My Healthy Tidbits

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), is the number one commercial sweetener and supplies nearly 10 percent of all calories consumed by Americans.  This percentage is even higher for children.  Some researchers believe that HFCS is even more unhealthy for humans than excess table sugar.  The HFCS manufacturers are starting an advertising campaign to get you to believe that it is natural and healthy, and it is neither.

HFCS is used by beverage companies and food processors because it is cheap to produce.  While sucrose, or table sugar, is made from sugarcane or sugar beets, HFCS comes from corn, not fruit.  HFCS has a longer shelf life than those made with sucrose of table sugar.

Researchers believe that HFCS increases blood fats (triglycerides) more than the same amount of table sugar.  High triglyceride levels can lead to higher blood levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and to lower blood levels of HDL, the good cholesterol–a double whammy that increases the risk fo cardiovascular disease.  A diet high in HFCS can impair the body’s abiltiy to use minerals such as calcium and chromium–minerals that are involved in normal sugar and fat metabolism.  HFCS sweetened soft drinks can reduce blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, minerals needed for healthy bones.

Some consumers are concerned about HFCS because if can come from corn that is a genetically modified organism (GMO).

Researchers are blaming the obesity epidemic on High Fructose Corn Syrup.  HFCS is mostly in junk foods and junk beverages.  It is also used in some yogurts. HFCS does not trigger the same feelings of fullness and satisfaction that regular sugar does.  Large amounts of HFCS in the diet may increase the risk of developing insulin resistance, it has been dubbed “diabetes in a bottle“.

HFCS has been know to cause erratic behavior in children and adults that are sensitive to corn syrup.  This ingredient is harmful to your health and that of your children.  Avoid foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, read the labels before buying food or beverages, if it contains HFCS leave it on the shelf at the supermarket.