High fructose corn syrup can be found in so much of our dietary intake that it is actually quite staggering. What affects does corn syrup have on the body?
Here are the top 5 reasons you should stop eating high fructose corn syrup altogether. The average American consumes almost 60 pounds of high fructose corn syrup every YEAR. Cutting it out of drinks and food will help you be more healthy and maybe even help you lose a little weight. So, let’s get started.
Reasons to Stop Eating HFCS
1. Obesity and Disease
A high amount of sugar intake in any form has the potential to lead to obesity and diseases like diabetes that come with being obese. One 20 ounce high fructose corn syrup sweetened soda, sports drink, or tea has the equivalent of 17 teaspoons of sugar. Considering the average intake of these drinks are about two per day, that it is a ton of sugar!
2. The way it is Digested
Regular cane sugar is made up of two sugar molecules that are bound together. Our bodies can safely break these down and process them. High fructose corn syrup has no chemical bond between molecules of sucrose and glucose, so no digestion is required. They are quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. Fructose travels directly to the liver and is the leading cause of liver damage in this country.
3. Contaminants
High fructose corn syrup can contain many contaminants, simply a by-product of the way it is produced. These contaminants can be as bad as heavy metals like mercury. With the amount of high fructose corn syrup that most Americans consume it is a wonder how these things slip past the FDA but they do and there isn’t anything we can get them to do.
4. Insulin Production
Fructose (what is absorbed by the body from high fructose corn syrup) does not stimulate insulin secretion like sucrose (cane sugar) does. Because insulin acts as key a signal in the regulation of food intake, making us think we’re full, this suggests that fructose may lead to increased caloric intake and weight gain.
5. It is a Marker of the Food you Consume
If you find “high fructose corn syrup” on the nutrition label you can bet that it is not whole, real, fresh food that is full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. High fructose corn syrup should be a big red flag when purchasing and consuming food.
The top 5 reasons to stop eating high fructose corn syrup are really simple. It can lead to disease, obesity, liver problems, and an overall unhealthy lifestyle.
Have you cut out high fructose corn syrup?
