Ok, I’ve thought this way for a while, but it is wicked hard to get away from High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). It’s in practically everything… soda pop, cereal, bread… ketchup! I’ve known for a long time that HFCS is bad stuff, and from time to time, I make an effort to avoid it. I read labels like crazy. And end up spending twice what I intended, because most of the stuff that’s HFCS-free also falls under the “organic” or “natural” label, and that automatically adds 25-50% to the cost.
Anyway, I’ve been bleating about HFCS for a long time, but have been greeted with bland looks … -.- … from a lot of people, because they ask, “where’d you hear that?” And I cite some study done by some “hippy-dippy-natural-foods” group, or some “green-loving-holistic” source. And of course, because it’s not mainstream media or a big university, it’s treated as bunk. Even if the information it contains makes complete and utter sense, and you’ve witnessed it in real life.
Well, now I”m vindicated. Big Brother Mike sent this article to me last night. HAH!! See? I toldja so!! And it’s from Princeton! Can’t ask for more gravitas than that!
In a nutshell, the article proves the theory that so many of us have held for so long – that HFCS is a leading cause of obesity. That it is far worse for you than regular sugar. That your body processes it differently – turning HFCS to fat, where straight sugar is used for energy. Rats were fed exactly the same diet (rat chow) and HFCS (at half the strength of a regular soda) was added to group 1’s water. Regular sugar (at the same level found in soda) was added to Group 2’s water.
Group 1 gained WAY more weight than Group 2. They even found that they gained more weight than rats who were fed a high-fat diet.
For people like me, who maintain that HFCS is a huge problem, this is absolute vindication. And it’s making me double my efforts to avoid it. Please, GOD, let Dove Chocolate not have HFCS in it. Please!! (I’ve already found that Mountain Dew Throwback is not only better tasting, I don’t drink can after can after can of it. One in a day – if I even drink that much – is plenty.)
We won’t even discuss this drivel from the Corn industry. And yes, I know, I live in Iowa, and am probably blaspheming right this very minute.
Us Girls..Our Views 
Well, I don’t know if I’d go so far as “pure evil,” but it is scary because it’s in practically every manufactured food produced with multiple ingredients. I’m a believer in “all things in moderation,” but it’s hard to do HFCS in moderation unless you read every label and, in the case of kids, really put your foot down with aunties etc.
In my family, the problem is really the crazies that Miss A gets from sugar. And it seems to be worse with HFCS, so I’ve been trying to cut the HFCS way down. I have the advantage of already shopping at a crunchy food store, but normally I would not buy goodies. However, because my kids have aunties etc. who will ensure they always have an unending stock of goodies, I decided to go for the lesser of two evils. I found some candies at the crunchy store that are actually quite tasty and free of HFCS, so that’s a start. (I threw out all the old stock after I discovered a hoard of candy that the kids were dipping into after going to bed.) I also told their ex-nanny to stop giving them candy, and my sister, who considers it her duty to sugar them up every Sunday, has agreed to shop for items that have no HFCS. It’s not easy (especially at my age when the small print keeps getting smaller!). I am trying to get us all into eating more whole fruit instead of manufactured goodies, but it can be hard to fight off a craving for the bad stuff.
I do believe that HFCS in everything is “a” cause of obesity, but I also think it’s only part of the problem. I think the hormones in foods, the drastic decrease in kids’ free play and outdoor play time, the baseless idea that every kid needs to be constantly snacking and drinking juice, etc., all play a part. Even sugar substitutes make people fat. Carbonation too. I think people just need to be a lot more mindful of their habits and the results thereof.
My kids are both getting heavier right now, because the summer has been so hot, I don’t have the heart to make them huff it outside. And when we have a holiday (July 4 in this case), certain people think it has to be a whole week or more of holiday, with all rules going out the window. Restaurants with rich food and desserts several times a week, late bedtimes, and treats upon treats aren’t good for anyone. Time to get back to boot camp before things get out of control.
I’ve been very mindful of this for a few years now and I NEVER knew this crap was in so much stuff until then. When I started the weight loss challenges last year I became even more aware of what this stuff is in. It’s mind boggling. I’d like to know “why?” it’s in so much stuff.
I’m very careful of the things I buy now. I even quit drinking pop a few years ago and got the SodaStream because of this HFCS. It’s way more than paid for itself and we love it. Paul more so because he drinks more than I do to begin with but they have really nice flavors and they just started carrying it at Walmart. We love ours.
I know this is a big problem with kids who’s parents don’t monitor what they eat more. Some kids I’ll bet are really affected like this. Though I can’t imagine not eating normal enough to allow for some treats. Not all kids have weight issues and I think it also has to depend on how active you are. We all know what when your a couch potato, you end up looking like one so it’s just as important to keep your kids busy and try to see they’re active.
Oooohhh… does your WM exchange the cartridges, too? That’s what’s stopped me from getting one – the closest source of exchange is in Waterloo.
You know Laura, I don’t know. I’d sure think you could take them back there. They have them full. I know that’s been a pain for me too. I’ve been doing them by mail because our Bed, Bath and Beyond didn’t carry them like most so I ordered mine all online and did the mail switch thing. But now ours does carry them in St. Cloud so I’ll get them there or WM if they do it. Wouldn’t you think if they sell them full, they’d be able to return the empty ones there?
I guess I don’t pay too much attention to this. I do know that too much of anything like this isn’t good. And although Bailey will more than likely never have a weight issue, I still watch his sugar and what he eats in general. It’s just not beneficial to eat that crap all the time.
We all need to be more mindful of what we are feeding our bodies. I have a cousin that literally does not eat anything unless it is beneficial to her body. And she is 100% gluten free also. I’m not about to go to those extremes, but I think some people need that.
I really respect people who can do that. Especially if they “have” to. I know Kate controlled her diabetes her whole adult life and it was hard at times but she was so strong.
Sucrose is composed of glucose and fructose. When sugar is given to rats in high amounts, the rats develop multiple health problems, especially when the rats were deficient in certain nutrients, such as copper. The researchers wanted to know whether it was the fructose or the glucose moiety that was causing the problems. So they repeated their studies with two groups of rats, one given high amounts of glucose and one given high amounts of fructose. The glucose group was unaffected but the fructose group had disastrous results. The male rats did not reach adulthood. They had anemia, high cholesterol and heart hypertrophy—that means that their hearts enlarged until they exploded. They also had delayed testicular development. Dr. Field explains that fructose in combination with copper deficiency in the growing animal interferes with collagen production. (Copper deficiency, by the way, is widespread in America.) In a nutshell, the little bodies of the rats just fell apart. The females were not so affected, but they were unable to produce live young.