The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

Submitted by Elizabeth on July 19, 2010

High fructose corn syrup (also known as HFCS) is a commonly used substitute for sugar and is preferred by a number of manufacturers because of the fact that it costs much less than sugar – thereby cutting down the overall manufacturing costs of their products while boosting the profit margin. Most manufacturers find that it is such an important part of their production line that they will continually speak of how it acts as a stabilizer in sweetened beverages while also imparting some additional amount of moistness in baked goods – allowing it to remain fresh over longer periods of time. Most will also spout the line that since it comes from corn, it’s obviously a very good part of any diet plan. However, high fructose corn syrup comes with a number of dangers that almost all of these manufacturers will not tell you about because of the fact that using high fructose corn syrup is profitable to them. In-depth research shows that high fructose corn syrup causes substantial damage to the internal organs of the body as well as playing a role in weight gain.

It also increases the resistance to insulin in diabetes sufferers. It is also important to remember that in order to digest and assimilate fructose, the body also needs to contribute a large amount of its reserves of minerals such as magnesium, chromium and copper. This is a chain of events that causes a significant interference with the production of insulin in the body – causing diabetes to become a very prominent concern. Given the fact that the average American gets about 25% of his or her calorie intake from sugar, the reliance on commercially produced foods means that most of that percentage comes from HFCS.

As a result, it is important to make certain lifestyle choices in order to make sure that you live a healthier lifestyle.

The first step would be to avoid any consumption of sodas or sweetened fruit juices from the diet while increasing your intake of coffee, tea or water if you need to offset the intake of liquid. Whenever you go to the local supermarket to pick up any food supplies, make sure to look through the ingredients list to watch out for any inclusion of HCFS and avoid purchasing any of these items as a precaution.

Increase your intake of fiber rich foods as they help slow down the absorption of fructose while also reducing the negative effect that the substance has on the body.