High-Fructose Corn Syrup - The New Bad Boy in Town
Move over trans fat, here comes high fructose corn syrup? Lately there is talk about high fructose corn syrup being the new bad boy ingredient. The explosion of products containing it may be a big reason why America is in the middle of an obesity epidemic...
Well, not so fast everyone. If you want to point the finger at something, point it at excess calories in the form of sweetened liquid...plain and simple (Although there are several changes in our diet and lifestyle over the past 25 years that you can point the rest of your fingers at too).
A study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition July 2007) found no difference between the soda sweetened with sugar and soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Researchers from the University of Washington tested out the subsequent hunger, thirst, and satiety in 37 men and women 20-minutes after drinking cola with sucrose, cola with high fructose corn syrup, diet cola, and low fat milk. The amount of calories eaten at lunch two hours later was also measured. It bears repeating: no difference between the calories eaten at the next meal and the satiety 20 minutes later between the two sweetened sodas.
But maybe there is some difference in the body's response to a high intake of high fructose corn syrup that goes beyond satiety and subsequent calories consumed. Enter the next recent study on high fructose corn syrup. This study was recently presented at the American Chemical Society annual meeting. Researchers from Rutgers University tested 11 soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and detected high levels of compounds that are normally raised in the blood of people with diabetes - reactive carbonyls. These compounds have been linked to diabetic complications such as tissue damage. Reactive carbonyls were not detected in soda sweetened with sucrose (table sugar). This is the first I've heard or read about reactive carbonyls so I'm looking forward to more research on these compounds.
In the meantime, can we agree that maybe America's obesity crisis is due (in part) to the fact that our average daily calories has increased steadily over the past fifty years at the same time that are exercise and energy output has steadily decreased? I hate to make it sound this simple (because it isn't) but...we are eating and drinking more calories than our bodies are burning. That is not to say that I'm loving high fructose corn syrup. I think many of us could benefit from trimming off some junk calories and calories coming from beverages that contribute no other nutrients (like soda) should probably be first on the chopping block.
Soft drink consumption has increased by more than 5 times in the past 50 years. It's no surprise then that soda is now the leading source of refined sugars in the American diet. On that fact alone, we should be taking a hard look at our soda gluttony.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: high fructose corn syrup, sugar, soda, pop, healthy diet
Well, not so fast everyone. If you want to point the finger at something, point it at excess calories in the form of sweetened liquid...plain and simple (Although there are several changes in our diet and lifestyle over the past 25 years that you can point the rest of your fingers at too).
A study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition July 2007) found no difference between the soda sweetened with sugar and soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Researchers from the University of Washington tested out the subsequent hunger, thirst, and satiety in 37 men and women 20-minutes after drinking cola with sucrose, cola with high fructose corn syrup, diet cola, and low fat milk. The amount of calories eaten at lunch two hours later was also measured. It bears repeating: no difference between the calories eaten at the next meal and the satiety 20 minutes later between the two sweetened sodas.
But maybe there is some difference in the body's response to a high intake of high fructose corn syrup that goes beyond satiety and subsequent calories consumed. Enter the next recent study on high fructose corn syrup. This study was recently presented at the American Chemical Society annual meeting. Researchers from Rutgers University tested 11 soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and detected high levels of compounds that are normally raised in the blood of people with diabetes - reactive carbonyls. These compounds have been linked to diabetic complications such as tissue damage. Reactive carbonyls were not detected in soda sweetened with sucrose (table sugar). This is the first I've heard or read about reactive carbonyls so I'm looking forward to more research on these compounds.
In the meantime, can we agree that maybe America's obesity crisis is due (in part) to the fact that our average daily calories has increased steadily over the past fifty years at the same time that are exercise and energy output has steadily decreased? I hate to make it sound this simple (because it isn't) but...we are eating and drinking more calories than our bodies are burning. That is not to say that I'm loving high fructose corn syrup. I think many of us could benefit from trimming off some junk calories and calories coming from beverages that contribute no other nutrients (like soda) should probably be first on the chopping block.
Soft drink consumption has increased by more than 5 times in the past 50 years. It's no surprise then that soda is now the leading source of refined sugars in the American diet. On that fact alone, we should be taking a hard look at our soda gluttony.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: high fructose corn syrup, sugar, soda, pop, healthy diet
11 Comments:
i dont eat veg.
As one who has roller-coastered my weight since I was 5 years old (I'm 46), I can attest to the fact that High-Fructose Corn Syrup is, in my opinion, the cause of obesity. I had lost 26 pounds on Weight Watchers recently, and looked better, but I just didn't "feel" well. ALL of their "snack" foods contain really bad ingredients, albeit in relatively small amounts. I've switched gears and eat very little white flour, and NO HFCS, and I use only Extra Virgin Olive Oil as my added fat. Every aspect of my being feels better. I don't break out anymore (adult acne), I don't have erractic energy levels throughout the day, and I don't crave sugar/carbs anymore. AND I'm LOSING WEIGHT. It's AMAZING. I still have about 30 pounds to lose, but I feel absolutely confident that I've found what works for me to finally keep the weight off.
I'm an "all or nothing" kind of person, but this way of eating is absolutely manageable for me. I hope you'll try it.
I had been addicted to Pepsi-Cola since I was a child.
Until that is, I was diagnosed with diabetes.
I TOTALLY feel that my addiction to soda pop was mostly responsible for this horrific diagnosis.
I was drinking 4-6 cans PER DAY! EVERY DAY!
Since the diagnosis & breaking my habit, I've lost over 10 pounds with many more to go.
The initial weeks after giving up Pepsi were horrible - I was having major withdrawal symptoms.
Now, despite my diabetes diag, I am healthier, thinner and I have more energy.
I believe this problem was due to the high fructose corn syrup in the Pepsi.
Take it from me & learn from my mistake - BREAK your HFCS addiction before you too are diagnosed diabetes!
Agreed. Simple arithmetic in counting calories, what we consume vs. what we burn. My question - does the body break down sugar differently than high fructose corn syrup? And if so how so? I believe that it does, and certainly is a contributing factor to weight gain, in that the body is unable to breakdown and process foods with preservatives and high fructose corn syrup in the same way that it would natural fresh foods.
Yes, you are correct the body breaks down sugar differently than HFCS. The body knows how to regulate sugar (insulin and leptin regulate it). The body doesn't know how to deal with HFCS (and it doesn't get regulated).Insulin is a factor in diabetes, Leptin is a factor for obesity. I avoid HFCS (a man made manipulated product).
This is NOT NEWS nor NEW INFO!! At least one year ago, Bill Maher, asked the Surgeon General why the govt. was not doing anything about obesity and in particular, High Fructose Corn syrup.
As others state, the body doesn't break HFCS down like it does sugar. Additionally, HCFS may cause some to feel hungry soon after consumption.
In 1970, people consumed an est. 7lbs. of suger per year; now we consume an est. 21 lbs. of HCFS per year!!! Higher consumption of calories, improper breakdown of HCFS, fake hunger triggered by HFCS leads to more consumption (with more HFCS in most food products) and this is all because...
CORPS. SAVE 20% in costs using HFCS over sugar! Once again, profits override known health risks! Welcome to America and Hyper-Capitalism - the populace has become fodder for the money machine.
Mr B,
It's not that I disagree with you, but I just don't consider Bill Maher a bastion of hot news and nutrition information. Nice to see it from a source more 'mainstream'.
The biggest problem with HFCS that I see is how it is hidden in almost everything we eat. Look at any bread label, even the whole grain, "natural", high fiber, they are all sweetened with HFCS. Also, ketchup, tartar sauce, jams and jellies--the list goes on.
HFCS is not found in organic products. You have to be very careful when you look for foods without it. I read the labels. My husband on the other hand doesn't. He bought cookies that someone at work was selling and I read the label of ingredients. They contain not only High Fructose Corn Syrup but Palm oil as well. :( I or my husband won't be eating any of these cookies.
I have found Organic Corn Syrup at my local store - so just because something happens to be organic does not mean it is good - how bad is organic Corn syrup vs HFCS i do not know, does any one else know
High Fructose Corn Syrup is satirized in as mustachioed villain at http://tshirtinsurgency.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup-t-shirt
not unfunny
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