HFCS high fructose corn syrup is responsible for a
dangerous epidemic of obesity and diabetes, only in
the USA.
But, if data originating in that country can be applied
to other nations in the habit of consuming fast foods in their
diets — then, the epidemic is almost universal and its dangers
are real.
People under the age of 40 are "children of the corn."
Like Stephen King's thriller, they are reaping the consequences
of the food cartel’s high fructose corn syrup
(HFCS).
They were children in the late 70s, 80s and 90s when
high fructose corn syrup was introduced to the American food
supply as a cheap replacement for sugar. Now many of them are
struggling with an epidemic of obesity and diabetes, also being
referred to as diabesity.
A new survey shows the number of people who said "I
would like to lose 20 pounds" jumped from 54 percent in 1985 to
61 percent in 2005 — and growing steadily.
There is a 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs
old since 1990. The percentage of overweight children in the
United States has tripled since 1980. The epidemic of type 2
diabetes cases across the nation is likely to lead to a
substantially higher incidence of strokes among middle-aged
adults and newly diagnosed diabetics. (See: Food Politics
by M. Nestle).
There is a rising cry of outrage that HFCS high fructose
corn syrup is responsible for this epidemic of obesity and
diabetes. It is getting difficult to find a food product at the
grocery store or McDonalds that
is not loaded with HFCS. One 20-ounce bottle of Coke, Pepsi, Mt
Dew, Sprite or Dr. Pepper is the equivalent of pouring 17
teaspoons of sugar straight into your body. HFCS is the leading
ingredient after carbonated water in these beverages. Women who
drink at least one regular soda a day are 85 percent more likely
to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drink less. It also
leads to tooth decay. (See: Sugar Blues by W. Dufty and
Sugar Busters by H. L. Stewart).
High Fructose Corn Syrup is found in fruit drinks like
Capri Sun, Sunny Delight, Snapple, Hawaiian Punch, and Ocean
Spray Cranberry Juice. It is also found in chocolate drinks like
Yoohoo, Arizona Tea, SoBe Beverages, cookies, ice cream, Campbell
soup, Heinz Ketchup, Ragu, Aunt Jemima Syrup, Hershey's Syrup,
Breyers Yogurt, Kraft Barbecue Sauce and almost all breakfast
cereals.
People who use HFCS as a sweetener increase their triglycerides
32 percent relative to people who use mostly sugar, according to
University of Minnesota professor John Bantle. The body
metabolizes high fructose corn syrup differently than sugar. It
blunts the body's ability to recognize when it is full and
increases a person's appetite. The other hypothalamic effect is
that it becomes accumulated fat, because blunts the insulin
response.
That’s serious enough to discontinue its being
added to almost the entire foodstuff the United States produces
and packages for domestic consumption and exports.
High Fructose Corn Syrup puts people at risk for metabolic
syndrome. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Metabolic syndrome is a
cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk
for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having just one of these
conditions — increased blood pressure, elevated insulin
levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol
levels — contributes to the risk of serious disease. In
combination, that risk is even greater." (See my contribution in
Spanish by this name).
There is a rise in uric acid in the bloodstream that occurs after
fructose is consumed. The temporary spike of HFCS blocks the
action of insulin, which typically regulates how body cells use
and store sugar and other food nutrients for energy. If uric acid
levels are frequently elevated, over time features of metabolic
syndrome may develop, including high blood pressure, obesity and
elevated blood cholesterol levels.
Research by the U. S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) reveals that high fructose diets shorten the
life span of laboratory mice from the normal two years to a mere
five weeks.
Overweight Hispanic-American children who consume lots
of sugary foods and drinks show signs of pancreatic beta cell
decline – a forerunner of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Southern California came to that
conclusion after studying 63 overweight Hispanic children, ages 9
to 13, all without diabetes. The team tracked the children's
eating habits and also took blood samples before and after giving
them sweets.
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