What Is High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Why is it Bad for You?

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

High Fructose Corn Syrup "is called isoglucose in the UK and glucose-fructose in Canada – comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert its glucose into fructose and has then been mixed with pure corn syrup (100% glucose) to produce a desired sweetness. In the United States, HFCS is typically used as a sugar substitute and is ubiquitous in processed foods and beverages, including soft drinks, yogurt, industrial bread, cookies, salad dressing, and tomato soup." (Defined by Wickipedia.org)

So to put it more simply, high fructose corn syrup is derived from corn, through unnatural processes, and used to sweeten anything from most breakfast cereals to most US soft drinks. Why? It's cheaper than sugar. Have you ever tasted the difference between a soft drink sweetened by cane sugar vs. high fructose corn syrup? There is definitely a difference.

Why is high fructose corn syrup bad for us?

I'll start with Dr.Oz's explanation, Dr.Oz has appeared on Oprah many times. Taken directly from Oprah.com, high fructose corn syrup is on Dr.Oz's food hall of fame list. "Although they taste sweet, Dr. Oz says food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup should be avoided. Dr. Oz says the body processes the sugar in high-fructose corn syrup differently than it does old-fashioned cane or beet sugar, which in turn alters your body's natural ability to regulate appetite. "It blocks the ability of a chemical called leptin, which is the way your fat tells your brain it's there," says Dr. Oz. "It's not so much the 150 calories in the soda pop—it's the fact at that same meal you will normally consume an extra hundred calories of food than you would have."

In the Caitlin Hartung school of thought, any unnaturally processed food is not good for you. If you cannot get the food without it having to go through some sort of chemistry experiment first, it's not meant to go through your body. Our bodies are designed to recognize foods that are naturally on this earth, already provided for us. When we put things in our mouth that aren't natural, the body can't recognize what it is, or even necessarily how to properly process it. Americans are the worst culprits in eating processed, chemically altered foods. We're also being overtaken by obesity. Coincidence? I don't think so.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is the cheap alternative to sugar, used by companies trying to save money, not interested in your health. Just one last article I'd like to reference about High Fructose Corn Syrup and I'll let you decide for yourself:

"Recent research from researchers at Johns Hopkins University has uncovered that the human body treats glucose and fructose differently – when consuming glucose, two things happen:
For starters, insulin is released from the pancreas, prompting the body to balance out the glucose levels in the bloodstream. And secondly, glucose is signalling the brain that sufficient energy is available, causing the release of satiety hormones that make you feel full.
By comparison, fructose is not able to enter the brain – so the brain doesn’t respond to your fructose energy intake and in response, your body never gets the signal that your stomach has been filled. You just keep eating and eating and while your stomach expands, you never get the neurological sensation that you’re full. A perfect setup to becoming overweight and obese."(skinnychef.com)

It's a very interesting/informative article, and I suggest if you have time to click the link above and read it.

I don't want to place all of the blame on High Fructose Corn Syrup, it's not the only ingredient at fault for causing weight gain and diabetes to rise like wildfire in this country. Sugar in any form will cause weight gain if you eat it in excess. I recommend to my clients and to most people to substitute high fructose corn syrup for something natural, however, because it's a BETTER alternative. It's a LESSER evil.

I'd like to follow up with what's wrong with artificial sweeteners in a later blog entry, so stay tuned!