Learning About High Fructose Corn Syrup

Most of the processed food that we consume is very high in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) content which is by no means good for our health. I and my partner try to avoid HFCS in our diet but that seems to be quite a difficult job as HFCS are present in almost all processed food items. I have cut down on my agave syrup consumption because of it’s high HFCS content.

Mr. Skeptic wanted to know what is so wrong about HFCS. Even I wanted to know about it. So I decided to do some research on HFCS. High fructose corn syrup is made of corn syrup and fructose. An enzymatic process is carried out to extract this fructose from the glucose present in corn syrup.

The cost involved is very less which makes it much cheaper than sugar. This is the reason why this is used in most of the processed food. Apart from being cheaper than sugar HFCS are much sweeter than sugar. They are also very easily to handle and transport. This is why you will find HFCS in most of the processed food items. The corn is first processed to corn starch. This starch is then converted to corn syrup, the main component of which is glucose. The glucose is then processed with enzymes to convert it to fructose.

The corn syrup which has a very content of fructose is made by adding the fructose to pure corn syrup. With the increasing rise in use of HFCs in the processed food items the intake of sugar in our diet is increasing leading to higher obesity among the American population which has become a matter of concern. But there are journals which are which are trying to justify the use of HFCs and their benefits leading to serious confusion. So far nothing has been concluded for sure about the harmfulness of the HFCs I have done quite a bit of research to find the truth.

I read lot of reviews, both in favor and against. It is not quite certain whether the HFCs that are used in most of the processed foods itself is to be blamed for the increased obesity among the population or there is something wrong with processing step, which may involve some ingredients which is making the HFCs worse. It is also possible dietary deficiencies in minerals or vitamins are worsened by the presence of HFCS in the diet. My extensive research on the reactions of fructose with body chemistry has left me startled. While high sugar consumption is always bad, fructose is even worse. The consequences of fructose consumption are indeed alarming. Manufacturers of HFCS are trying to justify the use of it.

Just as the Cigarette and tobacco companies tried to deny the adverse health effects of tobacco and smoking, the HFCS manufacturers are also trying to defend the HFCS. But there is definitely some health hazards associated. And it is always better to avoid it if there is a possible risk factor, even if it is not proven today. It is always better to cut down on HFCs in your diet. This means that you will have to cut down on processed food and eat more of fruits or vegetables – either fresh or freshly frozen. Remember simpler the food, better for your health.

If you want to know where you order healthy food online, you can check out my Bistro MD review.

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