Lose It For Ever – Dave Elger

Nutrition Updates

This goes back to earlier speculation that HFCS consumption is somehow is linked to obesity.  Researchers then backpedaled on the idea, so I am curious where this will lead.   Regardless, watch your intake of HFCS!

Research high fructose corn syrup

Fructose intake was calculated based on a dietary questionnaire, and foods such as fruit juices, soft drinks, bakery products, and candy were included. Dr. Jalal’s team found that people who ate or drank more than 74 grams per day of fructose (2.5 sugary soft drinks per day) increased their risk of developing hypertension. -medicalnewstoday

MY COMMENT: I know- I just posted a study that indicated high fructose corn syrup might not be so bad- however this study provides evidence to the contrary- at least in terms of hypertension. 74 grams is close to 2 x 12 ounce sodas.

Health Risks high fructose corn syrup, hypertension

There are three different types of HFCS – one that is 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose (most commonly found in soft drinks), one that is 42 percent fructose and 58 percent glucose (usually used in food products), and one used for specialty applications that is 90 percent fructose and 10 percent glucose.

Pure fructose on its own – not HFCS – has been linked to weight gain in some animal studies, and this could be where some confusion arises, but Erickson and other industry members have repeatedly pointed out that the HFCS used in foods and beverages is not dissimilar in its makeup to sugar (sucrose), which contains 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose. Therefore, compared to sugar, the HFCS commonly found in foods is actually low-fructose, she said.

-Confectionary News

MY COMMENT: Very enlightening! The bottom line is, no matter what the percentages are, we still consume too.

Research, Weight Loss Science high fructose corn syrup

According to the Corn Refiner’s Association, early speculation by researchers on the evils of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)was based on an incorrect assumption. The studies that found potential for weight gain due to differences in the metabolism of HFCS compared to other sugars were using plain fructose. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a compound containing about 55% fructose and 45% glucose, not much different than plain table sugar.

So HFCS may be getting a bad rap-unless of course you consider new information that discovered alarming levels of mercury in almost half of samples tested!

The bottom line is we take in way too much high fructose corn syrup, and soft drinks are a major culprit.

Research high fructose corn syrup

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a highly processed sweetener and preservative, is manufactured from chemically altered cornstarch. Does that sound natural to you? It does to the FDA, which recently reversed its original stance (from April 2008) and ruled that products containing the sweetener may be labeled “natural,” since synthetic agents used during processing don’t actually come into contact with the corn syrup.

MY COMMENT: Huh?

Nutrition FDA, high fructose corn syrup

The process is not so simple with fructose, he noted. “In order for fructose to be metabolized, the body has to create both fasted and fed conditions. The liver is really busy when you eat a lot of fructose.”  sciencedaily.com

MY COMMENT:  Confusion surrounds the effect of fructose on weight gain.

Weight Loss Science fructose, high fructose corn syrup

Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose,” Dr. Parks said. Fructose, glucose and sucrose, which is a mixture of fructose and glucose, are all forms of sugar but are metabolized differently. medicalnewstoday.com

MY COMMENT:  HFCS was introduced into the American diet in the early 70s as a cheap alternative to sugar.  The debate on whether or not it has contributed to the obesity problem in America continues to rage on.

Nutrition high fructose corn syrup, obesity