The Dangers Of High Fructose Corn Syrup

I am THAT mom at the birthday parties. You know the one that I am talking about. The one who doesn’t allow her kids to eat the cake and instead brings special treats for them. Most people assume that it is because my oldest is intolerant to wheat and because my youngest has issues with corn. And that’s true, but only part of the answer. The biggest reason is because I try desperately hard to feed my kids food with whole natural ingredients. Most cakes are filled with partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.

Most of us acknowledge that trans fats are bad but some of us still debate whether or not high fructose corn syrup is truly evil. Okay, “evil” might be a strong word but I think there is evidence that it’s definitely a problem.

High fructose corn syrup contains more fructose then regular sugar. And fructose needs to be broken down by the liver. Dr. Meira Field from the USDA says, "The medical profession thinks fructose is better for diabetics than sugar, but every cell in the body can metabolize glucose. However, all fructose must be metabolized in the liver.”

In a 2007 study, rats were fed a diet high in fat and HFCS and kept them relatively sedentary for 16 weeks in an attempt to emulate the diet and lifestyle of many Americans. The rats were not forced to eat, but were able to eat as much as they wanted. They consumed a large amount of food, suggesting that fructose suppresses the sensation of fullness. Within four weeks, the rats showed early signs of fatty liver disease and type II diabetes. (source: Wikipedia)

So it can only be broken down by the liver. Big deal, right? I mean you would have to eat a ton of it to have an effect on your liver. But therein lays the problem. It’s in everything! The next time you are at the store take a look at the ingredients of the items you buy. I would be that a high percentage of the stuff in your cart has some high fructose corn syrup in them. It is tough to avoid but it can be done!!