Killing You Sweetly: The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is also known as crystalline fructose, isoglucose and glucose-fructose. But it doesn’t matter what name it hides under; it doesn’t change the fact that it’s utterly unhealthy for you.

Yes, high fructose corn syrup is a silent killer. And the danger is real because it’s very difficult to avoid.

What is HFCS? High fructose corn syrup is a highly refined artificial sweetener made by processing cornstarch into a thick, clear liquid. The industrial process for making HFCS was developed in the 1970s.

When the cost of importing sugar significantly increased in 1977, producers wanted a cheaper alternative. They found that sugar from corn – corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, dextrine and HFCS – was much less expensive to produce, much sweeter (processed fructose is almost 20 percent sweeter than common sugar) and is easier to transport because it’s a liquid. Thus, corn-based sweeteners were born.

 The result? High fructose corn syrup has drastically altered the American diet since it was widely introduced as a sweetener in the 1980s.

In 1966, sucrose (white sugar) had 86 percent of the market share for sweeteners. Today, more than 50 percent of sweeteners used are made from corn.

American consumption of HFCS increased by more than 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990. That’s bigger than the changes in intake of any other food or food group.

HFCS is now commonly found in almost all processed foods, including:

•  soft drinks (Coca-Cola, Pepsi)
• fruit juices (Snapple, Ocean Spray Cranberry )and canned fruits
•  breakfast cereals (Kellogg’s cornflakes)
• ice cream and dairy products (Dreyer’s, Yoplait yoghurts)
• cookies and crackers (Nabisco Ritz crackers)
• soups and sauces (Campbell’s vegetable soup)
• condiments and salad dressings (Heinz ketchup)
•  baking products and baked goods (Brownberry bread)
• candy bars and gum (PowerBar)
• jams, jellies and syrup (Smucker’s grape jelly)
•  even in cough syrups and low-fat diet foods (Robitussin, Vicks)!

If you’re fond of drinking soda and processed fruit juices and any of the above food items, chances are you’re “high” on high fructose corn syrup. HCFS is the number one source of calories in the American diet and is one of the main contributors to the obesity epidemic in the United States.

The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

You’d be hard-pressed to find something in the supermarket which doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup but there is no shortage of reasons why you should avoid HCFS because it:

• Travels straight to the liver where it is metabolized to fat. In fact, fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar.
• Contributes to the development of diabetes and tissue damage. A recent study presented at the 2007 national meeting of the American Chemical Society found new evidence that soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup contains high levels of reactive compounds that have been shown by others to trigger cell and tissue damage that cause diabetes.
• Does not stimulate insulin production or enhance leptin, a hormone involved in appetite regulation. Because insulin and leptin act as key signals in regulating how much food you eat, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased food consumption and weight gain.
• Contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals; instead, it takes micronutrients from your body while it assimilates itself for use. The fructose in HFCS is different from the natural fructose you get when you eat a small piece of whole fruit, which contains the nutrients needed for your body to assimilate sugar.
• Increases your triglyceride and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Triglycerides are the chemical form of fat found in foods and in your body. Studies show that elevated blood levels of triglycerides increases your risk of heart disease.
• Is almost always made from genetically modified corn, which may radically increase your risk of developing corn food allergies. The problem with corn allergies are that once you have a corn allergy from GMO corn you will have an allergy to even healthy organic corn products.

Dr. Mercola’s advice is a no-brainer: if you want to lose weight and drastically improve your health, stop drinking soda and processed fruit juices. These beverages are sweetened with almost eight teaspoons of fructose per serving! Drink pure water instead and you will be well on your way to improved health. You should also severely limit your consumption of food that contains high fructose corny syrup.

These simple steps will help lower your risk of developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases associated with elevated insulin levels.

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