Dangers of HFCS

 HFCS - High fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a preservative that is added to food products to not only extend their shelf life, but to make the foods sweeter. High fructose corn syrup was first developed in the 1950s but didn’t come into widespread use until the 1970s and 1980s. High fructose corn syrup is processed from hydrolyzed corn starch and contains a high level of fructose and simple sugar carbohydrate. Fructose is naturally occuring in fruits and honey. A number of companies also have stopped using corn syrup in some or all products, including Hunt’s ketchup, Snapple, Gatorade and Starbucks’ baked goods. These companies are now made with regular sugar. HFCS are found in beverages, frozen foods, sauces, breads, cereals, yougurts, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sodas and cough drinks. Drinking only one soda a day adds up to 15 pounds a year. Below you will find some of the dangers of HFCS.

How HFCS or high fructose corn syrup is made:

1. First the corn is harvested and sent to the wet mill.

2. Next, the corn is crushed in a mill and then run through screens in order to separate the corn starch from other parts of the kernel.

3. Then the natural enzymes are added to the liquid, which converts some of the sugars in the liquid from glucose to fructose. The resulting liquid is typically 42 percent fructose and 58 percent glucose.

4. The liquid is passed through activated carbon and filtered.

5. The final product is called HFCS-42, and is used to sweeten many baked goods.

6. Some of the HFCS-42 then goes through a liquid filtration process to increase the fructose content, creating a liquid that is 90 percent fructose. This product is called HFCS-90.

7.Finally, the two liquids, HFCS-42 and HFCS-90, are blended to make a mixture that is 55% fructose. The final blend, called HFCS-55, is widely used as a sweetener in sodas.

How to avoid HFCS:

1. Avoid all sodas such as coke, energy drinks that contain HFCS.

2. Avoid buying processed food.

3. Avoid foods that contain excess sugar.

4. Check the labels first before buying frozen foods, icecreams, cereals, desserts, pancakes, syrup, jams etc

Dangers of HFCS:

1. Triglycerides and bad cholesterol: HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is linked to higher level of triglycerides and bad cholesterol in some people. Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods and in our bodies increases dramatically when we eat or drink HFCS. Bad cholesterol increases as well. It also increases bad cholesterol. This increases the risk of heart disease.

People who use HFCS as a sweetener increase their triglycerides 32 percent compared to people who use normal sugar, according to the research. It blunts the body’s ability to recognize when it is full and increases a person’s appetite.

2. Weight gain and obesity: HFCS can lead to obesity and weight gain. Because it is metabolized into fat in the liver, rather than absorbed and processed into glucose.

3. Diabetes: HFCS is also linked to type 2 diabetes and hypertension. A single 12 oz can of cola has up to 13 tsp of sugar, most of it fructose from HFCS.

4. Reactive compound: HFCS contains high levels of reactive compounds that trigger cell damage. Natural sugar does not contain reactive compound. HFCS does not contain vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

5. Mercury: Study shows that high fructose corn syrup may contain mercury. Long term exposure to mercury affects the central nervous system.

List of foods that contain HFCS:

HFCS is found in Ketchup, Aunt Jemima Syrup, Hershey’s Syrup, Breyers Yogurt, Kraft Barbecue Sauce, Smucker’s Preserves, cereals, crackers, sauces, beverages, cool whip, yogurts, chocolate syrup, pancake syrup, spaghetti sauces, enhanced flavored waters, Heinz relishes, fruit juices, fruit drinks, frozen foods, cough syrups, jams, jellies, snack packs and canned fruits etc.

Here are some of the foods that contain HFCS:

Breads:

• Brownberry breads
• Pepperidge Farm's line of 100% whole grain breads
• Sara lee heart healthy whole grain bread
• Thomas English muffins
• Wonderbread

Sauces:

• A1 Steak Sauce Marinade - Cajun
• A1 Steak Sauce Marinade - Chicago

Cough syrups:

• Robitussin Pediatric cough and cold formula
• Robitussin Pediatric cough long acting
• Vicks NyQuil multi-symptom - original
• Vicks NyQuil multi-symptom - cherry

Fruit drinks:

• Caprisun
• Sunny delight
• Snapple
• Hawaiian punch
• Ocean spray cranberry juice
  

 Chocolate drinks:

Yoohoo

Tea:

Arizone tea

Soups:

Campbells Vegatable soup (in microwaveable bowl)

Frozen foods - fruits and vegetables:

• 
  B&M Original Baked Beans
• Contadina Tomato Paste
• Mott's Applesauce

Salad dressings:

• Kraft Salad Dressing - Light done Right Creamy French
• Kraft Salad Dressing - Thousand Island Fat Free

Yogurt:

Yoplait yogurt

Cereals:

• Kellogg's Frosted Rice Krispies
• Kellogg's corn flakes

Meats:

Oscar Meyer Pickle and Pimento Loaf