The Health Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup

As I continued to dig up information on why High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for my health, this article provided the concise information I needed:

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) isn't just bad for your weight, it's bad for your health in general. Here's an undisputed medical fact: You can survive on an intravenous drip of glucose. But replace the glucose with fructose, and you'd get a fatty liver.

That's because fructose is the source of the chemical building blocks of cholesterol and triglyceride production. And fructose just isn't digested, absorbed, or metabolized in the same way as glucose. Instead, it goes right to your cells without the help of insulin.

The result? Fructose moves right into fat production -- so it spikes your triglycerides but lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol. It also increases your levels of small, dense LDL (called LDL-B) cholesterol, which is much more dangerous than regular LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

The science is clear: Fructose consumption is associated with insulin resistance, increased calorie intake, impaired metabolism, weight gain, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

And there's one more problem: The corn used in HFCS is typically genetically altered -- it has 13 carbon molecules, not 12. And we have no good long-term data on the effects of eating all that altered corn!

By now, you can probably guess my bottom line: Avoid high fructose corn syrup!

Easier said than done? Not necessarily.

Steps to reduce your intake of High Fructose Syrup:

1. Minimize your intake of all sugars, whatever the source.

2. Remove sweetened drinks ("liquid candy"), including sodas and sweetened fruit drinks.

3. Eat a whole-food, real-food diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds and healthy fats like olive oil and fish oil.

4. When you do use sugar, choose natural sweeteners such as those found in fruit. (Yes, fruit contains fructose, but it's also rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other healthy compounds.) Or try agave nectar, a natural sugar that your body may metabolize better.

5. If you see a food with "high fructose corn-syrup" on the label, put it back on the shelf. You will be doing yourself a favor.

If you weren't aware of HFCS and its potential risks before, you certainly are now. I hope you'll use this new awareness to improve your diet -- and your health.

What do you think?Have you had problems with HFCS before? Has consuming HFCS made you fat? Or, has stopping consumption of HFCS-containing foods and beverages helped you improve your health or lose weight?

This article armed with a plausible argument for rejecting HFCS infused foods. I stopped rambling and sounding wacky when people questioned my reasons. I hope it has the same effect for you too.
Once again, I am grateful to Mark Hyman, MD for his article clarifying this subject.