What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

I first learned about this substance a couple of years ago when I read the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (awesome read - I highly recommend it!) While I certainly don't profess to be a nutritionist or a scientist, I do admit I am very curious about what is in our food. If I hear about an ingredient or read something on a label I don't know about, I research it to find out what it is and what kinds of studies have been done on it. Yes, I am a little bit of a geek in the food/wellness department, but I tell you what - it's shocking what you learn when you're actually paying attention.

High Fructose Corn Syrup sounds harmless enough, right? I mean, corn syrup on its own is a natural product so how bad can it be? Well, regular corn syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup are very different beasts. And I say beast, because I mean it. High Fructose Corn Syrup is a genetically modified "food" that is poisonous to the human body.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) , often called "glucose-fructose" or "natural flavor" on labels in products in Canada is made by changing the sugar in corn syrup to fructose with a genetically modified enzyme. The end product is a combination of glucose and fructose. Glucose, which every cell in the human body will utilize in its natural form suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates leptin, which suppresses human appetite. Fructose, like that found in High Fructose Corn Syrup (not the natural form that occurs in fruit) has no effect on ghrelin and interferes with the human brain's communication with leptin, resulting in overeating. In fact, in a recent study, a Princeton University research team demonstrated that rats fed HFCS gained significantly more weight than those fed sugar, even though their overall caloric intake was the same. Read the full story here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100322121115.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

In addition, this genetically modified product actually encourages overeating by bypassing the human body's natural instinct to stop eating. For reals! It tricks your brain!! HOW is this a good thing for anyone? We all know that Canada and the USA have some of the highest rates of obesity in the world, and while we certainly can't blame this one substance alone for being the cause of everyone's health problems, it does shed some light on a few things. It also sheds some light on the number of obese children we see in this country, and sadly now, even in babies! (Parents, please read the ingredients in your baby's formula, food, etc if you're not breastfeeding or making everything on your own).

So how much of this stuff are we eating on a regular basis? Surely, if it's in moderation we should be fine, right? Well...have a look at the ingredients in your foods at home. You might be surprised to find out that HFCS is a very common ingredient in most household foods (it is slightly less expensive for industries to make, is more addicting, and has a longer shelf life). Have a read of your yogurt container, or that "healthy" whole wheat bread label. See the ingredient "glucose-fructose"? That's High Fructose Corn Syrup. It's commonly found in yogurt, cereals, whole wheat bread, lunch meats, breakfast bars, juices, and salad dressings just to name a few, and these are things that most of us eat on a regular basis. What's worse is that these things are actually marketed to consumers as "healthy" and "good for us"

If this doesn't turn you off HFCS, or as it's known by its more vile temptress of a name "glucose-fructose", there are also studies that show that this ingredient contains mercury. Yes, that's right - the shit we've been scared of for years because of all the health problems it causes like neurological damage, hair and teeth loss, muscle weakness, loss of kidney function and memory impairment. Here's a link to a story from the Washington Post about it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html

So...what can you do?

Well, don't eat it for one! Know that when you're shopping to read the labels of the foods you buy to look for things called "HFCS", "Glucose-Fructose" which ARE high fructose corn syrup and "Natural Flavor" which this product is allowed to be called on your labels. AVOID those products. Make things on your own at home, using other sweeteners if you must, like honey or stevia or rice syrup. Sweeteners are still sweeteners and should only be consumed in moderation, but stick with something you know isn't actually poison. Note: Splenda and Aspartame are also shit, so please don't replace HFCS with these items. They're terrible for you!

My brother and I have started a petition in Canada to have high fructose corn syrup banned, and you're welcome to get involved, or just sign the petition. The more of us there are asking questions, not buying or eating things that are bad for us and asking for change, the easier it will be for governments to hear us and our concerns. Check out our site - the petition can be downloaded here:http://www.banhfcs.northsun.ca/doku.php?id=start