High Fructose Corn Syrup vBlog

San Francisco, May 3, 2011

Gary Jay intros his written piece on the dangers of high fructose corn syrup for the Guardsman Online.

Gary Jay
The Guardsman

Based on its sweetness and its chemical breakdown, the average person might assume that high fructose corn syrup is a sugar-like substance, but is it “sugar” anybody should be consuming regularly?

Since the commodities crisis of the 1970s the syrup has been associated with most sodas. It is also in baked goods, fruit juices, sauces, yogurt, canned goods and countless other products. High fructose corn syrup has become so prevalent in processed foods that it is almost impossible to avoid.

“High fructose corn syrup is bad sugar because it’s not metabolized as quickly as sugar,” pediatrician Brian Tang said.

Fructose, unlike other types of sugar, does not make a person feel full because it does not result in an insulin response. Without that, the body continues to crave more calories, according to a 2005 article in Nutrition and Metabolism, a peer-reviewed biomedical journal.

The regular consumption of high fructose corn syrup is a contributor to high blood pressure, according to a 2009 study by the University of Colorado Denver Health Center.

Studies published by the Centers for Disease Control also confirmed that high fructose corn syrup has been a huge contributor to the rise of obesity and diabetes among Americans.

Most syrup processing plants are located around the Midwest and Central California, where the corn is grown. The stocks that are often used for the syrup come from genetically modified corn that grows its own pesticide.

These plants are also heavily subsidized by companies that produce genetically modified food, such as Monsanto. The Department of Agriculture subsidizes these companies so the syrup is cheaper than table sugar.

Not only are the stocks subsidized with taxpayers’ money, but they are also fed to the farm animals causing them to get sick, as shown in the 2007 documentary “King Corn.”

Anyone can limits the intake of high fructose corn syrup by doing a few simple things: Check the labels on packaged food at the grocery store. Boycott each product that lists high fructose corn syrup until more natural alternatives are made available.

Or shop at health food stores, which don’t carry hazardous food made by companies such as Monsanto. Although some of the products may be a little more expensive than what is sold at the supermarket, the benefits of consuming natural food will become obvious on the next trip to the doctor’s office.

Email:
gjay@theguardsman.com