Bad for our Health? Get High Fructose Corn Syrup and Refined Sugar Facts

What is the Bottom line on HFCS and Refined Sugar Use?

We have to cut out the chemicals; this means we need to reduce or eliminate both. The real concern here is how refined sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup play an intricate role in the development of Type 2 diabetes, a disease that millions of people worldwide are now struggling to cope with. Many people are actually walking around eating as they normally do and unaware that they actually have it.

According to Gary Yang, “Not only can a high fructose diet worsen the symptoms in diabetic patients, it can actually increase the risk of developing diabetes in healthy individuals.” He believes the “most common cause of diabetes seen in developed countries is due to a build up in body fat, which can lead to insulin resistance and ultimately diabetes.” Yang explains in his article that a high fructose diet “induces an uncontrolled production of energy and fat as well as an overall increased appetite, resulting in increased caloric intake” [5].

This is why opponents of High Fructose Corn Syrup manufacturers like to point their fingers. They believe there is a strong link between fructose consumption and obesity/ diabetes.

Why might this be? Well, fructose is absorbed more slowly than glucose and is converted in the liver to glycogen. Therefore, it does not cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, and the pancreas does not react to as if it is a sugar. And by not reacting to the High Fructose Corn Syrup, the pancreas does not produce amylin or leptin – two very important hormones responsible for controlling our ability to feel full. Thus, we tend to overeat when we eat foods made with HFCS. Here is where the correlation between obesity and High Fructose Corn Syrup lies.

Some experts believe it is even linked to high grease (triglyceride) content in the blood and metabolic syndrome, which puts people at risk for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. It appears as if the epidemic of obesity and the introduction of High Fructose Corn Syrup in our foods happened at about the same time (1970s to today). There are experts in the field of Endocrinology that believe this is no coincidence. Let’s review the role of fructose on glucose metabolism:

At low levels fructose may actually be beneficial in glucose disposal (at less than 10% total carbohydrate percentage). Because High Fructose Corn Syrup is so ubiquitous thanks to our food industry, in many people the supply of fructose is constant. And when fructose supply is constant this beneficial effect of fructose disappears [6].

So what happens when we over-feed our bodies fructose? The energy metabolism changes. Our body’s fat oxidation (burning) process decreases and 88% of our energy is stored as fat and only 12% of our energy is stored as glycogen [7].

Do you want excess grease (triglycerides) swimming in your blood to the point that blood becomes opaque from fat particles?! High Fructose consumption eventually leads to a fatty liver, an early sign of metabolic syndrome and diabetes [8].

Next time you go to the grocery store, take some time and read the labels. Get educated about your options, and start to curb your buying. If enough people are willing to make a change it will send a message to our food manufacturers that consumers are chemical savvy, and it will inadvertently curb your waistline too.

For information on condiments without High Fructose Corn Syrup see: HFCS-FREE List.

See this web site for information on fast-food menu items containing High Fructose Corn Syrup.

NOTE: If you would like to read about chemically laden corn sugars in general, view: Corn Sugars 101

References:

1. “High Fructose Corn Syrup.” Wikipedia. July 16, 2007.
2. Corn Refiner’s Association. 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 950 Washington, DC 20006-5805.
3. Dublin, Jim. “The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup.” Helium, 2007.
4. Meltzer, Barnet. Food Swings: Make the Life-Changing Connection Between the Foods You Eat and Your Emotional Health and Well-Being. Marlow Books (2001) page 42.
5. Yang, Gary. “Our Sweet Ending: Health Consequences with High Fructose Corn Syrup Consumption.” The Science Creative Quarterly. Issue 2 (January-March 2007).
6. McGuinness, Owen P.; Cherrington, Alan D. “Effects of fructose on hepatic glucose metabolism. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care. 6(4): 441-448, July 2003.
7. McDevitt, Regina; Poppitt, Sally D; Murgatroyd, Peter R.; and Prentice, Andrew M. “Macronutrient disposal during controlled overfeeding with glucose, fructose, sucrose, or fat in lean and obese women.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 72: 369-77, 2000.
8. Roglans, Nuria; Vila, Laia; Farre, Mireia, Alegret, Marta, Sanchez, Maria Rosa; Vazquez-Carrera, Manuel; Laguna, Juan Carlos. “Impairment of hepatic Stat-3 activation and reduction of PPAR alpha activity in fructose-fed rats.”Hepatology. 26, 45 (3): 778-788, February 2007.