Two channels I watch a lot of are the HGTV and Food Network channel. Since my wine days, I’ve been a big food junkie. I love to cook and I love to putz around the house.
And over the last few days, the corn refiner’s association (I think it’s them) have been airing this “cornsugar” commercial. The essential argument is that high fructose corn syrup is no difference than refined sugar. And as I recall, there was a move to petition the FDA to change the term from high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar.
Talk about putting lipstick on a pig.
Lookit, I’m not a big don’t eat this or eat that person. But as I understand it (I could be wrong) the benefits of HFCS to food manufacturers are…
- It’s cheap
- It acts as a preservative.
- It mixes better than sugar
- It’s sweeter than sugar.
So, what’s the benefit to us – not much I’m thinking.
Here are two great article from DiabetesHealth and TLC on this subject for your consideration…
The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup
You know how important it is to control the sugar and carbohydrates in your diet. So you read food labels and listen to your body cues to make sure you’re getting what you need to stay healthy. But what happens when a manufacturer disguises sugar as something you don’t recognize? Read more here…
How bad for you is high-fructose corn syrup?
If you want to cut down drastically the amount of processed food you eat, don’t buy anything that has high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in it. Unfortunately, you’ll have to have a strong liking for the taste of lettuce and notebook paper, because HFCS is in nearly everything: jelly, juice, sodas, whole-grain breads, cereals, ketchup, crackers, yogurt, sweet pickles, applesauce, salad dressing, ice cream, cough syrup and lots more. Read more here…
And of course, you can check these videos from our resident food expert, Isabel De Los Rios, author of the Diet Solution Program…
The Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup
How To Find High Fructose Corn Syrup In Your Food
Here’s the deal, HFCS is ubiquitious. It will be nearly impossible to avoid not eating this chemical additive. The key is to minimize it as much as possible. How do you do that…
- Read food labels. Ingredient list start with the most and goes in reverse order. So, if HFCS is 1st or 2nd, as in soda, then you need to put it down. If HFCS is way toward the end of the list, then there shouldn’t be much in it.
- Avoid processed foods. If it’s processed, it probably has HFCS in it, along with more than you need sodium and other preservatives.
- Cook more – it’s fun, it’s nutritious, you have more control – did I mention it’s fun!!!
The challenge is that it is everywhere. And the cumulative effect of consuming this preservative and sweetener, knowing or unknowing, is what should concern us.
I’m curious why It mixes better than sugar?
Noah Mora
Hey Noah, HFCS may not mix better than table sugar but because it comes in liquid form, it mixes easier and quickly than dry sugar. I suppose manufacturers could take the extra step of liquidifying dry sugar before adding to mix but that would just up cost and add an extra step versus getting it in liquid form; ready to mix from get go. Since HFCS is about 24% water, manufacturer than quickly account for the added liquid levels that come from using HFCS. Hope that answers your question.
Hyo