High Fructose Corn Syrup...what you need to know.

First of all...what is it??


Well, Wikipedia says:

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) — also called glucose-fructose syrup[1][2] in the UK, and glucose/fructose[3] in Canada — comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired sweetness. In the United States, consumer foods and products typically use high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. In the United States, it has become very common in processed foods and beverages, including breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments.[4]


The most widely used varieties of high-fructose corn syrup are: HFCS 55 (mostly used in soft drinks),


In the U.S., HFCS is among the sweeteners that have primarily replaced sucrose (table sugar). Factors for this include governmental production quotas of domestic sugar, subsidies of U.S. corn, and an import tariff on foreign sugar; all of which combine to raise the price of sucrose to levels above those of the rest of the world, making HFCS less costly for many sweetener applications. Critics of the extensive use of HFCS in food sweetening argue that the highly processed substance is more harmful to humans than regular sugar, contributing to weight gain by affecting normal appetite functions, and that in some foods HFCS may be a source of mercury, a known neurotoxin.[7][8][9] The Corn Refiners Association disputes these claims and maintains that HFCS is comparable to table sugar.[10] Studies by The American Medical Association suggest "it appears unlikely that HFCS contributes more to obesity or other conditions than sucrose" but call for further independent research on the subject.[11] HFCS was classified as generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1976.[12]






Ok, well that's a pretty decent definition...
What we can gather from that is:

1) HFCS is used in MOST processed foods...ESPECIALLY soft drinks.
2)  It's cheaper to make and buy..therefore the U.S. uses it primarily to replace real sugar.
3)  It is suggested that it harmful to humans and it contributes to weight gain
4)  It may be a source of MERCURY, which is a neurotoxin.  (Please recognize the SERIOUSNESS of mercury contamination!!!
Alright, thanks Wikipedia...

So are you one those people that say "I drink the REAL thing..."  You know, the one's out there justifying drinking their "regular" coke as opposed to diet..  Let me just say that diet is TERRIBLE for you, as written in a previous post, but regular coke is also TERRIBLE. 

  

HFCS has commercials out there claiming your body doesn't know the difference between Corn Sugar and Real Sugar...PaaahhhLEASE!

So what they are saying is that you can eat a banana or eat a lollipop.. heck, it doesn't matter, your body is too dumb to know the difference between real sugar and fake!! Righttttt...ok!

High-fructose corn syrup is far cheaper than cane sugar, and it acts as a food preservative, too, so food companies love it.

What's amazing is that the commercials show one person that seems to know that HFCS is not good but can't quite remember why, while the other person who is apparently "well informed" convinces the first person that their information is wrong and that HFCS is really good for you because it's supposedly "natural" because it's made from corn.

Alright well that brings me to my next question...What is SO beneficial about corn? Corn is not a vegetable but a grain. Grains are metabolized into sugars very rapidly in the body and cause a huge spike in blood sugar, thus requiring an outpouring of insulin from the pancreas further straining this already so overworked organ. This is one of the major contributors to the massive increase in type II diabetes.. ESPECIALLY in our children. 

Come onnn Moms and Dads, stop feeding this JUNK to our children!!! AND YOURSELVES!! 

**Look, I'm not saying that HFCS MAKES you fat.. obviously we are in control of what we put in our mouths..but it IS a BIG contributor.  It's addictive stuff. It spikes our blood sugar levels so high that afterwards it leaves us tired and we need a "pick-me-up" leading you to get another soft drink or something sugary..and this goes Round & Round.  So you can: A) Stop the trend. B) Give in, eat/drink more..& gain weight C)We successfully lead ourselves to Type II diabetes.

New research published in Environmental Health, and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has revealed that high-fructose corn syrup is contaminated with the toxic heavy metal mercury.  That means that many of the products using HFCS may also be contaminated with mercury. Some of those would be carbonated sodas, candy bars, bread, salad dressings, pizza sauce, cereals, breakfast bars, fruit drinks and thousands of other grocery items.. Are these familiar items?????!!

(I know that some of these items are hard to see but among them are Coke, syrup, icing, ketchup, gatorade, dijon mustard, chocolate syrup) 

Mercury is so highly toxic that it causes severe neurological disorders.  It can also result in the loss of hair, teeth and nails as well as muscle weakness, loss of kidney function, emotional mood swings and memory impairment.  ARE YOU STILL CONSIDERING DRINKING THAT COKE TODAY????

To add insult to injury, the corn that the high fructose corn syrup is made from nearly all comes from genetically modified corn which is known for its own side effects and health concerns.  Wow... toxins on top of toxins.. How about we just start saying "Can I have an order of Cancer with a side of brain damage?" 

Obviously a coke every now and then isn't going to strip all your vitality, but there are people out there drinking and eating multiple things a DAY that have HFCS in them.... one a day is not acceptable..  Start going through your pantries and weeding this junk out... btw it goes under multiple names but prodomanently High Fructose Corn Syrup and Corn Sugar.  Stop feeding it to yourself and your families!

Here is a link to a site that has TONS of articles on this topic: http://www.sweetdisguise.com/