The Skinny on High Fructose Corn Syrup
A large scale ad campaign has recently been launched touting the virtues of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). For those who have listened to Inside Out Weight Loss Episode 6 “Foods that Will Make Your Journey Easier”, you know my opinion on HFCS, which, strangely enough, has not changed since the ads came out.
HFCS has come under a lot of fire of late because of a great deal of research, much of it out of UC Davis, showing an almost 1:1 correlation between the rise in consumption of HFCS in the US and the rise in obesity. It seems that HFCS somehow disrupts the body’s ability to tell that it’s full, making you want to eat more of it. Consumers caught wind of this, are avoiding products that contain it.
I understand why the industry is fighting back. They have this dream ingredient. It’s super cheap, super sweet, lasts a very long time on the shelf, and makes people crave more of it, so they buy more. What’s not to like?
In defense of the manufacturers, I did see one study that cast doubt over the fattening effects of HFCS. (I am curious to know who funded the research, however). So the research is certainly not yet conclusive (is it ever?). Maybe HFCS doesn’t make us want to eat more of it. Maybe our bodies are just fine with this highly processed sweetener. Then again, maybe they are not.
Fructose in it’s natural form comes in a delightful package of nutrients, fiber and lots of water - fruit. Our bodies know exactly what to do with fruit. The fiber and water make us full, and the nutrients are deeply satisfying and nourishing. After all, we evolved over thousands of years eating our fructose this way. Take the fructoe out of this extraordinary package and who knows how the body will react.
My advice? Check in with your body. Do you find you crave that yogurt that’s sweetened with HFCS? One client of mine switched from yogurt with HFCS to a more natural greek yogurt, and found her cravings over all went way down. I used to be ridiculously addicted to a frozen yogurt that was fructose sweetened (not even HFCS), and found I would be hungrier after eating it than before I strated! I had to chase it with a bowl of cereal!
When you see those cleverly designed ads for HFCS, look behind the ads to the motives of the manufacturers. Then let your body be the judge.
Tom said,
September 8, 2008 @ 9:39 pm
I just discovered your IOWL podcasts TODAY on itunes… but I can only download episodes 000 through 006 … all the rest will NOT download. Not sure how else to let you know.
Keep up the good work.
Stella said,
September 9, 2008 @ 5:28 am
Thanks for mentioning this, Renee. I just saw my first Corn Refiners Association ad in a magazine a few days ago. I literally did a double take and then called my teenage son over for a little impromptu media criticism lesson.
Martha Beck, in her excellent book The Four-Day Win, calls HFCS “devil sweat”. I guess that makes the corn industry marketing board demons or succubi at best.
I have to admit I’m still working on my own TCBY frozen yogurt addiction, but I’ve got it down to a couple of times a month. Baby steps….
Jess said,
September 19, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
Hey Renee,
Thanks for mentioning me on Episode 45 (but Im a guy though. lol. But that’s ok
)
Anyways, I’m taking AP Biology and we went over sugars and learned that eating Partially Hydrogenated Oils are also bad for you because those fats are made in labs not in nature, so your body stores them right in your body as fat and since it is lab made, it takes longer to burn than natural fat!
Check your ingredients in peanut butter, margarine, Doritos, and even popcorn (thos in a bag like ACT II)!
So I am going light on HFCS and Hydrogenated Oils.
As for the corn syrup, it is just too addicting and very hard to burn away. lol
Mike Johnson said,
September 26, 2008 @ 11:00 am
Obeisity is tame–
I’ve been avoiding HFCS for ~ 10 years, because I learned that:
There’s at least one medical study linking HFCS to heart disease.
I got this from a diet book, I think– [hope it wasn’t Atkins, in which case it should be verified before believing!]
Michele said,
September 27, 2008 @ 6:07 am
I was happy that you addressed this. The ads try to make people who are aware of the dangers of HFCS sound stupid. Well, the American public is not so stupid as they are hoping. Relaaaaax. Here, let me stupify you with this gunk, and you’ll feel soooo much better, for about 10 minutes. Then I’ll give you more!!! Anyway, I have conversed with a person who swore that it made her diabetes more manageable, as it didn’t raise her blood sugar. I don’t know about that, but I do know that I feel a lot better avoiding foods with it. I try to eat foods in their natural state, or cook from scratch. Bread is a challenge–almost every bread maker is using the stuff. So I pretty much avoid bread.
Kathie said,
November 2, 2008 @ 7:37 am
Ok — HFCS — what about corn syrup alone? Frutcose? I don’t understand if they are just as bad. I’d sure like an answer to this one.
Alicia said,
January 21, 2009 @ 8:51 am
Over time it seems you can hear one side or the other no matter what it is. My rule is that if Mother Nature didn’t make it, it probably is not good for me in the long run. That doesn’t mean I am perfect and never eat processed foods but it is for sure much, much less that it use to be and getting less more and more as time goes on. If I can’t say it I try not to eat it.