High Fructose Corn Syrup

There is so much in the news these days stating that we should try to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) but do most people understand why? HFCS is being touted by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) as a natural sweetener that can be a healthy part of the American diet that can be found in everything from cereal, ice cream, bread, ketchup, soda, yogurt, baked goods and more. It is used as a sugar substitute or additional sweetener, primarily because it is easier to blend, is cheaper than regular sugar, and extends the shelf life of products containing it. The CRA's claim that HFCS is an all natural sweetener has been challenged due to the high processing that occurs to produce it as well as the presence of at least one genetically modified enzyme required for production. Today Americans consume more HFCS than sugar due to its widespread use in thousands of products. In 1960, Americans were not consuming any HFCS whereas currently the average American consumes a whopping 63 lbs per year (that's 128,000 calories!). When HFCS is ingested it is immediately sent to the liver where it is turned into fat. Unlike other carbohydrates, HFCS does not cause the pancreas to produce insulin which acts as a hunger quenching signal to the brain. So even if your diet is high in calories you never feel full and continue to eat food that is immediately stored as fat.

If you're concerned about the amount of high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners in your diet, consider these tips:

• Limit processed foods.
• Avoid foods that contain added sugar.
• Choose fresh fruit rather than fruit juice or fruit-flavored drinks. Even 100 percent fruit juice has a high concentration of sugar.
• Choose fruit canned in its own juices instead of heavy syrup.
• Drink less soda.
• Don't allow sweetened beverages to replace milk, especially for children.