Nutrition Lizard: Should I avoid High-Fructose Corn Syrup? Many people believe High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) plays a significant role in the obesity epidemic. However, the majority of researchers believe HFCS is NOT solely to blame and it is thee increase in total calories and lack of physical activity that is causing obesity.
Lizard says: Limit consumption of all added sweeteners and don't worry about naturally occurring sugar in fruit, milk and plain yogurt.
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More information about High-Fructose Corn Syrup:Background: HFCS is a liquid sweetener that has become a popular alternative to table sugar (sucrose) because it is cheaper, has a longer shelf life, and is easier to use. It can be found in cereals, cookies, beverages, ketchup, salad dressings, yogurts and breads.
Links to Obesity: Obesity rates and HFCS use have increased together, causing many to believe they are related. HFCS has decreased the price of sweetened foods and consumption has increased. Some studies have shown that HFCS causes more weight gain than table sugar, but more research is needed.
Similarities: Table sugar and HFCS are very similar. They contain the same ingredients (fructose and glucose) in approximately the same quantities. Many researchers believe that the body absorbs HFCS and other sugars identically, and that the real problem is overconsumption of foods in general.
Because of the bad press HFCS has received, the corn industry is now referring to HFCS as "corn sugar".
Bottom Line: Try to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leans meats and low fat dairy products instead of processed foods such as candy, cookies, high-sugar cereals and sweetened beverages. You should try to limit all added sweeteners (including sugar, HFCS, cane or beet sugar, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup, agave syrup, and honey) which add significant calories and may cause weight gain.
2 comments:
Hi Liz,
Nice blog. The problem with HFCS is that it is really HFCSs. Although the CRA claims that the
HFCS and sucrose are essentially the same with respect to fructose and glucose concentrations,
this is not the case. HFCS-42 is used for baked products, and HFCS-55 is used for soda. Go to ADM's website. They make Cornsweet90, HFCS-90, which is 90% fructose. This intensely sweet product is used for low-cal foods and beverages.
In a recent research paper by USC, researchers
surveyed the fructose content in locally obtained national brand soda. Three brands of bottled soda, Pepsi, Sprite, and Coke had 65% fructose. It appears that the CRA has been manipulating the fructose content. Why? your guess is as good as mine, but the message here is this: the CRA can manipulate the fru:glu ratio anyway they want, since the FDA does not require theme to list the %fructose. For me, and maybe you, this is just a nuisance, but for people who have severe reactions to excess fructose, this can be dangerous. I'd ditch HFCS.
When you ingest HFCS, you don't know how much fructose you are getting, only your liver knows for sure.
Thanks for making a comment! Good to know about the fructose content of sodas!
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