High Fructose Corn Syrup Dangers -- Are They Real?
We've all heard about high fructose corn syrup for years. Now... just when we are thoroughly convinced that it is bad, the media hits us with commercials telling us it isn't so. So what should we believe? Let's find out.
High fructose corn syrup dangers -- Are they real?
Until the 1900s most of the sugar we ate and our food was sweetened with was sucrose which comes from sugar beets or sugar cane. To save money, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was added.
In 1980, the average person ate 39 pounds of fructose and 84 pounds of sucrose. By 1994, the average person ate 83 pounds of fructose and 66 pounds of sucrose. Here's where the bad rap begins.
Many researchers began pointing out that obesity levels increase due to the high amounts of fructose in our foods. But, as you can see, not only did the fructose levels increase but the total amount of sugars increased. So is the culprit of obesity due to the fructose intake or just due to the fact that Americans are eating more total sugar than ever? Makes one think, doesn't it?
Sugar, sugar everywhere!
High fructose corn syrup foods are everywhere -- soft drinks, baked goods, yogurts, salad dressings, and ketchup. When you start trying, it's pretty difficult to avoid sugar. Unfortunately, there are no daily allowances for added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that women eat no more than 100 calories per day from added sugar and men add no more than 150.
When it's all said and done, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. The more calories you eat, the more weight you are going to gain. High fructose corn syrup isn't any worse for you than any other type of sugar. So, relax and don't worry about high fructose corn syrup. Concentrate instead on eating less sugar.