I know this stuff is bad for you, but why is it? And is it only bad if you eat a ton or if you eat any at all? I've been trying to avoid it but there are some things that have it that I don't know if I can. Like this new stuff from Turkey Hill. Soft serve vanilla ice cream swirled with venican ice. It looks good and I want to try it. I wouldn't eat a lot at once, just a little a day. But the HFCS in it has me worried. Will it hurt if I get a little of it? Because I don't have any in my diet otherwise.
And yes, I read the wikipedia article on it but I don't trust it. A lot of stuff on that site is false so I wanted other info. Thanks!
I think at least some of the statements in that article are misleading. HFCS doesn't "increase the amount of processed foods you eat" - rather, an increase in processed food intake will typically mean you eat more HFCS as well.
Sorry, but those sorts of causation-statements make me nuts!
If you are eating a whole foods diet, and sometimes have a small treat with HFCS, it probably won't hurt you. As with most things in life, I am a big believer in moderation.
So basically, since I don't have diabetes, I just need to limit it? I wish companys would either not use it or make versions that don't. Like Heinz now has an organic ketchup. But if all I have to do is limit my intake, I can do that. I don't eat hardly any HFCS as it is. I take a sip or two of my parents' diet Pepsi, but that's all. This might make things easier on me until I get a better job to be able to buy organic and natural foods. Thanks!
I personally don't worry about HFCS. I read my labels and if it is not a prominent ingredient (such as whole grain breads) as mentioned in the article then I don't worry about it.
Most things that I eat with it would be condiments so I make an effort to see if there is an alternative. I switched to Organic Ketchup and really like it but I don't eat that much either way. I have not found a BBQ that I like as much so I am not switching. I tried a different marinaide for my salmon but it is just not the same so I may go back.
Personally if you focus on lean meats, fruits and vegetabes in your diet then it is not really a concern.
HFCS became popular becausee the goverment subsidizes the corn industry and therefore this is cheaper for food manufacturers. Of course if the alternative fuel industry takes off and competes then it may not be such a sweet deal.
Your digestive system has two main hormones that control hunger and appetite. Ghrelin is secreted by the stomach and increases your appetite. When your stomach's empty, it sends Ghrelin out requesting food. Leptin tells your brain that you're full. When you eat, your fat cells secrete it so that you stop eating. One of the biggest evil influences on our diet is the presence of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a sugar substitute that itself is a sugar found in soft drinks and many other sweet, processed foods. The problem is that HFCS inhibits leptin secretion, so you never get the message that you're full. And it never shuts off ghrelin, so, even though you have food in your stomach, you constantly get the message that you're hungry. The double whammy on our hormones has contributed enormously to our collective enormity. When you consider that many American women will obtain as much of 50 percent of their daily calories from salad dressing (which contains HFCS), you can see the problem. While food manufactureres may eliminate fat, they make up for its taste with sugar and HFCS - which are simply empty calories that serve no nutritional purpose.
Through sleep, your brain also plays a role in gut functions. If you want to eat less, get more sleep. When you don't sleep enough, more ghrelin is secreted and less leptin is released. So lack of sleep can have the same effect as HFCS by causing you to eat more.
You the Owner's Manual by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz. M.D.
I personally make a concerted effort to avoid HFCS, to the point of making my own sauces and purchasing sugar free products. Of course, I know lots of big losers here who haven't avoided it, and have done just fine.
I personally dont think having a little bit now and then is harmful, but I do think of all sugar forms it is the one that is most harmful.
Its like everything else though...moderation. I personally try to avoid it, but if I have some now and then I am not going to sweat it. Where I can I make the transition to foods that dont have it, but i am not going to trade it in for artificial sweeteners either.
Catsup is a good example. If I am at a restaurant there are certain foods that I NEED catsup (yum) and I am not going to skip the catsup just to avoid the HFCS, but at home I might buy the organic kind made with sugar.
Don't kid yourselves, gang . . . HFCS is still in foods in Canada . . . which just have different regulations for the way it is listed on the label.
Instead of listing HFCS on the ingredient label, we call it FRUCTOSE-GLUCOSE or, sometimes GLUCOSE-FRUCTOSE. Either way, it is always hypenated and you will see it there often in addition to the simple words Glucose and/or Fructose which are also in the product.
I don't know about other places but you will definitely not avoid HFCS by shopping in Canada.
I agree that HFCS is so prevalent in so many products that it does take a lot of effort to avoid buying products with it in. I think that if you have tried to find an alternative to a product without HFCS and have not been successful I would think that using that HFCS sparingly would be okay. I think that every one metabolizes and tastes different foods differently. I have heard that is both genetic and behavioral. So, a blanket statement about HFCS causing this or that we should immediately raise our "radar" and be leery of that being said or written. I have been doing a lot of reading in the past several months about diet, nutrition, etc. and there are a lot of expert opinions out there. When I hear a "one size fits all" kind of statement, my "radar" goes up immediately. We all know how leery we are of that on a clothing label. Well, is food any different? What are different people's motivations for making these statements. We have to learn to discern the kernel of truth that is often buried in some of these findings and studies.
I have switched to a no-sugar to very low sugar diet right now. If I have a craving for something sweet, I eat sugar free Jello or chocolate pudding and/or hard candies. That seems to do it for me. So, if it does, why rock the boat by introducing something like HFCS if my body doesn't really need it to both lose weight and maintain health?
If I accidentally have it through no fault of my own, it won't be the end of the world. However, as long as I control what I buy and what stands in either my cupboards and refrigerator, I am working to keep as many HFCS products as I can out of them. That is how I am approaching this "hot" topic!
Great discussion, I am sure there will be more in the future
Last edited by pamatga; 01-21-2008 at 12:26 PM.
Reason: more words
High Fructose Corn Syrup
HFCS is not the enemy overeating is
