Growing up in rural North Carolina there was one saying that I heard frequently: “What is done in the dark will come to light.” Today, this phrase seems to be connected to the often-used sweetener, high fructose corn syrup. For years, people in the United States have been left in the dark on the possible side effects of this popular sweetener that was somewhat “secretly” being put into our food supply around the seventies. Since then, obesity rates have skyrocketed. Rates have gone from 15 percent of the U.S. population to roughly one-third. Also type 2 diabetes is on the rise; a 2010 study published by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) suggests that 23.6 million people in the United States (7.8% of the total population) have diabetes which is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and non traumatic lower-extremity amputations among adults. Is it just coincidence that these two trends parallel each other? Or is HFCS to blame?
Whatever the case, if the current trends continue, 1 in 3 Americans will develop diabetes sometime in their lifetime and those with diabetes will lose, on average, 10-15 years of life. With these sickening statistics in mind there is however some light at the end of the tunnel. As more and more Americans begin to question HFCS and more independent studies are being published showing its possible role in the obesity epidemic, demand for this sweetener will gradually diminish and it may no longer be included in our foods and beverages in America.
Ivan Royster
Monday, July 5, 2010
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I have noticed that when I let my four year old have soda pop, she's a total jerk for the rest of the day. White sugar does not have this effect on her.
ReplyDeleteI quit eating this poison as well as sugar and hydrogenated oils. Thirty pounds lost in four months was a good side effect.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your concern about obesity and diabetes in the United States. It is a real problem, and you are right about the increase of HFCS in American's diet. But also take a look at all of the information. I spent the last two weeks going through the scientific research on the topic, and summarized everything on my blog.
ReplyDeleteIf you are thinking about the idea of a ban on HFCS, I urge you to read through what I found out in the research. Or don't, better yet, go to the source and read the medical research. The research finds that there are a few minor differences that make HFCS more troublesome, but generally, HFCS and sugar are equally good at causing health problems, and the increase in obesity might be most tied to an increase in calories taken in because of high calorie drinks, including sodas, coffee drinks, and fruit juice, regardless of what is used to sweeten the sodas.
I wouldn't tell anyone that they are doing the wrong thing by calling for a ban on HFCS, but I ask you to consider the scientific evidence for any action. You may find that banning HFCS is the best action after learning the facts. And even though I disagree and think our focus should be on exercise and reducing both HFCS and sugar in our diet without banning either, I could understand another point of view based on some different judgments of the facts.