“An overweight America may be fixated on fat and obsessed with carbs, but nutritionists say the real problem is much sweeter–we’re awash in sugar.  Not just any sugar, but high fructose corn syrup.”   Kim Severson

How much HFCS is in your diet?

And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.  (Haggai 1:11; KJV)

HFCS…interesting letters.  No, they don’t stand for Hawaii Fried ChickenS.  HFCS in all its glory is high fructose corn syrup.  Pick up a loaf of bread in the regular grocery store aisle. You’ll find it right there “big as butch” in the ingredients list.  It’s in almost all soft drinks unless artificial sweeteners are used instead.  It is literally in countless items in grocery stores all throughout the country. 

Almost all nutritionists agree that high fructose corn syrup consumption is a major culprit in the nation’s obesity crisis. High-fructose corn syrup is produced by processing cornstarch to yield glucose, and then processing the glucose to produce a high percentage of fructose. It all sounds rather simple–white cornstarch is turned into crystal clear syrup. However, the process is actually very complicated. Three different enzymes are needed to break down cornstarch, which is composed of chains of glucose molecules of almost infinite length, into the simple sugars glucose and fructose.  A very complicated process indeed.

HFCS has the exact same sweetness and taste as an equal amount of sucrose from cane or beet sugar but it is obviously much more complicated to make, involving vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus, and chemical tweaking, all of which take place in one of 16 chemical plants located in the Corn Belt. Yet in spite of all the special enzymes required, HFCS is actually cheaper than sugar. It is also very easy to transport–it’s just piped into tanker trucks. This translates into lower costs and higher profits for food producers.

Loading high fructose corn syrup into increasingly larger portions of soda and processed food has packed more calories into us and more money into food processing companies, say nutritionists and food activists. Other experts believe the issue to be bigger than mere calories.  The body processes the fructose in high fructose corn syrup differently than it does old-fashioned cane or beet sugar, which in turn alters the way metabolic-regulating hormones function. It also forces the liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream.  Nice thought!

The end result is that our bodies are essentially tricked into wanting to eat more and at the same time, we are storing more fat.  So, how do we avoid this “fat-producing” culprit?  By eating more God-type foods.  The least processed a food item is, the better chance you have of avoiding the perils of HFCS.

Prayer Power
Lord, thank You for continuing to give us wisdom and insight.  Father, thank You for Your grace as we continue to learn of Your ways for health and optimal nutrition.

Link of the Day
Feature articles on high-fructose corn syrup

Blessings on you as you become aware of HFCS in your diet.