat-free salad dressing, juice, ketchup, soda, yogurt, and last but not least... fast food.

Bread? It's in bread?!? Yes, but if you remember from above, it's not only used to make things sweeter, it's also used to make them look better. I actually discovered it in fat-free salad dressing all on my own. When you look up "oxymoron" in the dictionary, it should have "fat-free salad dressing containing high fructose corn syrup" as an example. What can I say? The manufacturers are trying to sell a product through the use of buzz words which catch your attention... fat-free, organic, low sodium, etc. READ THE LABELS!

 

[MiggieT]

HFCS Is Not The Enemby

HFCS is not the enemy. In fact, HFCS has a similar chemical compostition to table sugar (i.e. sugar that comes from sugar cain or sugar beets). From a biochemical prospective, table sugar and HFCS are metabolized identically by the human body. The main issue is the form in which we consume sugar. For example, a can of soda only contains sugar and carbonated water. It has absolutely no nutrient value. In contrast, a piece of fresh fruit such as an apple contains plenty of sugar, but it is also accompanied by essential nutrients and fiber. The main point is to consume foods that contain a high nutrient value and not single out one component of a food, such as sugar, as the enemy.

Source:

 

[tsilcyc]

"HFCS is not the enemy." Neither is e Coli but that doesn't mean I want to consume it large quantites of it.

Fine... we need to take responsibility for ourselves. That's a great moral to the story but when 80% of society is considered clinically obese, it's clear we are not. And with manufacturers using HFCS in everything (and I don't blame them), I think we DO need to single it out.

 

[g8r80]

HFCS is not the enemy. In fact, HFCS has a similar chemical compostition to table sugar (i.e. sugar that comes from sugar cain or sugar beets). From a biochemical prospective, table sugar and HFCS are metabolized identically by the human body. The main issue is the form in which we consume sugar. For example, a can of soda only contains sugar and carbonated water. It has absolutely no nutrient value. In contrast, a piece of fresh fruit such as an apple contains plenty of sugar, but it is also accompanied by essential nutrients and fiber. The main point is to consume foods that contain a high nutrient value and not single out one component of a food, such as sugar, as the enemy.

Source:

Here is an abstract from which is a peer-reviewed journal. Fructose and Sucrose are similar chemically, but I would be very surprised to learn that they are processed identically.

Obesity is a major epidemic, but its causes are still unclear. In this article, we investigate the relation between the intake of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and the development of obesity. We analyzed food consumption patterns by using US Department of Agriculture food consumption tables from 1967 to 2000. The consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group. HFCS now represents > 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the United States. Our most conservative estimate of the consumption of HFCS indicates a daily average of 132 kcal for all Americans aged >= 2 y, and the top 20% of consumers of caloric sweeteners ingest 316 kcal from HFCS/d. The increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity. The digestion, absorption, and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose. Hepatic metabolism of fructose favors de novo lipogenesis. In addition, unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain. Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric overconsumption. Thus, the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity.

While I agree and this article suggests or even confirms that HFCS' main problem is overconsumption because of the sweet taste as one would of sucrose.

 

[MiggieT]

You cannot compare sugar to a pathogenic microorganism. They are not even in the same ball park. But you do bring up a good point about the obesity empidemic. It is clearly an issue that is more complex than sugar, but eliminating HFCS from the diet would definately aleviate the problem. The problem, however would still exist. There are a number of reasons why people are obese. To name a few: genetics, epigenetics, psychology, clever marketing, personal choice, HFCS, addiction, portion size, plate size et cetera. The list is endless. It is up to those individuals that are conscious of the aforementioned to educate and guide those that are obese or vulnerable to obesity on a path to better health. Information about HFCS is a good start.

 

[g8r80]

With the flooding in the upper midwest this summer and with corn being converted for alcohol production, the price of corn and HFCS is gonna skyrocket. I wonder if HFCS doesn't price itself out of the market and manufacturers shift (back) to sucrose instead of HFCS. Certainly, that would be a good PR move.

 

[tsilcyc]

You cannot compare sugar to a pathogenic microorganism. They are not even in the same ball park. But you do bring up a good point about the obesity empidemic. It is clearly an issue that is more complex than sugar, but eliminating HFCS from the diet would definately aleviate the problem. The problem, however would still exist. There are a number of reasons why people are obese. To name a few: genetics, epigenetics, psychology, clever marketing, personal choice, HFCS, addiction, portion size, plate size et cetera. The list is endless. It is up to those individuals that are conscious of the aforementioned to educate and guide those that are obese or vulnerable to obesity on a path to better health. Information about HFCS is a good start.

Truthfully, I cannot compare anything since the people and the manufacturers are making the decisions. And that in part is why I wrote the piece because I can't do anything about the manufacturers but I can at least try to educate those I know.

But as I've been thinking about this, it makes me wonder... what has happened to the food education process I grew up with? I'm 41yo and I can remember being taught about what to eat and what not to eat as a kid by my mother, grandmother, and neighbors for that matter. I also remember seeing educational public service announcements about food on television.

 

[tsilcyc]

With the flooding in the upper midwest this summer and with corn being converted for alcohol production, the price of corn and HFCS is gonna skyrocket. I wonder if HFCS doesn't price itself out of the market and manufacturers shift (back) to sucrose instead of HFCS. Certainly, that would be a good PR move.

It would at some point but I think for now, everyone has a free pass to raise costs... they'll blame it on the high cost of fuel (and flooding). They already are.

 

[Dallen]

Blaming one particular ingredient to obesity is far-fetched in my opinion. I think it's a load.

If HFCS is in every product, why try to avoid it and add stress to your life by finding other things similar to it? Just eat it in moderation and you'll be fine.

 

[Dallen]

But as I've been thinking about this, it makes me wonder... what has happened to the food education process I grew up with? I'm 41yo and I can remember being taught about what to eat and what not to eat as a kid by my mother, grandmother, and neighbors for that matter. I also remember seeing educational public service announcements about food on television.

Nine times out of ten, they're wrong, that's why you don't hear about it any more. The problem with modern culture is that it's a combination of things such as increased access to high calories such as fast food, candy, and soda, whereas there is a decrease in activities and so fort.

One of the most troubling things about school is that there is no recess or PE anymore; they are optional now and viewed rather negatively in some places. Can you believe that they are actually planning to make it optional here just because parents have to pay 10 dollars for the shorts and shirt?

Not only that, school food has become a market competition. Due to people wanting to spend tax money on other things, schools are now using external companies to fund and run the schools such as beverage companies and fast food companies such as Taco Bell (whatever their parent company is) and Burger King.

Here's an example of schools I've been to:

Texas: This is a great school. All the foods were home made. We played two recess and I remember we played games such as who can run the longest and we got prizes for it. I don't think a single person in school was actually obese by any way.

Philly: We had recess outside, but due to the nature of being an inner city school, we got nothing to do all day.

Virginia: This is the worst by far until I went to private school. In school lunch, they had taco bell, soda, and so fort. They don't sell milk or anything. PE and recess was in the null and no physical activities were given. All school days were spent learning the so-called "SOL" test. Private school was better as the education leaned towards actually learning something and on top of that food was cooked in a kitchen somewhere and given to students. On top of that, PE was normal and mandatory for students and we got a lot of exercise and fun times in the weight room.