The first step my family took to a nourishing lifestyle was eliminating all high fructose corn syrup from our diet. This was a task! I could not believe how many products in my pantry and refrigerator contained this poison.
- Jelly
- Yogurt
- Bread
- Crackers
- Hot Dogs
- Tortilla’s
- Canned Soups
- BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, Salad Dressing and MOST other condiments
These were just products that were in my own refrigerator, however, the product list that contains high fructose corn syrup goes far beyond this.
It’s not that bad… is it?
High fructose corn syrup goes way beyond empty calories but is actually a poison. High-fructose corn syrup can contain up to 80% fructose and 20% glucose, almost twice the fructose of common table sugar. Both table sugar and high-fructose sweetener contain four calories per gram, so calories alone are not the key problem with high-fructose corn syrup. Rather, how we metabolize the excess amounts of fructose.
According to Dr. Oz, HFCS is a type of sugar that has been processed and combined with corn syrup to produce a cheap, easily dissolvable sweetener. But this sugar is quickly absorbed by the liver where it is converted into fat. Since your brain doesn’t recognize HFCS as regular food, it never shuts off the appetite center — so you keep eating. Blood sugar levels rise, massive amounts of insulin is recruited to metabolize it and then you crash and feel hungry again.
No wonder diabetes and obesity is such a huge problem in our country. HFCS causes a metabolic syndrome. Not only Diabetes and Obesity, but lipid problems, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
If it’s been found to cause so much disease and health problems in our society, why do companies keep using it in almost ALL of our grocery store products?
The main reasons is that it’s very cheap to produce and extends shelf life of processed products.
A longer shelf life for the product = a shorter life span for us!
It’s all about money, politics, and power. Below are some quotes from Natural Health News.
Roughly $40 billion in federal subsidies are going to pay corn growers, so that corn syrup is able to replace cane sugar. corn syrup has been singled out by many health experts as one of the chief culprits of rising obesity, because corn syrup does not turn off appetite. Since the advent of corn syrup, consumption of all sweeteners has soared, as have people’s weights. According to a 2004 study reported in the American journal of Clinical Nutrition, the rise of Type-2 diabetes since 1980 has closely paralleled the increased use of sweeteners, particularly corn syrup.
– There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program by Gabriel Cousens
– Available on Amazon.comSince the fructose in corn syrup does neither stimulate insulin secretion nor reduce the hunger hormone ghrelin, you will continue to feel hungry while the body converts the fructose into fat. The resulting obesity increases the risk of diabetes and other diseases. Since you obviously cannot expect to receive much help from those who only know how to treat the effects of illness and not its causes, you may need to take your health into you own hands.
– Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz
– Available on Amazon.comMore than half of the carbohydrates being consumed are in the form of sugars (sucrose, corn syrup, etc.) being added to foods as sweetening agents. High consumption of refined sugars is linked to many chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Generally, the term “dietary fiber” refers to the components of plant cell wall and non-nutritive residues. Originally, the definition was restricted to substances that are not digestible by the endogenous secretions of the human digestive tract.
– Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1 by Michael T. Murray, ND
For an in depth lecture on the truths of High Fructose Corn Syrup please watch the video series, The Hazards of Sugar, presented by Dr. Robert Lustig and provided by Dr. Mercola. It’s a nine part series but one that will lead you to understand how High Fructose Corn Syrup came to be and how it’s effecting adults, children, toddlers, and babies.
This is only the first part of a 9 part series. The rest can be found on Dr. Mercola’s youtube account.
Another great resource is an article I found called, Metabolic Danger of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, written by Dana Flavin, MS, MD, PHD
So now what?
It’s 2010 and time to not only increase our activity levels but to really start to question what we are eating. Once we get to the essence of that simple question and start to read labels, we’ll truly understand that what we are eating is genetically modified and man made. It’s then that we can take a step back and really start to make changes, one step at a time.
A great place to start is by getting a Costco membership. I have no affiliation with Costco nor do they know that I am writing this. I am a member that truly appreciates all that they carry that is organic, hormone free, chemical free, and nitrate/nitrite free.
At Costco you will be able to affordably buy,
- Organic Jelly (Or make your own, it’s so easy!!)
- Organic Yogurt (Stoneyfield Farms)
- Real Maple Syrup
- Nitrate/Nitrite Free Hot Dogs and Bacon
- Organic Cereal
- Annie’s Graham Crackers and Cheddar Bunnies
At your local grocery store, some products that you can find without HFCS are..
- Nature’s Pride Bread – A fabulous bread that has just came out made without preservatives and the use of high fructose corn syrup
- Danon Naturals – Yogurt made with all natural ingredients
- Heinz makes a brand of organic ketchup with HFCS or you can purchase Full Circle Organic Ketchup which comes in a larger bottle and costs around $3.
As far as other condiments and salad dressings, the best way to go is to make your own. The number one thing to do is to do the best that you can to avoid boxed, prepackaged, canned processed foods.
My encouragement or challenge for you is to start by eliminating high fructose corn syrup from your diet. Once you can conquer that one small step, you will see how easy it is to make changes and take a second step to a healthier you. Can you imagine if most of us would take the first step of saying no to high fructose corn syrup, hmmm.. the industry would take notice and start providing what we demand! REAL FOOD!
This post is a part of Real Food Wednesday hosted by Cheeseslave and Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
Ruth says
Wow, scary but insightful. Must be more aware from now on!
Anonymous says
Obviously HFCS is not good for you. NO sugar is good for you. People need to consume all things in moderation. Stories like these are just excuses for for people who eat too much and exercise too little.
The American Medical Association stated that, “Because the composition of high fructose corn syrup and sucrose are so similar, particularly on absorption by the body, it appears unlikely that high fructose corn syrup contributes more to obesity or other conditions than sucrose.”
According to the American Dietetic Association, “high fructose corn syrup…is nutritionally equivalent to sucrose. Once absorbed into the blood stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable.”
A special supplemental issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition contained five studies that concluded that HFCS is no better or worse than table sugar in terms of causing weight gain.
Wicked Good Dinner says
Three cheers for your post! I was talking about making (edible) changes is 2010, and this is such a great step forward in the right direction!!
-Dawn
Crail Cakes says
I think the point of this story is not primarily about weight but overall health. Obviously every thing needs to be consumed in moderation but how much healthier to just eliminate it all together. I'm taking all steps to rid of hfcs all together in my home. Thanks for the post Sis! PS went to the grocery store today and it was even in the pickles, ugh! After some searching I did find some pickles with out! Also almost every other country still uses sugar and have not subbed for hfcs. I know I need to rid of soda completely from my diet but until then Jarritos are a great mexican soda with no hfcs!
A.R.Ambler says
oh, anon. I won't bother googling your comment to find it plastered all over the web. If this were my blog, I'd truely consider deleting it, not because I'm not willing to refute its content but because its author obviously didn't read the OP.
At this time, pointing to negative health effects as the only reason to rule hfcs out of your diet is a bit premature. This is the same line of reasoning some people have used to say organics aren't necessary because they have been proven not to be more nutritious, while it's obvious that there are far more reasons to buy organic.
People shouldn't eat hfcs because our government subsidizes corn and other non-food commodities at the cost of feeding hungry Americans. Hfcs is subsidized because it's cheap, easy to produce thanks to genetic engineering, keeps large seed businesses (which control our food system!) running thanks to roundup ready seeds and roundup, and since it's many times sweeter than sugar making it easier to ship and use.
Diana and I are surrounded by corn fields, but they are producing GMO corn for feed and hfcs, NOT for human consumption. This comes at the cost of farmers' lives, and our health. I also choose to opt out and refuse to let people like anon minimize my choice.
Christy says
HFCS is in so very many things, it amazes me. I know that we need to quit buying things with it in them – if only to get away from all the corn we are consuming. And to vote with my dollars. Slowly I am learning to cook from scratch and replace the foods I have always taken for granted.
Great post.
motherhen68 says
Heinz also makes an organic ketchup. I was so bummed when my grocery store stopped selling organic ketchup. Now I have to make a special trip to Wal-mart for it. Natural peanutbutter too. Annoying.
It is difficult to avoid all HFCS as it is in everything! I think we're doing pretty well as a family, but I have to real labels like hawk. It's even in some canned tomatoes.
Lindsay says
I could never give up my Heinz! That would be the one thing that I think I would need to hold on to, no matter how bad it is. Nothing else compares!
Andrea@WellnessNotes says
Great post! Yes, HFCS is in so many products. I have eliminated most of them, but it's so important to read every single label as it's in unexpected places… I think by eliminating HFCS, we can also focus on eating mostly whole, unprocessed foods. And that's certainly good for us! 🙂
Unplanned Cooking says
We've eliminated corn syrup — it was shocking how much food it was in! I mean maple syrup was practically nothing but corn syrup — and I had never realized that before I started paying attention.
Cookin' Canuck says
Very informative post! I am always shocked to read "high fructose corn syrup" near the top of the list of so many products. It is quite a challenge to eliminate it from one's diet, but well worth the effort.
Sook says
What useful information! I will have to save it and read it over and over again until I have it memorized. 🙂
Miriam says
Yes, I knew about that… and it's easier to get rid of HFCS here in Europe, we don't have EVERYWHERE, well not yet… but it's slowly creeping in.
Teresa Bjork says
While I appreciate your opinion, I hope your readers understand that this is just an opinion. Your sources are very questionable. (Dr. Oz? Really?) Doesn't it defy commonsense to call HFCS poisonous when the life expentency in the U.S. is at an all-time high? I'm proud to live in a state where we grow corn that feeds and fuels the world. (And yes, Iowa corn used as livestock feed eventually ends up as meat, eggs and milk for hungry families.) The attack on HFCS is a political issue, not a food-safety issue.
Erica says
Interesting post! Thank you for sharing!
Simply Life says
This is great to know! we've drastically reduced the amount of foods we buy with this, but still forget to always read the ingredients and are shocked with how many things contain this! thanks for the options that don't have it -great to know!
Kristen says
One point about life expectancy. The youngest generation of Americans might experience the first decline in life expectancy, which would be due primarily to obesity-related illnesses, and HFCS is the leading villain producing overweight children.
There are many ways for Americans to feed our people that would be more worthy of our pride than acres of inedible corn.
Anonymous says
Teresa – who cares if we're living longer if we're sickly and unhealthy because of all the crap in our food (ie HFCS.) And I would say that if you think it's not bad for you then knock yourself out eating it but then we all end up paying higher insurance rates because people eat this crap. I will never believe that we need genetically modified grain such as corn to survive. Hungry people need healthy meats and diary products from grass-fed and pastured animals.
[email protected] says
Life expectancy today in the US is lower than in other European nations. One of the main reason is the increased risk of cardio-vascular diseases which are mostly diet/lifestyle related..
Agro-business marketers are really good at making you believe that whatever they put in their products is good for you. Until proven otherwise. HFCS is one example, "hidden salt" is another…
Cooking from scratch is your best option for a healthier diet. No question about it.
http://www.whatareyoufeedingyourkidsthesedays.com
Foy Update - Garden Cook Write Repeat says
This was an awesome read. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say high fructose corn syrup is poison, but high levels of HFCS are undisputably not healthy.
I've been working very hard to get processed food out of my kitchen and my diet. My conclusion has been, "Buy simply produced and unprocessed food that has traveled the least distance".
I'd love to see some homemade recipes for condiments. *Hint, hint.*
Michelle AP says
Here is a link to recent research done on what happens when HFCS is heated above 120 degrees. I can promise you that any food transported in a truck in the summer is going to reach temps close to or above that. How about when it is used in foods that we cook with? Worth a read. Thanks for the post Diana. Sad how resistant people can be to the truth just because it is something they don't want to hear. No HFCS in my house for over two years. It is not that hard to make the change. I agree with you re Costco – great source of good foods.
http://www.labspaces.net/99363/Heat_forms_potentially_harmful_substance_in_high_fructose_corn_syrup
momgateway says
Thanks for sharing about HFCS…so scary!
5 Star Foodie says
Very good info! I think we've eliminated high fructose corn syrup from our diet now, purchasing some of the products you mention or similar kinds.
Diana Bauman says
Thanks everyone for such insightful comments! It's great to hear that so many of us are taking precautions for our families and doing the best we can to eliminate processed foods and HFCS.
Ruth – Thanks for stopping by and like Miriam has posted, you are definitely blessed to live in Europe as HFCS is not a problem like it is in the United States.
Anonymous – I do agree that we need to consume sweeteners in moderation. That's what I try to do for my family using natural sweeteners, raw honey, real maple syrup, rapadura sugar or even palm sugar. However, HFCS is in EVERYTHING! Just picture this, an average family wakes up, pours their children a glass of juice, some toast with jelly, or maybe a bowl of cereal. For lunch… peanut butter and jelly? A pop, juice? Dinner, Hamburger helper? Soda? Dessert out of a box? That family has consumed HFCS all day! This is the problem and yes, epidemic in our country. This isn't being consumed in moderation but in excessive amounts that our liver cannot tolerate. I would really encourage everyone to take some time and watch the 9 part series on HFCS. It really wakes you to the reality of our system.
Wicked Good Dinner, Lisa, Alicia, Christy, Motherhen, Andrea, Unplanned Cooking, Dara, Sook – Thanks for stopping by and it's so good to hear that we are aware of hfcs.
Lindsay – Good News, Heinz makes an organic ketchup without hfcs. After all, when it first came out, the used real sugar 😉
Miriam – Thanks for sharing! What a blessing to live in a country without these concerns.
Diana Bauman says
Teresa – Thanks for stopping by! We always tend to agree to disagree, lol! Thanks for the discussion. In reply, I did note Dr. OZ for a reason. He is a public figure and one that many people respect. Unfortunately, it takes a public figure like this to create change. I applaud him for standing by this issue. Obviously, their is real concern when it gets to this point. I would really encourage you to watch the video in my post presented by Dr. Robert Lustig who deals with child obesity day after day. Hear him out and his case against HFCS. As far as life expectancy an all time high, well yes, we may have added an extra two months, however, our life expectancy in the US is still lower than most other industrialized countries. Almost half of our deaths in this country are due to cancer and cardiovascular disease and diabetes is creeping on up. That say's something huge! Our diet and sedentary lifestyles are definitely culprits in this, however, our government should start standing for the well being of it's people versus the dollar and it's political agenda. As far as being proud of a state that feeds and fuels the world, I would really start to question why we grow so much corn. Unfortunately, it's not for the poor or poverty stricken people in other countries but for McDonald's, Burger King and the like. It's our drive for fast food, processed food, and adulterated sweeteners that we grow so much of this and not to the benefit of our family farmers, but to multi billion dollar corporations. My husband's grandfather is 84 years old and still farms to this day in Grimes, Iowa. He's an amazing man and has spoken many times of the HUGE changes farming has undergone in such a short period of time. Once upon a time 300 acres was sufficient to provide for your family. It was enough to pass down to your children to continue on the family farm. Today, it takes over 2,000 acres to provide for a single family. What does that mean, family farmers are driven off the land and uncapable of passing it down to their children. This happened to my husband's family. The farm was not enough for my father in law and his brother to continue in farming. They had to look for another means of income off the farm. More and more land, means it's more difficult to maintain as far as insects and disease, this led to roundup which led to roundup ready seeds and a stop and criminalization of saving seeds. My grandfather remembers the days when they would save seed, he doesn't talk about it today. There's a problem Teresa, and you're living within it.
Erica and Simply Life – Thanks for stopping by!!
Gaelle – Well put!!
Foy – Great idea! I've been wanting to start on ranch dressing and bbq sauce 😉
Thanks again everyone, definitely feel free to discuss 🙂
Diana Bauman says
Kristen, That's a very good point! Our children are the ones who will suffer even more than us.
Diana Bauman says
Michelle, Thanks for that info!
momgateway, Natasha – Thanks for stopping by and commenting 😀
Chow and Chatter says
great discussion, yep its a cheap sugar food companies use to sell products, sad really, everything in moderation and better to have foods in their natural form LOL
Rebecca
Amy says
Excellent post. I have been doing so much research into the issues surrounding food lately. It has been quite eye opening to see how there is so much that is known about the reality of our western diet that is being supressed by the big business of agriculture and meat producers through lobbying and of course the pharmaceutical companies. All of the resources we should be able to trust – such as those cited by anon in previous comment, AMA, ADA, AJCN and our federal govt. – are compromised by their ties to the big money supporting them, to keep things status quo.
A great example of this is when Dr. Fuhrman of Eat To Live fame was asked to write a piece about the success he was finding in treating (curing) diabetes with nutrition for a major publication. Then they asked him if he could change the article to say that his patients "reduced" their need for diabetes controlling drugs rather than "eliminated" because their publication was funded by Eli Lily. He wouldn't change the article so he wasn't published.
Now you need to read the China Study and see the reality of eating animal protein that has also been kept from the public by an agri-business that would stand to be devastated if everyone knew the truth!
Frank says
Thanks for this great article! I was so intrigued I went straight to my fridge and pantry to check the ingredients labels. Happy to report that my kitchen is *almost* HFCS-free: the only items I found with it were Worcestershire sauce (which I haven't used since the summer) and–believe it or not–the sausages I cooked last night! Why in the world would you put any kind of sugar in a sausage, I don't know, but there you are! Will have to be more careful in the future!
Thanks again,
Frank
Fuji Mama says
Such a great post Diana. The state of the corn industry in the US is enough to get me to try and eliminate HFCS in our diet, not to mention the health issues!
Raine Saunders says
Great post, Diana! It's super late and I've been on the computer all day, so I'll read this in more detail and comment on this later, but great detective work and information. Hope you are doing well! Nice to see you briefly on the Real Food Twitter party tonight. 🙂
Cristie says
Couldn't agree with you more. I've been watching for the same thing as you. Can't belive all the things corn syrup is in. Crazy world, this food business.
My Little Space says
Diana, this is a great posting! Untill today, I'm not sure what actually is considered as purely safe for us. Actually, I don't feel safe at all. Even sometimes organic ingredients may also contained of some weird stuffs. It's all depend on the producer and the profit margins, I should say!
Tiny Urban Kitchen says
Yay Costco! I love Costco too, and I totally agree it's amazing how many products out there have HFCS! Thanks for the informative article.
stockholmappeal says
Thank you for posting this esp because you live in Iowa and admit/acknowledge the dangers of Corn! 🙂
knownbyname says
Preach it sister!
I was diagnosed with osteoporosis when I was 35 years old. I was a lifelong Coke addict – seriously – it's the great Southern cure for colic, my parents would give it to me in a baby bottle to settle my tummy!
My endocrinologist several years ago looked me in the eye and said "You're so concerned about rebuilding your bone mass, but you're still consuming HFCS and carbonation – both of which block the abosorption of calcium. It's kind of like shooting yourself in the foot before a marathon!"
So – on May 29, 2007 I went HFCS and carbonation free. I am to this day. It's something that I am incredibly proud of – that I not only gave up the Coke – but all HFCS and carbonation.
And I'm with you – we pretty much make almost everything from scratch around here at our house any more – not only does it taste SO MUCH better – it's so much better for you!
knownbyname says
Preach it sister!
I was diagnosed with osteoporosis when I was 35 years old. I was a lifelong Coke addict – seriously – it's the great Southern cure for colic, my parents would give it to me in a baby bottle to settle my tummy!
My endocrinologist several years ago looked me in the eye and said "You're so concerned about rebuilding your bone mass, but you're still consuming HFCS and carbonation – both of which block the abosorption of calcium. It's kind of like shooting yourself in the foot before a marathon!"
So – on May 29, 2007 I went HFCS and carbonation free. I am to this day. It's something that I am incredibly proud of – that I not only gave up the Coke – but all HFCS and carbonation.
And I'm with you – we pretty much make almost everything from scratch around here at our house any more – not only does it taste SO MUCH better – it's so much better for you!
Arabic Bites says
Very useful information diana ….
Most of the local products here in Saudi Arabia don't contain hfcs…
But the funny thing is most people here do not like to buy it … they turn to imported products that contain hfcs without paying attention to the harmful effects!!!!!!!
I live in city famous for its production of dates so I'm thankful for that…. you can easily find date molasses or date sugar here which so delicious & healthy too 🙂
Divina Pe says
Thank you so much for this informative post. This has to stop. Scary but it's real. Companies using this are controlling the children and even adults and even our lives. They are being deceived. You wrote is so well Diana.
cathy says
I did the same thing and now I’m having problem what foods should we eat. most foods we eat contains high fructose corn syrup. This article – http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/highfructose-corn-syrup-alters-human-metabolism.aspx made me stop eating foods and drinking beverages with fructose.