High Fructose Corn Syrup

The past fifty years has seen a spike in the consumption of sugar, that number totaling a tripling increase. However, sugar is not the only risk factor here, alcohol and tobacco can also be attributed with the spike, albeit not as prevalent as sugar. The biggest question that Lustig et al. poses to its’ readers is this: “What aspects of the Western diet should be the focus of intervention”? (par. 3) The current USDA has been deemed “boogeymen” of diets, as well as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Lustig et al. all believe that our attention should be turned towards “added sugar”, which is a sweetener that has fructose in it. Perhaps the biggest controversy from the past fifty years has been none other than a severe culprit that experts know as high fructose corn syrup or HFCS.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an inexpensive syrup created by changing about half of the particles comprising corn starch into fructose. Due to the cheapness of HFCS it has replaced natural sugars in most of the food consumed in America. Resulting in HFCS being found in just about all processed foods made today. Consuming any kind of sweetener has shown to greatly increase the chances of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome (Zeratsky, 2015). Since the invention of HFCS American obesity rates went from fifteen percent of the population to around one third of the population suggesting a strong

The daily food energy intake of Americans has been consistently rising since the early 1970’s while the energy expenditure has remained constant. A closer look at the data indicates that calories from fat are the same or even slightly decreased, while the calories from carbohydrates have increased by about 20% (Gaesser). Coincidentally or not, this is also about the same time that high fructose corn syrup was introduced. Between 1970 and 2000 consumption increased from 0.6 to 73.5 lbs per person per year (Bray). Doing the math, this would result in an additional 360 calories a day, though it should be noted that other sugars were decreased over this time so the impact is roughly half of that. At the same time, the energy intake increased from 3200kcal/day to 3900 kcal/day (Gaesser). Taking this a step further is the fact that there is a strong linkage between diabetes and obesity or excess weight gain. Between 60 and 90% cases of type 2 diabetes can be linked to obesity. Increases in body mass index (BMI) are as linked to increased risk for diabetes as demonstrated by both the Pima Indians and female nurses. (Anderson) Altogether, this paints a picture that type 2 diabetes is primarily due to excess body weight, which is fundamentally due to increased carbohydrate consumption, and in particular high fructose corn syrup. As obesity looks to be the principal cause of type 2 diabetes, treatments need to address both

In correlation with weight gain, HFCS significantly increases the rate of type II diabetes in the United States. Diabetes occurs when there is an insufficient amount of insulin to transport glucose to body cells to be used as fuel. As a result of this, the cells starve, causing the degeneration of tissues and organs. HFCS increases the likelihood of diabetes because the obesity caused by HFCS consumption vastly contributes to the inability of

High fructose corn syrup is one of the main causes of the rise in obesity rates in america. In Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma he writes “National health and nutrition examination survey results from 1976 to 2006 show an alarming increase in the percentage of obese children ages 6-19” pg.92, This is especially important because along with obesity means risks of diabetes, heart disease, shorter life span, and many other unpleasant things. Michael Pollan also writes “every year approximately 500 million bushels of corn are turned into hfcs. One bushel of corn yields 33 pounds of hfcs, that's more than 16 billion pounds of hfcs a year” pg.93. Which is a lot of high fructose corn syrup that is being manufactured and

Pollan states, “In the United States most of the corn we consume is invisible, having been heavily processed or passed through food animals before it reaches us. Most of the animals we eat (chickens, pigs and cows) today subsist on a diet of corn, regardless of whether it is good for them” (pollan 1). Food companies hide all of these corn products in the food and drinks as sweeteners and syrups. The livestock eat a corn diet, which isn’t good for them, forcing us to give them antibiotics so they don’t get sick. We then eat these livestock that are drugged and full of corn. The most successful way we’ve found to sneak it into our food and drinks is through high-fructose corn syrup. This is a substitute for sugars and is extremely cheap. It’s so cheap that majority of snack and drink companies use it to save money and increase profit. Pollan says, “Nearly 10 percent of the calories Americans consume now come from corn sweeteners; the figure is 20 percent for many children” (Pollan 2). We eat these foods and drink these drinks and expect us to be fine. “A recent study at the University of Minnesota found that a diet high in fructose (as compared to glucose) elevates triglyceride levels in men shortly after eating, a phenomenon that has been linked to an increased risk of obesity and heart disease” (Pollan 2). The food companies are feeding

High-fructose corn syrup is a commonly used artificial sweetener in foods. High-fructose corn syrup is a hydrolyzed version of ordinary corn syrup, which is produced via a steeping process. It is so widely used because it is both economically favorable and it helps to preserve food for extended periods of time. However, the drawbacks of high-fructose corn syrup include issues like potential obesity, diabetes, loss of liver function, malnutrition, and cancer. The fact that the producers of high-fructose corn syrup can deceive people that HFCS is harmless makes matters worse.

However sugar has been linked to some of these problems too but I personally avoid H.F.C.S. at all costs, but not necessarily sugar.

Sweetener made from corn starch that has been processed by glucose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose.

The panel stated that since the ratio of fructose to glucose had not changed substantially in the United States since the 1960s when HFCS was introduced, the changes in obesity rates were probably not due to HFCS specifically, but rather a greater consumption of calories overall. In 2009 the American Medical Association published a review article on HFCS and concluded it was unlikely that HFCS contributed more to obesity or other health conditions than sucrose, and there was insufficient evidence to suggest warning about or restricting use of HFCS or other fructose-containing sweeteners in foods. The review did report that while some studies found direct associations between high intakes of fructose and other sugars and adverse health outcomes, including obesity and the metabolic syndrome, there was insufficient evidence to ban or restrict use of HFCS in the food supply or to require warning labels on products containing

This research essay will investigate the effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup. The liver is effected because the fructose—as it is being metabolized deposits fatty acids into the liver, it also develops cirrhosis, which has the same effect normally seen in alcoholics. High Fructose Corn Syrup increases cholesterol which blocks the inner walls of the arteries and may be fatal if not treated. High Fructose Corn Syrup was believed to be beneficial to diabetics, but studies show the they may actually promote more diseases. Obesity is a major problem, as High Fructose Corn Syrup does not release leptin—which is what signals the brain to stop eating, so society is prone to over consumption. It also alters the heart's use of other

With more intake, a person is susceptible to gain weight, and with less intake, susceptible to lose weight over a given period of time. This is known as the Calorie-in Calorie-out effect. The source of the calorie, however, determines whether it is healthy for the body or not. The same amount of calorie coming from oats and chips are not comparable at all. In the USA, most people rely on processed and fast food, rich in artificial preservatives, Trans fat and sodium content. Fast foods, famous for their low price, large portion and taste are responsible for overeating and weight gain too (Food and Diet). With these foods, we get much more sodium, fat and cholesterol than required by our body, resulting in chronic heart disease, high cholesterol level in blood and gradual accumulation of fat leading to obesity. In addition to that, widespread use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an artificial sweetener in soft drinks, beverages and desserts is proved to have been related with high-calorie intake and increment in obesity, as mentioned by an article in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Bray).

Studies show that high fructose corn syrup fat. The article “sweet confusion” Say’s that high fructose corn syrup started out as a scientific achievement. After high fructose corn syrup was made most factories started using it instead of sugar cane because it was a lot cheaper. Which is bad because now the factories are mainly only using high fructose corn syrup, which is also really bad for you and they have yet to find that out. This done by “After factories started using high fructose corn syrup obesity rates grew rapidly.” (Beil, Laura, 2013) So then people began to wonder if the unnatural sweetener was the effect of why the rates were growing.“Beil then exams science designed to look for any health effects specific to fructose.” (Beil,

High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener used mostly in food industry as an alternative to sugar. There are several facts about this sweetener stating that it is fatal to our lives and may be the cause of several disease. In a study, researchers examined the effect of consuming beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup at zero, low (10%), medium (17.5%), and high proportions (25%) of energy requirements on circulating lipid/lipoprotein risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and uric acid in adults aged 18–40 years old with a body mass index ranged between 18–35 kg/m2. 1 Researchers observed that the consumption of beverages containing either low, medium or high concentration of high fructose corn syrup increased proportionally lipids/lipoproteins,

Advertisement and commercial industries portray table sugar, and other artificial sweeteners as fuel needed by the body. Though body and body cells need sugar as fuel source. The body mechanism is just like the case of engine, there are bad fuels which can destroy engine. Table sugar is just a bad fuel for the body. Several research studies have arraigned sugar first culprit for the epidemics of complicated health problems such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer. Worst of it, several research now ranking sugar as addictive substance as drugs.