Staff Writer
We
are all pretty familiar with the term “High Fructose Corn Syrup” (HFCS). The
ingredient remains highly controversial, with many nutrition experts warning
against its usage. If something so “natural” is good for us, why are so many
disputing otherwise? Another red flag is that so much money is spent to confuse
Americans into thinking that HFCS is processed in the way as cane sugar. Though
false, millions of dollars have been poured into advertisements and propaganda to
convince the population that the harmful substance is in fact healthy.
Wake
up, America. Gone are the days where farmers grow wholesome, honest foods for
their communities. Now farmers scientifically modify seeds and animals to
maximize profit and deliver their goods to millions of people. Using this cheap
sweetener instead of real sugar saves on cost but we pay the price in other
ways. It’s no coincidence that, since the introduction of HFCS in the 1970’s,
obesity rates have gone from a mere 15% to about one-third in the U.S.
Cell
Science Systems CEO and author Roger Deutsch states, “Since the beginning of
time, humans have been consuming unprocessed sugars without a problem. However,
once HFCS was introduced, obesity and inflammatory disease rates skyrocketed."
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| Capri-Sun |
The
human body finds it very difficult to break down “unnaturally proportioned,
over processed sugars.” Our bodies don’t recognize HFCS and can’t process it
correctly, meaning the signal to stop eating when we’re full is turned off.
Obesity from overeating is very common as a result. As Deutsch said, we were
fine without it, so why have it now? To make food taste better? The point of
food is to fuel the body so that we can live healthy and active lives, not to
mimic the taste of real food with the use of chemicals. The list of foods that
contain the sweetener is extensive, but includes such well known foods like Fig
Newtons, Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts, Capri-Sun, Snapple, and PowerAde.
Companies
who use this sweetener don’t always want you to realize it, so they put down a
different name on the nutrition facts label. Such pseudonyms include: maize
syrup, glucose syrup, glucose/fructose syrup, tapioca syrup, dahlia syrup, fruit
fructose, and crystalline fructose. Why would they have to disguise their usage
of HFCS if it a natural, wholesome product?
The
next time you’re out shopping for groceries, check the nutrition facts to see
if your food has harmful products like HFCS. You will feel better and most
likely weigh less if you avoid the unhealthy pseudo-sugar.
