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According to the dLife website, the average American consumes about 60 pounds of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) each year. That number has steadily increased since this sinister sweetener debuted in 1970. Natural fructose is one thing, but HFCS is another; they are not the same.
Although its name sounds innocent, HFCS does not come from fruit; according to Michael Ozner, author of The Great American Heart Hoax, it is a highly purified blend of sugars (typically 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose) derived from corn.There is no nutritional benefit here. HFCS may also be labeled "no artificial ingredients" depending on how it is processed, a loop hole in the manufacturing law that manufacturers take advantage of.
Some have linked the rise in obesity to the increasing consumption of HFCS. The correlation is positive, but I don't believe that HFCS has furthered obesity alone. HFCS has also been blamed to promote chronic inflammation, and it is linked to diabetes.
The danger of HFCS consumption goes beyond its possible role in obesity. HFCS causes a rapid increase of triglycerides which contribute to heart disease.
In contrast to ordinary sugar, HFCS can not be broken down by the muscles; it can not be used as fuel for exercise. Instead, it goes directly to the liver and causes an increase in the production of triglycerides.
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Comments
Hi,
My google alert for HFCS picked up your article. I preach the treachery of HFCS so my bias is clear; however, be careful how you state your case against
HFCS. "In contrast to ordinary sugar,
HFCS can not be broken down by the muscles;" This is false since both sugar and HFCS contain fructose and glucose, the monosaccharide used by the muscles for energy. There are two differences between HFCS and sucrose. 1)sucrose is a disaccharide which means the fructose and glucose are linked. Sucrase, an enzyme, is secreted by our gut to cleave the disaccharide and provide regulatory control as to how fast the monosaccharides, fructose and glucose, enter the bloodstream.
HFCS is a gemisch. The fructose and glucose are only blended together. Therefore the fructose can enter the
bloodstream directly without the regulatory control of sucrase.
2)the ratio of fructose to glucose in sucrose is 50%fructose:50%glucose or 1:1. The ratio of fructose to glucose
in HFCS varies. In HFCS-55, which is used to sweeten many beverages, the ratio is 55%fructose:45%glucose. To the casual observer this looks pretty close to the 50:50 ratio of sucrose, but when you calculate the quotient, 55/45=1.22.
That means that there is 22% extra fructose compared to glucose. It is more likely that ingesting excess fructose over time leads to the health hazards you describe. I recommend that you read Dr. Dana Flavin's summary in Life.Extension.com. To your health
"In contrast to ordinary sugar, HFCS can not be broken down by the muscles; it can not be used as fuel for exercise. Instead, it goes directly to the liver and causes an increase in the production of triglycerides."
I think you have mixed up HFCS and fructose in this quote ... fructose behaves as described but HFCS is a good analog for sugar (sucrose). raisin-hell.com for more info.
Your article is replete with inaccuracies.
HFCS is approx 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Guess what sucrose (table sugar) is? A dimer made of 50% fructose and 50% glucose!
Your body processes sucrose by breaking it down to equal parts fructose and glucose. Yes, the same two EVIL sugars you blast for their presence in HFCS.
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