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High Fructose Corn Syrup...Friend or Foe? High fructose corn syrup has become a favorite substitute for sucrose in carbonated beverages, baked goods, canned fruits, jams and jellies, and dairy products. The major use of high fructose corn syrup in the world is the United States; however, high fructose corn syrup is now manufactured and used in many countries throughout the world. In the United States, it is the major source of caloric sweeteners in soft drinks and many other sweetened beverages and is included in numerous other foods. It was in the 1970s when high fructose corn syrup was introduced and became industrialized. It was also in the later 1970s that the import of sugar became expensive due to new tariffs. Because of this manufacturers started looking for a sugar substitute that was less costly. Around this same time the government was subsidizing corn. Due to it being overproduced it was therefore much lower in price than sugar. In the early 1980s, high fructose corn syrup really took a leap due to Coke and Pepsi utilizing it in their sodas. Today you can find it in almost everything that was at one point in time sweetened with sugar. In fact, the United States is the major user of high fructose corn syrup in the world. There is research that indicates a major difference on how fructose and glucose work within our body. Glucose depends on insulin to enter the cells of our body. By doing so it also enters the brain and sends a signal to you to stop eating. Fructose does not use insulin and the amount that enters the brain is therefore limited, so you do not get the appropriate signal to stop eating. Also when you have a large fructose intake, because of the carbon load from the fructose molecules, it causes the body to produce fat. There is also recent research, some supported by the beverage industry, which suggests that high fructose corn syrup isn’t any less healthy than other sweeteners, nor is it the root cause of obesity. The only problem is that the upward trend in obesity directly correlates to our consumption of high fructose corn syrup. Several environmental agents, including reduced levels of physical activity, a decrease in smoking, increased portion size, eating outside the home and at fast-food restaurants, and changes in the types of food that are ingested, have been suggested. Research suggests that the increased intake of soft drinks and other sweetened beverages have led to increases in total caloric and fructose consumption that are important contributors to the current epidemic of obesity. Affinity Body Solutions takes pride in providing a medical weight loss program that teaches you what foods will accelerate weight loss and which foods are unhealthy and counterproductive to your weight loss goal. We understand that obesity can be prevented by what we eat. Your weight loss goal is determined by your height, age, previous medical history and desired results. Not everyone benefits from the same weight loss program, so we tailor our medical weight loss program for your body and lifestyle. |