Okay, so what is the truth about high-fructose corn syrup? Well its advocates--largely corn producers, refiners and others with a personal financial stake in its proliferation--claim that it is "fine in moderation." (Do we in North America really have a good handle on what constitutes moderation when it comes to processed foods and added sweeteners? Just wondering!) High-fructose corn syrup, they tell us, is simply a safe, natural part of a healthy diet. After all, as the video suggests, it's made from corn! But what about its critics? There is significant controversy surrounding both the safety of consuming high-fructose corn syrup and its wide spread use in everything from candy and soft drinks to soups, breads and meat products. There are also some ethical and environmental concerns.
What exactly IS high-fructose corn syrup?
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a highly processed sweetener made from corn, has been around since the 1970's. Increasingly, at least in North America, HFCS is replacing white sugar or sucrose in many processed food products and 'junk' foods. It can be found in places where you would expect to see sugar: jams, soft drinks, processed baked goods etc. And it is also used in many 'savory' food products such as cereals, soups, breads, pasta sauces, frozen entrees, meat products, salad dressings and condiments, to name but a few. Many so called "health foods," such as protein bars, low-fat foods and energy drinks even contain HFCS. Check your labels and you may be surprised by just how prevalent it is. Why is it so widespread? Though the processing of cornstarch into high-fructose corn syrup is quite long and complicated, HFCS is cheaper than sugar and easier to transport, translating into more money for food producers.
So what exactly are the issues surrounding high-fructose corn syrup? Ongoing scientific research carried out by independent and credible researchers and groups concerned with North American Health trends raise some serious concerns. Here is a summary of some of the findings.
- Research links HFCS to increasing rates of obesity and diabetes in North America, especially among children. Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. And being a liquid, it passes much more quickly into the blood stream. Beverages containing HFCS have higher levels of reactive compounds (carbonyls) which are linked with cell and tissue damage leading to diabetes.
- There is some evidence that corn fructose is processed differently in the body than cane sugar, leading to reduced feelings of satiation and a greater potential for over-consumption.
- Studies by researchers at UC Davis and the University of Michigan have shown that consuming fructose, which is more readily converted to fat by the liver, increases the levels of fat in the bloodstream in the form of triglycerides.
- Unlike other types of carbohydrate made up of glucose, fructose does not stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin. Peter Havel, a nutrition researcher at UC Davis who studies the metabolic effects of fructose, has also shown that fructose fails to increase the production of leptin, a hormone produced by the body's fat cells. Both insulin and leptin act as signals to the brain to turn down the appetite and control body weight. Havel's research also shows that fructose does not appear to suppress the production of ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger and appetite.
- The body processes the fructose in HFCS differently than it does cane or beet sugar, and this alters the way metabolic-regulating hormones function. It also forces the liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream. The end result is that our bodies are essentially tricked into wanting to eat more. At the same time, we are storing more fat.
- A study in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggested that women whose diet was high in total carbohydrate and fructose intake had an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
- HFCS interferes with the heart's use of key minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium.
- HFCS has been found to deplete the immune system by inhibiting the action of white blood cells. The body is then unable to defend against harmful foreign invaders.
- Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. Glucose is metabolized in every cell in the body but all fructose must be metabolized in the liver. The livers of test animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrhosis, similar to problems that develop in the livers of alcoholics.
- HFCS is highly refined--even more so than white sugar.
- The corn from which HFCS is derived is almost certainly genetically modified, as are the enzymes used in the refining process.
- There are increasing concerns about the politics surrounding the economics of corn production (subsidies, tariffs, and regulations), as well as the effects of intensive corn agriculture on the environment.
Allies of HFCS (corn growers/refiners and food producers) refute these findings. They claim that the studies are flawed or inconclusive. High-fructose corn syrup, they say, is as healthy as sugar. And that is precisely the point. Sugar, we are told, can be a part of a healthy diet. Perhaps this is true--though not in the quantities at which the average North American is consuming it. In 1980, the average person ate 39 pounds of fructose and 84 pounds of sucrose. Today, this number has increased to 83 pounds of fructose and 66 pounds of sucrose. 25 percent of our average caloric intake comes from sugar. Many of us eat nearly our body weight or more in sugar every year. Even if all the concerns about HFCS were unfounded, we are eating far too much sugar as a society to be healthy. If we truly want to enable our health, then we need to re-think our relationship to sugar. We would do well to reduce or, ideally, eliminate all together the sugar-laden processed foods from our diets and choose instead whole, natural foods for our families and ourselves.
In conclusion...
We at enableyourhealth.com give HFCS a big thumbs down! We're not eating it ourselves, and we're certainly not giving it to our children. High-fructose corn syrup is a highly refined sugar. At best, it is junk: empty calories, a food product stripped of all of its nutrients. In the worst case, high-fructose corn syrup may be a major factor in obesity, illness and chronic disease. Your choice.
(And keep in mind, there is life after sugar. Check out some of our delicious recipes, and enjoy the satisfaction of healthy HGCS-free eating!)
*Sources:Sugar: A Bittersweet History, Elizabeth Abbot; The Ethics Of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter, Peter Singer & Jim Mason; The Omnivore's Dilemma & In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan; Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, Greg Critser
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