Companies, in my opinion, can produce some very questionable ad campaigns. Most recently, the commercial on high-fructose corn syrup and making the person who says “high-fructose corn syrup, haven’t you heard…” look like an uninformed person, while the supposed informed person touts that high fructose corn syrup is all natural and comes from corn. The fact is, while it has come from corn it is not natural and not ok to consume in moderation (which simply means it will take a little bit longer for you to suffer the negative health consequences. For those who are interested in knowing ‘why’ high fructose corn syrup is bad for your health here 20 answers out of many others…
20 High-Fructose Corn Syrup Facts:
- Increases our risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.
- Almost always comes from GM corn. If you’re uncertain as to why GM crops should be avoided like the plaque watch this movie (free to watch online on Hulu) “The Future of Food.”
- It is so ubiquitous in processed foods and so over-consumed by the average American that many experts believe our nation faces the prospect of an epidemic of metabolic disease in the future.
- Is much less expensive than cane sugar, making it a preferred choice of companies who are more interested in price point and profits, rather than the health of the consumer.
- In the 1970s, corn-derived sweeteners like maltodextrin and high-fructose corn syrup were developed.
- Regular table sugar (sucrose) is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, high-fructose corn syrup can contain up to 80% fructose and 20% glucose, almost twice the fructose of common table sugar.
- Metabolism of excess amounts of fructose is the major concern in regards to all sweeteners, particularly high fructose corn syrup.
- Has been mirrored by an equally dramatic increase in fructose consumption.
- Industry has lobbied us (and the FDA) to believe it is safe.
- We are experiencing an epidemic of [heart and kidney] disease characterized by increasing rates of obesity, hypertension, the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease.
- Cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have increased dramatically, most likely due to the addition of high fructose corn syrup and maltodextin being included in almost every processed food consumed.
- Research shows that excessive dietary fructose, largely from consumption of HFCS, represents “an important, but not well-appreciated dietary change,” which has “…rapidly become an important causative factor in the development of the metabolic syndrome,”1 a conglomeration of risk factors that greatly elevates the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- Commonly found in an astounding array of popular food and beverage products. Sweetened, carbonated soft drinks are considered by many to be the worst offenders.2,3
- Emerging research shows that excessive dietary fructose, largely from consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, represents “an important, but not well-appreciated dietary change,” which has “…rapidly become an important causative factor in the development of the metabolic syndrome,”1 a conglomeration of risk factors that greatly elevates the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- Research suggests that high dietary fructose consumption contributes to obesity and insulin resistance,3,4 encourages kidney stone formation,5 promotes gout,6-9 and is contributing to an upsurge in cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.2,10,12 Furthermore, high dietary fructose consumption is associated with increased production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are linked with the complications of diabetes and with the aging process itself.3,4,10
- Between 1970 and 1990, the annual intake of high-fructose corn syrup has increased by more than 1,000 percent, greatly exceeding the change in intake of any other food or food group. High-fructose corn syrup is now the primary caloric sweetener added to soft drinks in the United States, and comprises more than 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods (crackrs, cookies, pasta sauce, salad dressing) and beverages.
- While it is derived from a natural source, HFCS is essentially an unnatural product.
- The high flux of fructose to the liver, the main organ capable of metabolizing this simple carbohydrate, disturbs glucose metabolism and uptake pathways which leads to metabolic disturbances that underlie the induction of insulin resistance,1 a hallmark of type 2 diabetes.
- Excess fructose intake may contribute to hypertension.14 High blood pressure is a well-known comorbidity associated with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia.15 Hypertension is part of a cluster of dangerous disorders called the metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by insulin resistance and is a key factor in the development of many vascular diseases. Excess fructose contributes to hypertension by inhibiting a key enzyme called endothelial nitric oxide synthase,16 which is located in blood vessels walls and is essential for the production of the vasodilator, nitric oxide. By allowing healthy blood vessels to relax and ensuring smooth blood flow in vessels, nitric oxide is absolutely necessary for preventing hypertension, coronary artery disease, and erectile dysfunction.
- Excess fructose also encourages the formation of toxic advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These are aberrant hybrid proteins, formed when sugars and lipids react with these molecules, altering their structures and damaging their functionality. As AGEs accumulate they encourage inflammation and oxidative stress. They have also been linked to accelerated aging. Advanced glycation end products are believed to play a key role in the development of hypertension as well as complications associated with type 2 diabetes like neuropathy and retinopathy.4,3,17-20 Neuropathy afflicts the nerves and can cause tingling, prickling sensations, numbness, and pain, while retinopathy damages the eye’s retina and may lead to blindness.
From 1909 to 1997 it was found that the use of corn syrup sweeteners, which were almost non-existent at the turn of the century, increased by more than 2,100%. During the same period, the prevalence of diabetes skyrocketed. After controlling for total energy intake from other foods such as fats and proteins, only the increase in corn syrup and a decrease in fiber intake correlated positively with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes.13
Minimizing intake of dietary fructose is essential to mitigating its potentially dangerous effects. Sources of dietary fructose include HFCS, fruit juices, honey, and table sugar (sucrose; comprising fructose and glucose).
Because it is metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does. Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. This may be one of the reasons Americans continue to get fatter. Fructose raises serum triglycerides significantly. As a left-handed sugar, fructose digestion is very low. For complete internal conversion of fructose into glucose and acetates, it must rob ATP energy stores from the liver.22
Not only does fructose have more damaging effects in the presence of copper deficiency, fructose also inhibits copper metabolism–another example of the sweeteners double-whammy effect. A deficiency in copper leads to bone fragility, anemia, defects of the connective tissue, arteries, and bone, infertility, heart arrhythmias, high cholesterol levels, heart attacks, and an inability to control blood sugar levels.23
About Corn
Corn is a grain, not a vegetable. Grains are metabolized into sugars very rapidly in the body and cause a huge spike in blood sugar, thus requiring an outpouring of insulin from the pancreas further straining this already so overworked organ.
Corn based products such as high fructose corn syrup have also been shown to increase osteoporosis, tooth decay, anemia, osteoarthritis, to name just a few. Researchers found that Native American Indians who lived after the arrival of Europeans had far more of these health issues due to the shift in their diets over to a corn based diet as opposed to those who lived prior who previously ate a traditional hunter/gatherer well-balanced diet, rich in seafood including a variety of plants and animals too. The message here is that corn based diets are not healthy.
Corn is an inadequate source of: nutrients, minerals, protein, deficient in 3 of the 8 essential amino acids, is high in phytate (a chemical that binds to to iron and inhibits iron absorption, causing iron deficiency anemia and conditions associated with iron deficiency), corn is a poor source of calcium and niacin (B3).
Deficiencies in these minerals including tryptophan can result in a condition called Pellagra which is characterized by a deficiency in those nutrients and is common in corn eating communities as well as dermatitis, diarrhea and depression.
High fructose corn syrup has no nutritional value at all and since it is twice as sweet as sugar it causes a huge spike in blood sugar when consumed and when it is not immediately used up by the muscles via some kind of exercise it is converted into fat and stored in the body as such.
High fructose corn sugar and other grain products can contribute to obesity, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s and memory loss. This increase in fat and cholesterol slows the micro circulation of blood through the brain accelerating cell death through lack of oxygen and nutrients. It can also make the body more acidic which causes a host of other health issues. Many health problems in the west are those of an acidic nature or excess fire or yang energy as we would say in Chinese medicine so this is another condition we want to eliminate from the body.
For many years, Dr. Meira Fields and her coworkers at the US Department of Agriculture investigated the harmful effects of dietary sugar on rats. They discovered that when male rats are fed a diet deficient in copper, with sucrose as the carbohydrate, they develop severe pathologies of vital organs. Liver, heart and testes exhibit extreme swelling, while the pancreas atrophies, invariably leading to death of the rats before maturity.
Dr. Fields repeated her experiments to determine whether it was the glucose or fructose moiety that caused the harmful effects. Starch breaks down into glucose when digested. On a copper-deficient diet, the male rats showed some signs of copper deficiency, but not the gross abnormalities of vital organs that occur in rats on the sucrose diet. When the rats were fed fructose, the fatal organ abnormalities occurred.
Fructose interferes with copper metabolism to such an extent that collagen and elastin cannot form in growing animals–hence the hypertrophy of the heart and liver in young males. The females did not develop these abnormalities, but they resorbed their litters.21
Nutritional strategies can help avert some of the damaging effects of excess fructose intake. Beneficial nutrients include benfotiamine, alpha-lipoic acid, carnosine, pyridoxamine, acetyl-L-carnitine, vitamin C, and fish oil.
A Truly Natural Solution to Sweeteners
Is Stevia extract. Stevia is a super-sweet (15 times sweeter than sugar), low-calorie dietary supplement that helps regulate blood sugar and supports the pancreas – the complete opposite of cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup! 
Stevia Facts
- Stevia is valuable for anyone with diabetes and hypoglycemia.
- It is a first-rate aid to weight loss and weight management because it contains no calories.
- Research indicates that it significantly increases glucose tolerance and inhibits glucose absorption.
- People who ingest stevia daily often report a decrease in their desire for sweets and fatty foods.
- Stevia may also improve digestion and gastrointestinal function, soothe upset stomachs, and help speed recovery from minor illnesses.
- Stevia also inhibits the growth of some bacteria and infectious organisms, including those that cause tooth decay and gum disease.
- Many individuals using stevia have reported a lower incidence of colds and flu.
- Many who have used stevia as a mouthwash have experienced a significant decrease in gum disease.
- When topically applied, stevia softens the skin and smooths out wrinkles while healing various skin blemishes, acne, seborrhea, dermatitis, and eczema – again, quite the opposite of cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup!
- When used on cuts and wounds, stevia promotes rapid healing without scarring.
I prefer and trust Young Living’s Stevia and brand because I know their standards for quality are super high and just like essential oils any natural plant product can be completely ruined during processing.
For over 1600 years, the natives of Paraguay in South America have used this intensely sweet herb as a health agent and sweetener. Known as Stevia rebaudiana by botanists and yerba dulce (honey leaf) by the Guarani Indians, stevia has been incorporated into many native medicines, beverages, and foods for centuries. The Guarani used stevia separately or combined with herbs like yerba mate and lapacho.
Stevia was introduced to the West in 1899, when M. S. Bertoni discovered natives using it as a sweetener and medicinal herb. However, stevia never gained popularity in the USA because the sugar industry forbid it to be imported in the country.
I had heard about Stevia about 30 years ago and tried to purchase Stevia plants so I could grow and harvest my own. I must have called every nursery in the USA and nobody carried it because it was not allowed to be imported or grown in the USA. This lack of Stevia in the USA was NOT due to it being unsafe to our health, instead it was kept out because of the sugar industry. It wouldn’t be until 1994, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would permit the importation and use of stevia as a dietary supplement.
Stevia’s adoption by American consumers as a noncaloric sweetener has been very slow because the FDA does not currently permit stevia to be marketed as a food additive. That might be changing soon though.
Stevia is more than just a non-caloric sweetener. Several modern clinical studies have documented the ability of stevia to lower and balance blood sugar levels, support the pancreas and digestive system, protect the liver, and combat infectious microorganisms. (Oviedo et al., 1971; Suzuki et al., 1977; Ishit et al., 1986; Boeckh, 1986; Alvarez, 1986.)
In one study, Oviedo et. al. showed that oral administration of a stevia leaf extract reduced blood sugar levels by over 35 percent. Another study conducted by Suzuki et al. documented similar results.
Clearly, these and other clinical evaluations indicate that stevia holds significant promise for the treatment of diabetes.
Caution About Sugar Substitutes
Using sugar substitutes (such as: Aspartame, Sweet ‘n Low, Equal, etc.) is NOT a wise choice. They are Excitoxins and extremely bad for your health. These sweeteners are very toxic and do cause health issues and disease. It is never recommended to use them in place of the other sweeteners.
In Conclusion
When someone says that high fructose corn syrup is not so bad when used in moderation you can now explain why it is. We do not have to be led around like sheep, accept lies as truth, and whimp out when confronted.
References
1. Basciano H, Federico L, Adeli K. Fructose, insulin resistance, and metabolic dyslipidemia. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2005 Feb 21;2(1):5.
2. Ouyang X, Cirillo P, Sautin Y, et al. Fructose consumption as a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. J Hepatol. 2008 Jun;48(6):993-9.
3. Gaby AR. Adverse effects of dietary fructose. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Dec;10(4):294-306.
4. Miller A, Adeli K. Dietary fructose and the metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2008 Mar;24(2):204-9.
5. Taylor EN, Curhan GC. Fructose consumption and the risk of kidney stones. Kidney Int. 2008 Jan;73(2):207-12.
6. Johnson RJ, Sautin YY, Oliver WJ, et al. Lessons from comparative physiology: could uric acid represent a physiologic alarm signal gone awry in western society? J Comp Physiol [B]. 2008 Jul 23.
7. Choi JW, Ford ES, Gao X, Choi HK. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks, diet soft drinks, and serum uric acid level: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Jan 15;59(1):109-16.
8. Hak AE, Choi HK. Lifestyle and gout. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2008 Mar;20(2):179-86.
9. Choi HK, Curhan G. Soft drinks, fructose consumption, and the risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2008 Feb 9;336(7639):309-12.
10. Johnson RJ, Segal MS, Sautin Y, et al. Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):899-906.
11. Thuy S, Ladurner R, Volynets V, et al. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in humans is associated with increased plasma endotoxin and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 concentrations and with fructose intake. J Nutr. 2008 Aug;138(8):1452-5.
12. Preiss D, Sattar N. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an overview of prevalence, diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment considerations. Clin Sci (Lond). 2008 Sep;115(5):141-50.
13. Gross LS, Li L, Ford ES, Liu S. Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates and the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the United States: an ecologic assessment. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):774-9.
14. Hallfrisch J, Ellwood KC, Michaelis OE 4th, Reiser S, O’Dorisio TM, Prather ES. Effects of dietary fructose on plasma glucose and hormone responses in normal and hyperinsulinemic men. J Nutr. 1983 Sep;113(9):1819-26.
15. Hallfrisch J, Ellwood KC, Michaelis OE 4th, Reiser S, O’Dorisio TM, Prather ES. Effects of dietary fructose on plasma glucose and hormone responses in normal and hyperinsulinemic men. J Nutr. 1983 Sep;113(9):1819-26.
16. Plante GE, Perreault M, Lanthier A, Marette A, Maheux P. Reduction of endothelial NOS and bradykinin-induced extravasation of macromolecules in skeletal muscle of the fructose-fed rat model. Cardiovasc Res. 2003 Oct 1;59(4):963-70.
17. Dhar A, Desai K, Kazachmov M, Yu P, Wu L. Methylglyoxal production in vascular smooth muscle cells from different metabolic precursors. Metabolism. 2008 Sep;57(9):1211-20.
18. Wang X, Jia X, Chang T, Desai K, Wu L. Attenuation of hypertension development by scavenging methylglyoxal in fructose-treated rats. J Hypertens. 2008 Apr;26(4):765-72.
19. Mikulikova K, Eckhardt A, Kunes J, Zicha J, Miksik I. Advanced glycation end-product pentosidine accumulates in various tissues of rats with high fructose intake. Physiol Res. 2008;57(1):89-94.
20. Li SY, Ren J. Assessment of protein glycoxidation in ventricular tissues. Methods Mol Med. 2007;139:313-28.
21. Fields, M, Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 1984, 175:530-537
22. H. Hallfrisch, et al.,The Effects of Fructose on Blood Lipid Levels, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 37: 5, 1983, 740-748.
23. Klevay, Leslie, Acting Director of the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D.
Other health related articles:
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Evelyn Vincent
Article by Evelyn Vincent, Young Living Independent Distributor #476766
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