Recent Study Reveals High Fructose Corn Syrup Is WORSE Than You Thought
Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Putting You and Your Baby At Risk?
By Mavi Gupta, M.D., C. C.Ht.
Co-creator - The Birth Relaxation Kit™
Let's just start by saying that a healthy pregnancy begins with a reduction in sugar intake. Many pregnant moms report a direct correlation between eating sugary foods with morning sickness.
In the last several years the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has been running a massive media campaign in an attempt to "clean up" the poor public image of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
They have even tried a re-branding campaign by changing the name to "corn sugar" instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The CRA makes claims that HFCS is "no worse than sugar," and even try to imply that it is somehow "natural," with this phrase:
"It's made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is okay to eat in moderation."
REALLY? I'd say that it's a downright LIE to say that HFCS has no artificial ingredients if you've ever seen how HFCS is refined and processed and the chemicals involved in that process. Watch the entertaining documentary King Corn which highlights the pretty nasty chemicals used in the refining HFCS.
You should also note that most HFCS is made from genetically modified corn. Is that a natural process?
According to Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "High-fructose corn syrup just doesn't exist in nature". Michael Jacobson and even the CRA president Andrae Erickson agree that "the real issue is that excessive consumption of any sugars may lead to health problems." High fructose corn syrup is highly concentrated, thus doing more damage than sugar.
Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, says that they do lead to health problems, not "may lead to health problems."
The Bitter-Sweet Truth About HFCS
- Research reported by the American Chemical Society in 2007 found evidence that HFCS-sweetened soft drinks contributes to the development of diabetes as a result of high levels of reactive compounds shown to trigger cell and tissue damage.
- There is over 35 years of hard empirical evidence that refined fructose--like HFCS--metabolizes to triglycerides and adipose tissue, which interferes with insulin secretion and leptin production. Leptin is a hormone involved in appetite regulation. In other words, HFCS depresses Leptin levels, making you feel less satiated, so you keep eating more.
- Additionally, increases in triglycerides in your body, as a result of HFCS, puts you at an increased risk of heart disease.
According to a new article published today in the scientific journal Environmental Health, mercury was found in nearly 50% of tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup.
For its report "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," IATP sent 55 brand-name foods and beverages containing HFCS as the first or second ingredient to a commercial laboratory to be tested for total mercury. Nearly one in two products tested contained detectable mercury.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, mercury is a contaminant found in fish that can affect brain development and the nervous system. High levels of mercury have been implicated in autism as well as dementia.
The First Thing To Do...
(1) The first thing you should do, especially when pregnant, is to ditch the sugary commercial drinks. That means no more sodas or fruit drinks that contain HFCS.
(2) Avoid processed foods as much as possible. HFCS is lurking in over 50% of all processed foods, including breads, cereals, condiments, crackers, sauces, dressings, snacks and frozen foods.
(3) Consider replacing all of the unhealthy sugars--HFCS, table sugar, maple syrup--with Stevia, an herb in the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild as a small shrub in parts of Paraguay and Brazil. There's a great Q & A on Stevia on their website if you click the FAQ tab.
For its report "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," IATP sent 55 brand-name foods and beverages containing HFCS as the first or second ingredient to a commercial laboratory to be tested for total mercury. Nearly one in two products tested contained detectable mercury.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, mercury is a contaminant found in fish that can affect brain development and the nervous system. High levels of mercury have been implicated in autism as well as dementia.
The First Thing To Do...
(1) The first thing you should do, especially when pregnant, is to ditch the sugary commercial drinks. That means no more sodas or fruit drinks that contain HFCS.
(2) Avoid processed foods as much as possible. HFCS is lurking in over 50% of all processed foods, including breads, cereals, condiments, crackers, sauces, dressings, snacks and frozen foods.
(3) Consider replacing all of the unhealthy sugars--HFCS, table sugar, maple syrup--with Stevia, an herb in the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild as a small shrub in parts of Paraguay and Brazil. There's a great Q & A on Stevia on their website if you click the FAQ tab.
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