The consumption of High Fructose Corn Syrup has increased 10,673% in the past 35 years.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is almost all made from genetically modified corn which has its own health problem side-effects. Genetically modified corn increases the risk of developing corn allergies – even to healthful organically grown corn. Food and drink manufacturers switched to HFCS in the early 70s because it is cheap and much sweeter, 20 times sweeter. Four companies control 85% of the $2.6 billion business – Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, Staley Mfg and CPC International. 16 plants in our corn belt manufacture the stuff, huge vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus and chemical tweaking.
The number one source of calories in America is from HFCS in soda pop. Studies have shown these high calorie drinks are causing Americans to gain large amounts of body fat. One study eliminated HFCS drinks and the subjects lost weight. No other diet item eliminated made ANY difference. 35 years ago, American soda’s were made with sugar, just like Mexican Coke is today. 35 years ago our obesity problem began growing out of control.
Consumption of HFCS is not only making us fat, it also damages organs like the liver and pancreas, leads to bone loss, anemia and heart problems. Diabetes has increased 90% in the past ten years. High blood sugar now affects one in four of us. HFCS is not just used to sweeten pop, it’s now used in punch, fruit juices, processed pre-packaged foods (which account for 90% of the dollars we spend on meals). It is also now found in cereals, salad dressings, cheese spreads, yogurt, jam, peanut butter, crackers, ketchup and ice cream, to name a few. Most people get MOST of their calories now from HFCS, mostly from soft drinks. Drinking only one soda a day adds up to 15 pounds a year.
HFCS creates insulin resistance. Low insulin levels are a co-generator of most diseases, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis and premature aging. The liver does not process HFCS like ordinary sugars. Most fats are made in the liver. When sugar enters the liver it can store it, burn it or turn it into body fat. HFCS bypasses this process and goes directly to fat. There is strong evidence indicating that HFCS does not become blood glucose. Consumption of the stuff leads to decreased signals to our central nervous system from leptin and insulin. Leptin and insulin help regulate how much food we eat. Without healthful levels, we increase food intake and of course, get fatter.
HFCS contains high levels of reactive compounds that trigger cell damage. Natural sugar does not contain reactive compounds. Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods and in our bodies increases dramatically when we eat or drink HFCS. Bad cholesterol increases as well. This increases the risk of heart disease. HFCS can interfere with the heart’s use of minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium. HFCS does not contain any enzymes, vitamins or minerals. It actually leaches nutrients from the body. A study with two groups of rats, one given large amounts of sugar, the other large amounts of HFCS turned out badly for the one group. The high sugar group was unaffected. The HFCS group male rats did not survive to adulthood, suffering from anemia and high cholesterol, their hearts enlarging until they actually exploded. Their testicles also did not develop normally which was the least of their problems. The females were not so physically affected but none could bear live young. The livers of the rats on the HFCS diet looked like the livers of alcoholics.
Don’t get confused about “fructose.” Fruit contains natural fructose. Fruit also contains minerals and vitamins. Eat a wide variety of fruits, especially berries. They are loaded with antioxidants.
Soloflex owns the trademark on the slogan “Exercise and Eat Right.” Part of our due diligence is to inform our customers about both. Start reading the labels on pre-packaged foods and drinks. If they contain HFCS don’t buy them and complain to your grocer. You needn’t be polite about it either. This is serious stuff. We would also like to plug Michael Pollan’s new book, In Defense of Food. He’s a wonderful writer. If you haven’t read The Botany of Desire, you’re really missing out on some fun and enlightening stuff.
April 23, 2009 at 12:23 am
i freaking LOVE coke. i drink a crap-ton everyday. im 5″11, 22 yr old, 143 lbs.
coke is god. always has been.
April 23, 2009 at 7:51 am
You probably also burn off the calories, not like most of us lazy Americans :P
April 23, 2009 at 8:02 am
I grew up drinking a lot of Coke and I do have weight problems. I’m in my early 30′s now and have tried several times in my life to lose weight, but have not been able to fully slim down. I have done much better in recent years and I believe a lot of it has to do with me paying more attention to my bad sugar intake. This includes eliminating Coke from my diet.
April 23, 2009 at 11:20 am
hefty > Just wait till you turn 30.
April 23, 2009 at 9:01 pm
“The liver does not process HFCS like ordinary sugars.” What exactly do you mean by ‘ordinary sugars’? Surely not glucose. Nobody uses glucose as a sweetener. I suspect you are really talking about sucrose, aka table sugar, which is 50% glucose and 50% fructose.
You seem to be operating on a belief system that ignores the chemical similarities between sucrose and HFCS and also ignore the overwhelming clinical evidence showing the same physiologic response to both.
I challenge you to produce a single, peer-reviewed, human study showing any clinical difference between isocaloric ingestion of sucrose, HFCS-55 or HFCS-42.
April 25, 2009 at 5:30 am
To Scott:
What is isocaloric ingestion in laymans terms? Also, what is HFCS-55 and HFCS-42? Give examples, please.
April 29, 2009 at 9:10 pm
wow thats pretty INTENSE! I didn’t think it was THAT bad!!! :o)
May 2, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I agree with scott but the problem is the body consumes more because it doesnt feel it neurologically or hormonally the same as fructose or cane sugar or other natuural sweeteners for that matter but the bottom line is the body converts it all for energy and what ever is left gets stored as fat.. thats true for almost any food consumption
June 13, 2009 at 2:17 am
HFCS should be dropped from the market, period. I watch jr. high kids get their PE classes cut, and their soda machines stocked daily. I’m not suggesting that a soft drink with cane sugar should be a habit, but people are downing 64 oz.+ of liquid charged with HFCS a day just in their morning Pepsi.
July 22, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Drink Pepsi Throwback–made with real sugar like soft drinks used to have. It taste better. I’m allergic to corn–wonder why, and I have diabetes–wonder why, so I use the Pepsi when I have low blood sugars. Have not had corn syrup products since Jan. Lost 30 lbs, never crave food anymore, aches and pains are slowly disappearing and the asthma attacks have stopped. So keep eating products with corn syrup if you want but when you get to be my age–58–you may be real sorry you did.
November 23, 2009 at 12:51 am
I gave up HFCS about 2 years ago when I discovered drinking Coke made me pass out. I still drink Coke — only a couple per week — but only Coke from Mexico, made with Cane Sugar. Remember back in the ’80s when Coke changed to the “New” Coke then went back to “Coke Classic”? It wasn’t the Original Recipe, people. The geniuses at Coke substituted Cane Syrup with HCFS; they couldn’t call it Coca-Cola because it wasn’t the SAME recipe, so they changed the name to “Classic” and thus manipulated the population.
It is truly stunning how much stuff we buy has HFCS. Take a look when you’re shopping: Potato Chips, Bread, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ketchup, even Ranch dressing. Pay attention to what you buy and you’ll see it’s more prevalent than MSG. Try to go a month without it and see how you feel.
June 19, 2010 at 7:15 am
I gave up HFCS a little less than a month ago and every morning I get up I feel a little bit smaller. I cannot believe one simple change like this could make such a difference since I have tried everything else to feel better and lose weight. I have not counted a single calorie. I ate a good diet to begin with but drank at least one pop every day or so.
I feel like I am a feather for some reason. I no longer feel like I have a lead balloon tied to each foot.
The stuff should be illegal.
June 27, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Does anyone have the link to the study linking HFCS with anemia?
I have had anemia for years now.
I have given up HFCS for about two weeks now. I am sleeping better and I don’t crave sweet stuff all of the time.
August 4, 2010 at 9:42 am
Just a quick thought: if you drink Pepsi and Coke and Dr. Pepper every day, you might want to know about this. My husband died from stomach cancer, because he had a 3-soda a day habit for 35 years. He was 51. The tumor used up nearly every nutrient he took in, and he would suffer more if he drank any sodas. You don’t want to die like that. Trust me.
October 5, 2010 at 10:48 am
Im 32, people said wait till 25, then wait till 30, now they say wait till 40
Im 6’1 32 and weigh 170lbs
the only reason ive actually gained weight (3 years ago weighted 139lbs) was to increase my calore count overall, Increasing by ~50%
Ive been drinking DrPepper and MtDew since i was 2, some pople are genetically pre-disposed to weight, some are not. Here in the States it often comes down to eating habits, not drinking habits.