Debunking health issues is what we love to do here and there was an article recently published on the Myths of High Fructose Corn Syrup that made us literally laugh out loud to the point of doing a counter article.

Why are we doing this? That’s easy. It should be understood that sugar has been linked to be “drug like” in it’s addictive properties. Some studies have likened it to be as addictive as heroin. When given the choice, look to greatly lower your sugar intake throughout the day as sugar has been injected into nearly everything to improve the taste – including pizza dough. It is getting out of control to say the least.

The truth of high fructose corn syrup...

Top Myths of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth#1: Sugar is healthier than high fructose corn syrup.

Truth: High fructose corn syrup is nearly identical in composition to table sugar — both contain approximately 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Sugar and high fructose corn syrup have the same number of calories as most carbohydrates; both have four calories per gram. Because they are nearly compositionally equivalent, the human body cannot tell the difference between high fructose corn syrup and sugar.

DeBunking: Nice try. While both are processed sugars, HFCS is built exclusively to screw with your body’s natural system to allow you to consume more of the food company’s product. You can liken this to the absurdity of the tobacco companies saying that nicotine was not addictive. Please. Everyone and their dog knew it as. For the food companies to say that there is no difference between table sugar and HFCS is smoking a funny cigarette.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #2: High fructose corn syrup is to blame for obesity and causes diabetes.

Truth: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that high fructose corn syrup alone is uniquely responsible for people becoming obese, but has its share of responsibility. Obesity results from an imbalance of calories consumed and calories burned.

U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup is actually on the decline, yet obesity and diabetes rates continue to rise. In fact, obesity rates are rising around the world, including in Mexico, Australia and Europe, even though the use of high fructose corn syrup outside of the United States is limited. Around the world, high fructose corn syrup accounts for about 8% of caloric sweeteners consumed.

Debunking: The phrase: Obesity results from an imbalance of calories consumed and calories burned” is a sham because it doesn’t’  take into consideration a person’s metabolism.

It has been proved in case studies that high fructose corn syrup disrupts a person’s natural metabolism which often allows a person to consume more calories per sitting than without it. Some will cite the fact that U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup is actually on the decline, yet obesity and diabetes rates continue to rise. While that may try and prove that high fructose corn syrup is okay, the problem with that logic is the food manufacturers have started calling the sugar injections different things to “mask” it on the label as high fructose corn syrup has received so much negative press.

The main issue is that high fructose corn syrup is a genetically altered sweetener that is cheaper than sugar and that  allows the food companies to save money. It also screws with the hormone called Leptin which is the “fat regulator” of the body. With Leptin not able to do its job, the consumer consumes more of the food companies product, which gives them higher sales and higher revenues. Exactly what they wanted.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #3: High fructose corn syrup is not natural.

Truth: High fructose corn syrup is made from corn — a natural grain product. High fructose corn syrup contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets the Food and Drug Administration’s requirements for use of the term “natural.”

DeBunking: While it may be a natural grain product where HFCS originates from, it is far from that in its finished form. It is no secret that the FDA doesn’t understand what the term “natural” actually means as there is nothing natural about HFCS.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #4: High fructose corn syrup is sweeter than sugar.

Truth: High fructose corn syrup and sugar have virtually the same sweetness. High fructose corn syrup was made to provide the same sweetness as sugar so that consumers would not notice a difference in sweetness or taste.

DeBuking: Exactly, no argument here. The only reason HFCS is used because it is substantially cheaper than sugar to allow for the food companies to earn far more profit at the expense of the health of their consumers.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #5: High fructose corn syrup is high in fructose.

Truth: Contrary to its name, high fructose corn syrup is not high in fructose. In fact, the composition of high fructose corn syrup is essentially “half fructose corn syrup” which is similar to sugar. Sugar is composed of 50% fructose and 50% glucose and high fructose corn syrup has either 42 % or 55% fructose, with the remaining sugars being primarily glucose.

DeBunking: It doesn’t matter. Fructose is a huge danger. So regardless of where the sugar comes from, we are consuming far too much as a society which is why obesity rates are driving up.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #6: Studies conducted with pure fructose can be applied to high fructose corn syrup.

Truth: Pure fructose is as different from high fructose corn syrup as it is from table sugar or honey. Most studies conducted with pure fructose have been performed with abnormally high levels of fructose. Such studies are not representative of normal diets because we consume fructose and glucose in combination, with glucose acting as a moderator to fructose as they are consumed together. High fructose corn syrup, like sugar and honey, contains both fructose and glucose in nearly equal proportions. Studies comparing high fructose corn syrup to sugar have found no differences.

DeBunking: Studies have shown that people who consume HFCS are able to consume more calories per sitting than without it. Period. It is doing exactly what the food companies wanted it to do.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #7: High fructose corn syrup is metabolized differently. It blocks the ability of the body to know when it is full.

Truth: A study published in the July 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) by Pablo Monsivais, et al., at the University of Washington found that beverages sweetened with sugar, high fructose corn syrup and 1% milk all have similar effects on feelings of fullness.

Another study published in the December 2007 issue of AJCN by Stijn Soenen and Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga from the Department of Human Biology at Maastricht University, The Netherlands, also found that beverages sweetened with sugar and high fructose corn syrup, as well as milk, have similar effects on feelings of fullness.

The November 2007 AJCN included a study on the effect of solutions containing sugar, high fructose corn syrup and various ratios of glucose to fructose on food intake, average appetite, blood glucose, plasma insulin, ghrelin and uric acid in men by Tina Akhavan and G. Harvey Anderson at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. The researchers found that sugar, high fructose corn syrup and 1:1 glucose/fructose solutions do not differ significantly in their short-term effects on subjective and physiologic measures of satiety, uric acid and food intake at a subsequent meal.

A study published in the February 2007 issue of Nutrition by Kathleen J. Melanson, et al., at the University of Rhode Island reviewed the effects of high fructose corn syrup and sugar on circulating levels of glucose, leptin, insulin and ghrelin in a study group of lean women. The study found “no differences in the metabolic effects” of high fructose corn syrup and sugar.

DeBunking: All interesting ways of spinning the data. The bottom line is no other sweetener does a better job at getting Leptin “drunk” and allowing for more calories to be consumed per sitting. They can spin it anyway they want but the fact is HFCS is damaging the health of all those who consume it.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #8: High fructose corn syrup, fructose and corn syrup are the same.

Truth: High fructose corn syrup and corn syrup are different products with distinctly different functions. Corn syrup, which is mainly glucose, is used as a non-sweet thickener. High fructose corn syrup, on the other hand, is made of almost equal portions of fructose and glucose and is used as a sweetener. Fructose is a naturally occurring sweetener found in fruits and honey.

DeBunking: It should be completely understood that any fructose should be avoided the same way you want to avoid heroin.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #9: Consumers know why high fructose corn syrup is found in many foods and beverages.

Truth: If consumers are sometimes surprised to find high fructose corn syrup in particular foods or beverages, it may be because they do not have a full appreciation of its versatility and value. High fructose corn syrup often plays a key role in the integrity of food and beverage products that has little to do with sweetening.

• In baked goods, high fructose corn syrup gives a pleasing brown crust to breads and cakes, contributes fermentable sugars to yeast-raised products, reduces sugar crystallization during baking for soft-moist textures, and enhances flavors of fruit fillings.
• In yogurt, high fructose corn syrup provides fermentable sugars, enhances fruit and spice flavors, controls moisture to prevent separation, and regulates tartness.
• In spaghetti sauces, ketchup and condiments, high fructose corn syrup enhances flavor and balance (It replaces the “pinch of table sugar” grandma added to enhance spice flavors.) and balances the variable tartness of tomatoes.
• In canned and frozen fruits, high fructose corn syrup protects the firm texture of canned fruits and reduces freezer burn in frozen fruits.
• In beverages, high fructose corn syrup provides greater stability in acidic carbonated sodas than sucrose, so flavors remain consistent and stable over the entire shelf-life of the product.

DeBunking: Please. And if I could convince you that second hand smoke was healthy for plants I would. But you know that is garbage the same way it is above. There is no benefit to you as the consumer for HFCS, it only benefits the food manufacturers.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Myth #10: High fructose corn syrup contains DNA from genetically modified corn.

Truth: While the corn used to produce high fructose corn syrup may or may not have been produced using genetically enhanced corn, existing scientific literature and current testing results indicate that corn DNA cannot be detected in measurable amounts in high fructose corn syrup.

DeBunking: Read their response out loud. If that isn’t a bunch of BS rhetoric, I don’t know what is.

Bottom Line: If you avoid ALL foods with HFCS you will lose inches off your belly and you will feel better. The food manufactures have no response to that.

This is why Medifast believes in not using HFCS in their meals. They care about your health.

Sugar or HFCS? Which is worse...

Pick your poison, as they say. Whether you eat sweet treats made with sugar or with cheap and ever-present high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the result remains the same — it’s unhealthy. This was confirmed for me when I asked for expert guidance on the relative merits of “natural” sugar versus “unnatural” HFCS, having noticed the barrage of ads and commercials that now position real sugar as a health food.

I called Patricia Crawford, DrPH, RD, director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at the University of California, Berkeley, to discuss the issue. She said flat out that there is no redeeming quality to sugar — and there is even less to like in HFCS.

HFCS is Everywhere

The problem with HFCS is that it is in many, if not most, processed foods — you can quickly verify this by checking the label of frozen foods, packaged foods, condiments such as ketchup, and many other seemingly unsweetened foods. Crawford told me that HFCS is ubiquitous because it is so inexpensive, and its development coincided with the introduction of new kinds of processed foods.

A particular concern with HFCS is that research has established that it is not only high in calories, but it doesn’t make you feel full or satisfied — for instance, when it is added to beverages. It’s why you can load up on a 64-ounce HFCS-sweetened regular cola and still feel hungry. The HFCS does not signal the body that it just drank a bucketful of calories, so you still feel like you need a full dinner, too. Unfortunately, the calories do matter — too many calories mean obesity is on the way. Interestingly, the increase in HFCS in our food supply parallels the alarming increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes in the population.

Smart food scientists and marketers are catching on to the bad press about HFCS, which is why careful label-readers may have noticed that cane sugar (in cereals, for instance) is making a comeback. Don’t be fooled. Though this form of sugar may satisfy a sweet tooth, it doesn’t make foods better for you… even when they’re found in health-promoting supermarkets, such as Whole Foods. In the end, according to Dr. Crawford, all simple sugars (even the raw ones) send blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride. These sugar calories add no nutrients and all too often end up replacing healthier foods.

Sweet Solution

Many scientists believe our sweet tooth is innate. In fact, our first food — breast milk — has a sweet taste. Also, sugar seems to enhance mood, and there is some evidence that low serotonin levels even trigger cravings for sweets. Nonetheless, eating too much sugar or HFCS — or worse, both — will take a toll on your health. Limit yourself to a nibble here and there, and balance it with plenty of healthful food and exercise.

Source(s):

Patricia Crawford, DrPH, RD, codirector of the Center for Weight and Health at the University of California, Berkeley.

Take the time to look through all your meal options and get exactly what you want. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price on your next Medifast Diet Plan.

Reprinted with the permission of:
Bottom Line Publications/Daily Health News
Boardroom Inc.
281 Tresser Blvd., 8th Floor
Stamford, CT 06901
www.BottomLineSecrets.com

There are many foods on the market now a days that are dangerous for your health and we all know that high fructose corn syrup is already not the healthiest. See what it is even more dangerous then you thought and why we make sure it never touches our Medifast Meals.

As though anyone needs yet another reason to avoid buying foods that contain high fructose corn syrup — here’s one. A recent small study found that many common foods that contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) also contain traces of mercury. Though the study didn’t prove that the mercury in these foods came from HFCS, it was the first or second more common ingredient in all of them… and another Environmental Health study on high fructose corn syrup samples, conducted using FDA investigation data, found detectible levels of mercury in half of samples studied. Therefore, researchers believe it is the most likely explanation for how the heavy metal got there.

Dangerous treats that you should avoid

This is no small matter, given that HFCS provides 10% of daily calories for the average American… and often even more for small children, for whom exposure to mercury is especially dangerous. The list of tainted foods includes family favorites such as Quaker Oatmeal-to-Go bars, Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly, Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tarts and Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Please bear with me for a moment because the story of mercury in HFCS is a little complicated. To separate corn starch needed for HFCS production from the kernels requires caustic soda (lye), which was for decades made with mercury cells. Safer methods to accomplish this have been developed, but the new technology is expensive. Here in the US only a few plants are still using the old mercury-cell methods, but in Europe and other parts of the world many processors have not upgraded their technology. The problem then: American food manufacturers use HFCS from all over the world and there is no way for consumers to know where the HFCS in foods we buy was sourced from.

Not surprisingly, the corn industry is protesting loudly about this small study, but it hasn’t been able to drown out the results. Performed by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in Minneapolis (www.iatp.org), the study sampled 55 foods and beverages with HFCS as the first or second ingredient. Nearly one-third of these products contained detectable mercury. (For the list of tested foods and results, go tohttp://www.healthobservatory.org.) The industry also protests that the levels are so low it shouldn’t matter, but as regular Daily Health News contributor Mark Stengler, ND, says, “No amount of any mercury is safe.”

WHAT TO DO?

I spoke with the study coauthor, David Wallinga, MD, to get his advice for consumers. He suggests consumers write their legislative representatives urging anti-mercury-cell legislation, as well as additional funding for health-watchdog agencies. It’s no secret that the FDA, the agency charged with ensuring the safety of our food supply, is grossly under-funded, he said, adding it has also been arguably under-active in recent years.

For the time being, the only real solution is to stay away from foods and beverages that contain HFCS since the list of reasons to avoid it grows ever longer… and there’s never been a very good reason to eat the stuff anyway.

Source(s):

David Wallinga, MD, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in Minneapolis.www.healthobservatory.org.

Mark Stengler, ND, a naturopathic physician and leading authority on the practice of alternative and integrated medicine. He is author of Bottom Line Natural Healingnewsletter, author of The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies (Bottom Line Books), director of the La Jolla Whole Health Clinic in La Jolla, California and adjunct associate clinical professor at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about his work, visit www.drstengler.com.

Take the time to look through all your meal options and get exactly what you want. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price on your next Medifast Diet Plan.

Reprinted with the permission of:
Bottom Line Publications/Daily Health News
Boardroom Inc.
281 Tresser Blvd., 8th Floor
Stamford, CT 06901
www.BottomLineSecrets.com