HFCS Is Killing Us Sweetly

High fructose corn syrup is NOT a part of nature’s plan.  The fructose found in fruits however, IS.  Organic orange…GOOD, orange soda…BAD.  An orange comes in nature’s package, complete with fiber, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and an amount of fructose, (bound to glucose) that the human body is designed to digest and metabolize slowly and easily.

HFCS delivers such a heavy “punch” of fructose that it overwhelms the system and sends it into a metabolic tailspin.  Without fiber or nutrients to slow down its digestion, AND because the fructose is not bound to glucose as in nature’s sugar, the fructose in HFCS bypasses digestion and heads at warp speed straight to the liver for metabolism.  There it is “spit out” as triglycerides and cholesterol.  Yep, that’s FAT.

TV commercials would have you believe you are eating something sweet that won’t hurt you because it doesn’t spike your insulin.  BUT…what they aren’t telling you is that it will give you high cholesterol and make you fat. 

It’s no wonder the increase in consumption of HFCS is directly related to the increase in metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension and heart disease.  Not to mention fatty liver and liver damage.  Because alcohol and HFCS are metabolized in similar ways by the liver, more and more people are now suffering from nonalcoholic fatty liver, leading to hepatic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

HFCS contributes to hypertension in yet another way, (besides through metabolic syndrome), by interfering with the body’s production of nitric oxide needed for blood vessel relaxation and smooth blood flow.  This lack of nitric oxide can also lead to coronary artery disease and erectile dysfunction. Enough said. 

Moreover, since HFCS does not directly stimulate an insulin response, there is no insulin to trigger the hormone leptin (the body’s appetite suppressant), and the cycle of overeating fructose laden carbohydrates that are converted to fat, leading to obesity and disease, goes unchecked.

Do you really want to consume food products that are metabolized directly into fat? 

But wait…it gets worse.  HFCS has been found to damage the lining of the intestines, allowing for toxic gut bacteria and undigested food particles to leak out into the blood stream causing immune reactions, (leading to auto-immune conditions), and wide spread inflammation, which is the root cause of most diseases. 

Americans are eating toxic levels of HFCS and it shows in our declining health.  The best way to avoid the harmful effects of HFCS is to eat whole foods and avoid anything packaged.  (Which is of course the mantra of healthy individuals worldwide).  If you must buy packaged food—especially if it is sweet-- PLEASE read the label and steer clear of any products that include high fructose corn syrup in their ingredients.  

Here is a short list of the worst culprits:

Sodas—20 oz. soda has 15 teaspoons of sugar—all HFCS

Breakfast cereals and bars

Sauces and dressings

Crackers

Processed snacks

The fructose that nature provides in the form of fruits, comes in their own healthy packaging of fiber and nutrients.  The fructose is in a quantity that our bodies can deal with, like the tickle of a feather, as opposed to the sledgehammer effect of fructose in HFCS.  Also, the fiber in fruits helps slow down the release of sugar into the blood stream to reduce the cortisol rollercoaster. 

For guidance and support on your journey to better health, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.