THE SKINNY ON HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

Several years ago, I was following a low carb, "Keto" type diet when I learned a little about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). After that, I started being more consistent about reading labels and was shocked with the number of products that had HFCS in them!

If you're not that familiar with HFCS, it became popular in the 1970s, to replace Sucrose (table sugar) mostly in the United States. Sugar, at the time, was high and corn was low, due to government subsidies. It has since declined somewhat due to the popularity of artificial sweeteners. It's derived from cornstarch and consists mostly of glucose and fructose. There are companies, the ones that are producing and using HFCS, that will tell you that it's basically the same as table sugar. It's not. Table sugar does not contain the high amount of fructose that is found in HFCS.

This sweetener is found in candy, cereals, baked goods, sodas, juice drinks, ice creams and pops, processed breakfast foods, fruit preserves and jams, pancake syrups, bread and crackers, apple sauce and other highly processed foods.

Both sugar and HFCS have similar effects on our Health and Metabolism. The reason they are unhealthy is due to the high amount of fructose in each. Our liver is the only organ that can metabolize fructose in substantial amounts. When your liver becomes overloaded, it turns fructose into fat. Some of that fat can remain in your liver, adding to the cause of fatty liver disease. Other diseases associated with high fructose consumption include, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity and metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure.

Potential risks:

Fatty liver and stressed liver - When too much fructose enters our liver, it can cause fatty liver disease if more than 5 to 10 percent of the liver's weight becomes fat. This can also lead to a stressed liver, obesity, liver damage, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes.

High cholesterol - A study of only 2 weeks moderate consumption of HFCS by the American Journal of Critical Nutrition caused an increase in both triglycerides and cholesterol levels of the participants.

Diabetes - Fructose, specifically from HFCS, has been linked directly to diabetes. HFCS has an abundant amount of free-floating fructose, unlike natural fruit, which also contains fiber and other nutrients which help our bodies absorb the fructose. HFCS offers no nutritional value at all.

Weight gain - Many who support HFCS want you to believe that both HFCS and sucrose are equal. Although a Princeton University Study proved otherwise, which found that HFCS increased body weight more than refined sugar.

Cancer - In a 2010 study by the American Association for Cancer Research found that the fructose found in HFCS promotes the growth of cancer, especially pancreatic cancer.

High blood pressure - In a study published in Metabolism in 2012, the objective was to compare the effects of soda consumed with HFCS versus sucrose. The results showed that the maximum systolic blood pressures were higher in sodas consumed with HFCS versus the sucrose sweetened sodas.

Cardiovascular disease - Increases in your blood pressure are significant enough to prove that HFCS is bad for your heart. Metabolic Syndrome, which includes high blood pressure, increases your chance of stroke, coronary disease, and diabetes.

Leaky Gut - According to Functional Expert, Dr. Mark Hyman, high doses of fructose "punches little holes in your intestinal lining, causing what we call leaky gut." These holes allow foreign and bacterial proteins to seep into our bloodstream, triggering inflammation, weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Summary - Overall, try to avoid foods and beverages containing fructose, with the exception of natural fruit in moderation. Look closely at labels to identify hidden sugars, as they are added to 80% of the processed foods on the market. Be careful, as the added sugars are identified with over two hundred names, including maltodextrin and other names you may not recognize.