High fructose corn syrup is contained in just about every food in the grocery store.

There is an ongoing debate over the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, and whether or not it’s contributing to the decline of health, and the obesity of consumers. Research reveals facts that keep up with both sides. Mercury, a toxic chemical in all its forms, has been found in many samples of commercially sold HFCS. Studies have also shown that the consumption of high fructose corn syrup has no significant difference in effect on the body than the use of regular table sugar. HFCS is derived from corn by a process that is far from natural, and it’s the main ingredient in many popular foods found at the grocery store, including bread, soda, ice cream, juice and even many natural and health foods.

The Appearance of High Fructose Corn Syrup
The sugar contained in many popular food and drink products used to be derived from a sucrose that came from sugar beets or sugar cane. In the 70s, prices rose and a cheaper source to sweeten food was created. A process that modifies starch molecules from cornstarch produces glucose and fructose that becomes HFCS. High fructose corn syrup is a highly processed form of sugar that may contain mercury. Recent tests reveal that a large portion of commercially sold high fructose corn syrup servings may contain this toxic substance due to a process used to create it. Manufacturers of this sugar substitute claim that they use reagents that are mercury-free, however it’s the creation of these reagents that may be causing contamination. Who’s telling the truth, and how much of the story are companies legally required to reveal?

Here’s a very interesting, (and kind of long-winded) video on how and why High Fructose Corn Syrup is so popular. I suggest you watch it. It may open your eyes in more ways than one.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sucrose
HFCS and sucrose, or normal table sugar, have equal amounts of calories. Glucose and fructose are present in both, however, they are chemically bonded in sucrose, whereas high fructose corn syrup blends the two. This creates a difference in the way each is absorbed by the body. Research insists that the absorption is the same, but high fructose corn syrup bypasses the digestion process altogether and is metabolized directly into the bloodstream. Some research shows that free or unbound fructose may cause problems with the body’s use of important nutrients like copper, chromium and magnesium. Fructose also contains no healthy substances, and steals nutrients from the body for its own sustenance. Cirrhosis of the liver may result from too much consumption of this sugar, and other problems may creep up as well. Table sugar isn’t healthy either, despite it’s claim to be natural. A little study of how the body digests and uses these chemicals may bring some light to the subject.

Natural and Organic Foods
High fructose corn syrup falls under the category of ‘natural’ as approved by the FDA. The FDA approves a food label’s use of the word natural, as long as that food contains a small percentage of natural ingredients. This means that 100% fruit juice containing high fructose corn syrup and other unnatural chemicals may be legally marketed at a natural and healthy product. It’s up to you to decide. I still like to go by pronunciation of the ingredients. If I can’t say them out loud, they probably include chemicals or processing that I don’t want in my body.

Related posts:

1. Bring Down a Fever With Natural Remedies A fever is the body’s natural way of eliminating bacteria...

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.