A Review on the Impact of High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sweet or Destructive: High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup should be classified as a drug by the FDA and be banned in all food products. High fructose corn syrup or HFCS is both an artificial sweetener and a preservative. It is unhealthy, addictive, and mind/mood altering, which can lead to an unhealthy life. It is made, by combining fructose and glucose to make sucrose. Fructose is considered the fruit sugar or the sugar that is in many plants and the sugar that is in humans blood is glucose. It has the same chemical make up as sugar, but it is derived from corn. HFCS is much cheaper than natural sugar. It is in most food unless the product says it contains natural sugar. It can be found in all types of sodas, cereals, yogurts, bread, lunch meat, granola bars, crackers, and much more. When the price of corn was decreased in 1970, there was an idea to make sugar from corn (Bray). More than 40% of food sweeteners are HFCS. The use and consumption increased by 1000% between 1970 and 1990 (High Fructose Corn Syrup: Health Risks). The bad effects of HFCS have always been kept under wraps, because of the bond between the farmers and the food industry. Since HFCS is so inexpensive to produce, big companies can pay the farmers more money to mass produce corn. This keeps both the farmers and the food industry happy. The companies that produce HFCS mislead consumers, by stating that it is healthy. Recently, the FDA has recommended that HFCS should be called corn syrup on ingredient labels. This makes consumers think that HFCS is not present. Farmers have spent 50 million dollars to support the campaign to show people that HFCS is natural and healthy (Sugar Farmers). Most people do not realize the health risks and the actual toll the sweetener has on the human body.

High fructose corn syrup has contributed to the obesity epidemic as well as other health risks. Just because HFCS has the same chemical make up as natural sugar, it does not mean it is healthy. HFCS is a preservative, which means it makes foods last longer. Preservatives also slow down the digestive process, and if the food is not being broken down properly, the fat content will stay in the body. This is why HFSC can cause so many health risks such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. A diet that is high in the use of HFSC can lead to the body's resistance to a protein called leptin. This protein controls how much food is being desired and ingested; it gives one that full feeling. If HFCS is creating a resistance to leptin, a person will always feel hungry (High Fructose Corn Syrup: Heath Risks).

When fructose enters the body, it takes a different track. This is because it is not a normal carbohydrate. When this occurs, HFCS becomes an unregulated source, because there is no starting material for fatty acids to form. This can cause over eating and weight gain, which can eventually lead to diabetes. When diabetics are checking their sugar levels, they are checking to see how much glucose is in their blood. However, fructose does not stimulate an insulin secretion to tell the body sugar is there. Therefore, when they check their sugar levels diabetics are not getting an accurate reading (High Fructose Corn Syrup: Health Risks). There were many clinical trials preformed on the risks of ingesting artificially sweetened drinks. Most of the studies proved weight gain, high blood pressure, and slowed metabolism. All of these symptoms increase the risk of getting diabetes. In one study, there was a comparison of milk, diet cola, sugar sweetened cola, and water. The results of drinking the sweetened beverage yielded liver fat, visceral fat, and triglycerides. This study also suggested that drinking beverages with HFSC in them once a day for six months will result in metabolic syndrome, which is a name for a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type two diabetes. (Diabetes Care).

The myth that one's metabolism slows with age is somewhat true. HFCS could be one of the several underlying reason for the metabolic change. A study done on adult men has proven this to be true. The men were required to be between forty to sixty five years of age, nonsmokers, be free of health problems and no diagnosis of high blood pressure. There were seventy four participants; thirty six control subjects and thirty eight who took part in the high fructose diet. The control group was told to eat their normal diet but to avoid fructose as much as possible so they can be "more pure". The other group had to ingest HFCS every day, therefore making them feel sick and out of shape. At the end of the study, the control group had actually improved their health, proving that people should not consume high fructose corn syrup. The group that was consuming the diet that included HFCS had decreased their overall health significantly. The common health risks were high blood pressure, liver problems, weight gain, high blood sugar, and an increase in triglycerides. All of these are symptoms of metabolic syndrome, which slows one's metabolism meaning one's body won't use all the calories that are eaten. It will then be put it in storage for future use, in the form of fat reserves, and therefore you'll get bigger and heavier. (Lillo).

It is one thing to affect middle aged men; but HFCS knows no age. Recent studies show that children are developing early stages of high cholesterol. It also produces uric acid in the body which eventually causes cardiovascular disease. The worst part is most people do not even know about HFCS (Bray). It can only be identified by reading the ingredients in food, which seldom people do. The problem is that most people do not even know what HFCS is, because no one is informed. Today's society is always so quick to blame fast food restaurants like McDonald's, because there has to be a reason why people are obese. Instead the ingredients that the FDA allows to be consumed should be looked into. Barry Glassner's The Culture of Fear states, the media gives false information and throws many people into a panic and insists on blaming large food chains, which seems easier and more appealing to the public eye than accusing HFCS. If people were informed there would be less problems that were caused by high fructose corn syrup "Many of the fear- worthy items I mention in this book are everyday scares we can deal with sensibly as long as we have the facts" ( Glassner xv).

Most manufacturing companies claim that HFCS does not affect the body any differently than natural sugar. This was proven wrong when feeding trials tested the effects of natural sugar and HFCS on the human body. The trial tested 637 participants total, but the studies were broken up into smaller test groups. Overall, they found that when fructose was ingested naturally, and in moderation, the participants had no significant weight gain. However, weight gain could occur when eating an excess amount of sugar. HFCS on the other hand, even when ingested in moderation, still showed significant weight gain. This trial showed that when corners are cut by utilizing ingredients such as HFCS, there is a poor outcome (Jenkins).

It has been proven that HFCS is a factor in this countries rising obesity rate. Obesity rates started to rise in 1962, which was around the same time that HFCS came into the food production picture. The deaths due to obesity have grown to 300,000 a year and 33% of all children are more likely to become obese (Obesity in America). Unlike natural sugar, the body doesn't recognize HFCS as a sugar, so one will continue to crave something sweet. This type of sweetener is extremely addictive. Studies show that it is just as addictive as cocaine. According to research, it was shown that this sweetener causes an addiction that is far worse than that of cocaine. The study was done with drug addicted people and with subjects that have never taken drugs. The results of the study showed that the withdrawal from HFCS caused severe aggression. It also caused all the normal symptoms of withdrawal such as intense cravings, and the inability to control or stop its use (Cooper). Research from Princeton University in 2010 found that rats fed on a sugary diet became nervous and anxious when the sugar was removed. They were thrown into a state of anxiety similar to the kind of stress that people feel during withdrawal from drugs like nicotine and even morphine. "Research from Princeton University in 2010 found that rats fed on a sugary diet became nervous and anxious when the sugar was removed. They were thrown into a state of anxiety similar to the kind of stress that people feel during withdrawal from drugs like nicotine and even morphine" (Cooper). There is now evidence stating that neurobiological and behavioral addiction to food is possible and does happen (Cooper).

HFCS is in almost every food product these days, which makes it hard to eliminate the substance. Even if one did their best to buy things that did not have it, one would still have to make things homemade to completely avoid it.

"Just for fun, I then looked at the ingredients in the salad dressings, the "100% real fruit juice" I serve my family, and even the healthy yogurt choices in my town. All of them listed high fructose corn syrup at or near the top of the list of ingredients. Even if I had the time, knowledge, and energy to make these foods staples myself, I would have to special order the necessary ingredients because even those are made or processed with high fructose corn syrup" (High Fructose Corn Syrup: Heath Risks).

Almost all food that is at the local grocery stores has HFCS included in the ingredients. For example yogurt has 70% percent of one's daily intake of sugar in one serving. It is commonly used in yogurt because it preserves the fruit and keeps the liquid from separating from the yogurt. When one buys canned fruit or vegetables, most think they are making a healthy choice but if one reads the ingredients, HFCS will be present. Most canned products are stored in liquid that contains HFCS because of its preservative quality. Pasta sauce can also be a place for HFCS to hide. Even though one thinks that sauce is made from natural ingredients like tomatoes and basil, HFCS sneaks in there too. HFCS can also be found in salad dressings to sweeten the taste; when grocery shopping one must read the label carefully. Other things like whole wheat bread and lunch meat are foods that shock consumers with the ability to contain HFCS. Most people do not know that most bread contains HFCS so that it can stay on the shelf longer. Hillshire Farms carving board turkey is said to be fresh right off the bone, but in fact it is far from it. This lunch meat is chock full of HFCS to keep it from spoiling and adding flavor. Many other things like soup and applesauce are unexpected as well, nowadays you have to expect the unexpected ("High Fructose Corn Syrup: Health Risks").

Although it looks like HFCS is here to stay, some manufactures are finding out the truth. HFCS is banned in Europe, Canada, and various other countries. It now makes a little more sense as to why the U.S has the highest obesity rate. Although HFCS is not banned in the U.S, Heinz kindly offers two types of ketchup; one of them being Simply Heinz which does not have HFCS in it. The Simply Heinz Ketchup not only has all natural ingredients but tastes good as well (Heinz). Another brand that has just recently made the decision to drop HFCS is Yoplait yogurt. All flavors can now be enjoyed without this artificial sweetener, making the yogurt healthier.

Since more and more food industries have discovered the horrors of HFCS, natural sweeteners have been sweeping the market. The latest and most used is Natural Sugar in The Raw and Stevia in The Raw. Natural Sugar in The Raw is all natural sugar unbleached, and is the purest form of sugar one can buy. Stevia is a sugar that comes from the leaves of the sweet stevia plant. The usage of Splenda and Sweet and Low, which are artificial, have decreased. Due to economic reasons and the low corn prices, HFCS will probably always be around. Progress is definitely being made in teaching Americans of this health risk.

All of these examples support negative views on the use of HFCS. Therefore, it would be beneficial to this country to ban HFCS. As of now, Americans are known to be obese, and who's to blame, with oversized portions and processed food? Action in this matter needs to rise in priority or the health of this nation will begin to flounder. Small changes have been made, steps in the right direction, but not enough. Eating habits need to change drastically and HFCS needs to be eliminated. At this point, this country is strongly addicted to this artificial sweetener. Since it is banned in other countries, our nation will continue to suffer with health risks while others will not. Action needs to be taken now to take away this destructive sugar.