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About three years ago, my wife and I decided to stop eating high fructose corn syrup. At the time, it seemed like a minor step; however, looking back, I realize that, in that one moment, I transformed from a regular consumer into an insane health freak. While cutting out any type of food is a major step, HFCS was particularly difficult. Unlike meat, cheese, peanuts, or any of the other easily-detectable foods that people cut out of their diets, HFCS lurks in literally thousands of foods. Within a few days of quitting, I found myself obsessively reading labels and cutting out dozens of other foods that I had always taken for granted. I suddenly became one of those people, the ones who read the ingredients on blister packs of preserves at the diner, then sigh and eat their toast with just butter.I don't mean to make it look like cutting out HFCS has been nothing but misery. In the months following our decision, my wife and I lost a lot of weight, discovered tons of new foods, and ended up enjoying the opportunity to reconsider our diet. While I'm sure that cutting out HFCS isn't responsible for all the health benefits that we experienced at that time, it seems more than coincidental that my nasty headaches went away, we' started getting sick a lot less, and we stopped experiencing major energy crashes. Nowadays, I occasionally notice a stale taste in foods when I eat out, generally followed by extreme sleepiness about an hour later. While I haven't done a double-blind taste test, trial and error has convinced me that HFCS is the culprit.
Recently, the Corn Refiners Association announced that they are launching a $30 million advertising campaign that is aimed at convincing consumers that HFCS is a natural compound, fundamentally the same as honey. Of course, unlike honey, HFCS is the product of a complex, chemical-intensive refining process that takes place in an industrial setting, but why quibble? Strangely, the FDA has agreed with them. Unfortunately, rather than convince me that HFCS is all-natural, the FDA's stance has made me seriously question the integrity of the federal government when it comes to food purity.
While HFCS is probably not responsible for all the crimes that I have heaped upon it (I admit, for example, that there is no hard evidence linking it to leprosy, trench foot, or violent defenestration), I'm still keeping it out of my diet. To be honest, having avoided it for three years, I haven't missed it. Moreover, I am still not convinced that pickles and ketchup need to be artificially sweetened or that I need to eat several pounds of fake sugar every year!
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7-27-2008 @7:10PM Canadianmom said... Aloisius: so you must benefit directly or indirectly from the production of HFCS... If you blindly believe that it's good for you, feed your children all the foods that are high in it. Or other loved ones, or yourself. If you won't then you're full of hot air.
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7-31-2008 @11:49AM rob sama said... Here's a bit from the Mayo-Clinic on why HFCS should be avoided:
In addition, animal studies have shown a link between increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and adverse health effects, such as diabetes and high cholesterol. However, the evidence is not as clear in human studies.
Despite the lack of clarity in research, the fact remains that Americans consume large quantities of high-fructose corn syrup in the form of soft drinks, fruit-flavored beverages and other processed foods. These types of foods are often high in calories and low in nutritional value. This fact alone is reason to be cautious about foods containing high-fructose corn syrup.
Also, one reason why HFCS is used is the absurd import tariffs we put on imported sugar. Lifesavers candy (and a lot of otehrs) have moved their operations to Canada because it's cheaper to buy sugar there.
And don't get me started on Ethanol...
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7-31-2008 @11:49AM rob sama said... I think I forgot the link:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588
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9-03-2008 @12:32AM what's the problem? said... i guess what people here have problem with is the enzymatic processing, which they believe to be "non-natural."
To make it clear, it's nothing more than how your saliva breaks down starch into sugar. So how can it not be natural? If this isn't natural, eating any grains or potatoes would be unnatural since it involves basically the same process.
dudes...this is like listening to those who called the common sense "smoking is bad for health" stupid, kept smoking like a chimney until rewarded with cancer, and started suing tobacco companies.
c'mon, take a look at cops, obviously eating donuts everyday will cause you to be a fat asshole lol.
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9-03-2008 @12:57PM Amy said... This is what I just wrote to the CRA (corn refiners association) in response to this ruling:
It is funny that you (CRA) are feeling heady about this ruling. Your $30 million dollar ad campaign is a joke. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. American's in the health industry are WARNING their patients about HFCS. It happens everyday across America, in hundreds of medical offices. Your cat is out of the bag. HFCS is EVIL! You are promoting a chemical that is KILLING AMERICANS. How do you sleep at night? This is chemical warfare. You should be arrested. It is not "natural" and you know this. It is not "found" in nature, it is chemically processed. You paid the FDA. The FDA has very little funding from the government because industries like yours "pay" the FDA under the guise of grants and research. I will still wear my "HFCS is Evil" to Publix and to public events. I have enjoyed educating several thousand people over the past 5 years about this evil. Good luck in your pathetic attempt to paint a smiley face on a devil!
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9-07-2008 @11:00AM Brig said... I just recently became aware of how bad high fructose corn syrup is for us and am now carefully reading the ingredients before purchasing a product. Could anybody tell me if corn syrup is as bad for us as high fructose corn syrup?
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9-11-2008 @2:06AM Asia said... The FDA is a joke. Did they happen to look up the word "natural" in the dictionary before this ruling? Apparently not. And these idiotic commercials that are airing about HFCS that promote it as natural. It's total BS and propaganda. I can not believe that something created in a lab can be considered "natural" by any standards.
check out this RIDICULOUS website....www.sweetsurprise.com
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9-15-2008 @2:26PM Cathy Welsh said... I have dropped HFCS out of my diet along with all of the artificial sugars and the alcohol sugars such as Sorbitol, Xylitol and the like. Health Benefits are too many to count. My GI tract was damaged by these products that I took 2 Nexium a day along with an H-12 blocker at night before Bed. I did not use alot of them either. 1 Package of Splenda a day in a cup of coffee. Found out that all of this crap is included in all types of medicines as well as food, so I was digesting more of it a day then I thought.
Since being off all of this crap now for 7 months, I only take 1 NExium a day, my esophagus is finally healing, but there were some changes to the tissue so will have to continue to have Endoscopies on a regular basis probably for the rest of my life.
No more headaches, no more boughts of severe constipation, weight is starting to drop.
If I want my coffee slightly sweet, I just use a tsp of regular table sugar. If I want sweetness in a glass of Tea I put a drop of Honey.
My cholesterol has also improved. My Good Cholesterol is now over 68 when it was about 38 before making this one change.
You do have to read everything, but there are breads on the market that do not have this garbage in it. You just have to read the labels. Once you find the products, you just stick with them. You can still eat as you did, you just have to make substitutions. For example, you like Snack Crackers, drop the Wheat Thins and pick up a box of Triscuits.
I am a believer. My GI Doctor can't believe it took 4 years to figure out what was going on, but has now told 12 other women under her care that they could not find the underlying problem for the GI Tract problems. All of seen the same dramatic change.
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9-22-2008 @3:20PM Lisa said... I recently had to give up HFCS, so any recommendations on beverages besides water or tea would be helpful! Can you still have any alcoholic beverages?
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9-28-2008 @9:07AM Diane said... I agree 100%. Anything made in place where chemicals are used cannot be good for you. I am not a health freak, but try to be careful in what I eat and feed my family. I have found that we all seem to be feeling/looking better since we started watching and reading labels. I also have my doubts about what the FDA has to say about products that are on the market today.
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