High-Fructose Corn Syrup

The evils of trans fats are well known, but what is wrong with high-fructose corn syrup? "It is bad for you," said Mackin, an office manager, insisted, "really unhealthy." But when a journalist pressed for further explanation, she failed. "It is - finally, I'm not sure, but I know that this is not good, "she finally said.

"You sound like those advertisements," laughed her husband Doug.

These advertisements are two points that are the focus of an 18-month campaign, launched this month by the Association of corn refiners (ARC) in an effort to give high fructose, corn syrup -- Public enemy no. 1 to many advocates healthy eating - an image of beauty. In an announcement, a mother pays a glass of red punch in another, a woman offered him a boyfriend colored cherry Popsicle. Both are confronted on the health effects of high fructose corn syrup, but each loan has this response: High-fructose syrup is made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is acceptable to eat in moderation.

This is certainly contrary to public perception popular. In our post-World Fast Food Nation, high-fructose corn syrup is to contribute to any reviled by the epidemic of obesity to higher rates of diabetes in children. So, which side is correct: Does the devil or sweets perfectly a wonder of nature?

The answer is somewhere in between, but high-fructose corn syrup is to find defenders of unusual corners. The American Medical Association recently announced its annual report to policy-making meeting in Chicago that high glucose syrup fructose does not contribute to obesity more than sugar or other caloric sweeteners. Even Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, has come to an agreement. He criticized early versions of the ARC advertising campaign for its claims that high fructose corn syrup is a "natural" product. "High-fructose corn syrup begins with cornstarch, which is chemically degraded or enzyme glucose and short-term glucose polymers. Another enzyme is then used to convert the different fractions of glucose to fructose," said Jacobson . "High-fructose corn syrup can not exist in nature." But he admits that the sweetener is a bum rap. "The panel of the harmfulness of high-fructose corn syrup has become one of those urban myths that sounds right, but it is fundamentally wrong. Nutritional, high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose May be identical. "

Even the scientists who first floated the idea of a link between high-fructose corn syrup American and rising rates of obesity are not so sure. Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, and Dr. George Bray of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge issued a very read and cited the paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2004 noting that rising high - syrup fructose corn consumption parallel the rising rate of obesity in the USA and have hypothesized that the way fructose is metabolized could only be fattening. But the authors say they are immediately put a theory. It was designed to inspire further study, not a definitive statement.

Nutritionist, author and Food Policy Dean Marion Nestle blog and has written numerous books on the issue and said in response to advertising, "Many people think high fructose corn syrup is the new trans fat. It is not. ... Biochemical, it is roughly the same as table sugar (the two have roughly the same amount of calories and fructose), but it is in everything and Americans eat a lot of it - nearly 60 lb. Per capita in 2006, just under pounds of table sugar. High fructose corn syrup is not a poison, but eat less of any type of sugar is a good idea these days and anything that promotes eating more is not. "

And therein lies the problem. The advertisements say that just as sugar, high fructose corn syrup is not unhealthy when consumed in moderation. But it is difficult to know exactly how much of it we are consuming because it appears that many foods unexpected. "It's in my children vitamins!" Elise said Mackin. Because high-fructose corn syrup extends the shelf life of food, agricultural subsidies and make it less expensive than sugar, it adds to a staggering range of issues, including fruity yogurts, cereals, crackers, ketchup and bread - and in most foods marketed for children. So, unless you make a concerted effort to avoid it, it is quite difficult to consume high fructose corn syrup in moderation. "We did a survey on consumers," said Doug Radi Boulder, Colorado, on the basis of Rudi organic breads, and less than 25% of them realized that high-fructose syrup Corn is commonly used in bread. "

Rudi's has launched its own advertising campaign during the summer, Colorado encourage consumers to read the ingredients and nutritional labels before buying staple foods such as bread. The company aims to get people to choose Rudi, since its breads are free of high fructose corn syrup. "Bread is one of those food products which has a halo of health - water, flour, yeast and salt. All Natural," Radi said, "but today there are often 15 unpronounceable, unnecessary ingredients. "

But where does that leave the average consumer? "I hate advertising," says Doug Mackin, "but they make you think. I am still not convinced. And I prefer to eat all natural products, but I am a little less likely to Freak Out if my child drinks fruit punch at a party. "