Recently the Corn Refiners Association made a request to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar”. They apparently believe that using the words “high fructose corn syrup” on food labels will make their products seem less desirable. The association says “high fructose corn syrup is made from corn – a natural grain product. … contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets the FDA’s requirement for the use of the term ‘natural’”. In 2008, the association spent $13 million in a campaign to convince us that high fructose corn syrup is a good product. High fructose corn syrup, however, is a far cry from being a ‘natural’ ingredient. After all, making high fructose corn syrup uses industrial processes of genetically engineered enzymes that are used to turn cornstarch into glucose and then fructose.
High fructose corn syrup is most attractive as a food ingredient to the manufacturers in that the corn is cheaper than sugars since the corn is subsidized by the government. But manufacturers prefer the use of high fructose corn syrup not only because it is a cheap sweetener, but it also extends the shelf life of their products. However, use of high fructose corn syrup - as well as all other sugars, is not in the best interest of a health conscious consumer. Beginning in 1985, corn sweetener consumption has surpassed the consumption of refined cane and beet sugar used to make table sugar. Since then, total consumption of refined sugars has increased 22%. Americans, on average now consume some 40 teaspoons of hidden added sugars every day. This accounts for 21% of our total daily calories consumed. This in turn, is one of the major contributors to the obesity epidemic in America, where 2 out of 3 people carry more than 10% of their desirable weight. Of course, this excess weight is a major contributor to diabetes, gall stones, depression, hypertension, heart disease, and many adult cancers.
Regardless of what it is called, high fructose corn syrup is an engineered product that is high in empty calories (calories with little or no nutritional value) and it is not in the best interest of a health conscious consumer. Lesson to be learned: Next time you are at the grocery store, you better read food labels and avoid those foods that contain high fructose corn syrup.
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