Carmel Health

Thursday, March 3, 2011

High Fructose Corn Syrup - How Bad Is It?



You may have seen the ads running on TV recently that tell us that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) isn't any worse than sugar and in moderation is fine as part of a balance diet. But what do you really think about HFCS?

HFCS is a popular, cheap sugar found in our sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and processed foods. It's everywhere. Don't believe me? Try and find a processed food that doesn't contain it. Michelle Obama has stated that she tries to avoid giving foods to her daughters that contain HFCS.

Some scientists believe that our bodies react differently to HCFS than other sugars. Whatever the facts, and research on both sides of the arguement is growing, the facts still remain that:

Consumption of large amounts of sugars are linked to weight gain, dental cavities, poor nutrition and an increased risk of heart disease.

With sales of HFCS products on the decline as Americans become wise to the fact that this added ingredient might pose a health risk, the Corn Refiners Association are petitioning the regulators to rename HFCS as "corn sugar".

What do you feel about this? Do you think that renaming the product might confuse consumers and make them think that it is a healthier product, or do you think that this move is a step in the right direction to educate us about the foods that we eat?

Check out the video above and then vote in the poll on the right hand side of this screen. Your comments are also very welcome.

2 comments:

  1. A friend of mine wanted to post this comment:

    As a guest of Mr Milne, having watched the video from the UK I would have to argue that renaming HFCS is designed to confuse consumers so they stop trying to check ingredients and just eat the tasty sugary product. In recent years I have become aware of the dangers of highly processed foods (my waistline can testify to this) it is my opinion that natrual ingredients and ingredients that aren't highly processed are much better for human consumption. A great author to check out on this subject is the American Michael Pollan

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  2. I think it's disheartening to me that they're going to try renaming this product. What's wrong with calling it High-Fructose Corn Syrup (which describes it pretty well, actually)? I think it's just a ploy to get us to feel less guilty about eating it. UGH. Glad I'm giving up sweets for Lent.

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