high fructose corn syrup

[My sister's princess]

Bumber, I am sorry to hear that your family has so many issues, I also find it very interesting that you have had such dramatic issues, have any of these been documented and studied by a Dr.? I would imagine that a Dr., armed with this research could approach someone about getting the product pulled

 

[princessmom29]

I know I will be flamed, but if you read Dr Oz's book, You on a Diet, it says to avoid HFCS or any type of "syrup" in the ingredients. It states if you gotta have an artificial sweetener, stay away from aspartame and go for sucralose (Splenda) if you must use one. I know many of you think he is a quack, but I personally like him and trust the findings.

You need to look at who is giving him money before you decide to trust his "findings" completely. He is getting paid by companies that make a lot of the things he pushes as healthy. I don't fully trust any "doctor" that is paid endorser of products. It saps their obectivity considerably. Just saying be completely informed about someone's motivation before you put complete trust in them.


As far as HCFS: From what i have read as fra as research findings it seems that in some people a high level of fructose, the sugar found naturally in fruit, as opposed to sucrose, which is equaly parts frutose and glucose, can have adverse effects when consumed long term, including lessened ability to regulate blood sugar. There is no evidence I have seen from an actual scientific study to support advers effects on behavior, only anecdotal evidence. I personally think that limiting anything porcessed is a good idea, but the research doesn't show some huge red flag to me that says HCFS is any worse than any other porcessed food additive. My rule of thumb is that natural is always better if you can get it, but I am not going to tell my kid she can never have birthday cake or candy. I will just try to limit how much of it comes inot my house without being militant or going nuts about it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think a ton of people are afraid of anything thats "processed" but I mean, sugar canes aren't a big straw full of white crystals. Plenty of processing and chemical treatments are done to sugar cane and beet sugar before its suitable for human consumption.

That's a really good point. And makes it so mysterious as to why taking something and processing it MORE would cause such a problem. I think about these things often.

I can't say she's *my* friend, but she's friends with a friend of mine...the woman and her three daughters cannot have corn of ANY kind. They all have frightening, anger-filled reactions to any corn.

I was so glad to realize that DS can have some corn products...

Though I will say personally...I do prefer soda sweetened with sugar, though that can be hard to find.

Glad your doctor doesn't have a reaction and hasn't figured out that some of his patients likely are having reactions as well.

I prefer cane sugar soda as well.

Not sure if Costco's issue with Coke caused them to stop stocking this, but we occasionally buy Mexican-bottled Coke (in glass bottles!) there. It's SO delicious.

What soda do you buy?

Along with Jones (which I hate), Thomas Kemper root beer and their other sodas went back to cane sugar about a year ago.

And of course there are the health food store sodas (but READ the labels b/c some of them are tricky), but those take a long time to get used to, if you're used to the mainstream stuff.

Ok, so a question to those who avoid it, themselves and their families,

How do you handle birthday parties? Do your kids just politely say no thank you? Is it a battle with them, because they can't partake?

DS will be attending his first birthday party tomorrow. I was willing to bring our own stuff, as the mom said that her son gets a huge treat of a Carvel ice cream cake, and I can't find the ingredients. But she's WELL aware of sensitivities, and this is her son's first proper birthday party and she's going crazy making things lovely...she told me NOT to bring anything, that she will buy something DS can have. I might make/buy a bit of safe cake and put it in a cooler, just in case DS really wants a piece of cake as well...

There are some chocolate candies DS can have, and we focus on those. PLain chocolate is usually fine. Most Reeses peanut butter cups, and some KitKats are OK.

Why "most" and "some"? I wonder the same thing! Some packaging of them shows corn syrup or HFCS. Other packaging of the products does not include that. I have eaten both, and can detect a difference in taste. The stuff with HFCS has a funky taste on the tip of my tongue...almost a sharp taste that isn't good. The stuff without tastes normal. So we have to check every package...and at Halloween when DS might get bite size, we have to buy the "good" stuff and swap it out.

Halloween this year (first year he went properly trick or treating!) was a pain, b/c of that swapping business! But it's all to keep DS (and DH) healthy, so it was worth it.



I myself grew up in a health-food-based house. I know very well that too much limitation without explanation can lead down a bad road. However, I also had a dad who would fill us with junk food and send us home for my mom to deal with the consequences. So donuts, sodas, sugar cereals (and bologna sandwiches)...those all became part of the Super Fun Time at Dad's, while my mom's place was "boring" with homemade meals, vitamins, fruit, veggies (and homemade donuts which were deelish). And mom's was where we "came down" from the dad "food", so we never felt the effects while at dad's...you can see how I ended up wiht the freshman 15, er, 25 when I went away to college!

So we try to let DS be a partner in all of this. He can still remember his reactions from when he was 3, and he remembers hurting me too. He doesn't want to revisit those times. We TALK about why we eat the way we do, and I really hope that he can remember the talks, not just the relative deprivation, though gosh, homemade cake certainly isn't being deprived!

(ha, tell that to my not-so-secret LOVE for Costco cake, LOL, when I grew up with homemade chocolate cake with homemade frosting!).

 

[GoofyforDisney3]

Yes Splenda starts out as natural but as soon as you change the molecular structure it because a synthetic. Aspartame was put into foods without a full study. What is being found with Aspartame, is that it effects everyone differently. There is not one set answer like with sacchrine.

I think that is a big part of the HFCS debate also. For my family, we try to avoid it as much as possible. I can tell a difference in how my DD acts when she has a lot of it. She becomes more hyper and harder to focus. Basically just constantly moving. For me, I can tell a difference in my mood when I have a lot of it. I still will occasionally have a regular coke, but I have to work hard sometimes to keep a level temper if I get annoyed with something.

 

[buckler]

Here is a study that was recently completed

High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats

 

[bumbershoot]

I keep forgetting!

DH has a friend who is a "Coke fiend" LOL. He is a big collector of CocaCola stuff.

DH had him look at the ingredients on the collected (unopened as well) cans from the 80s. Joe found that the cans of Coke BEFORE New Coke had cane sugar. Those cans are from the time that I would have a Snickers and a Coke for lunch, and would LOSE weight. The cans of "Classic" Coke, which were said to be the OLD formula after New Coke was so hated, were sweetened with HFCS.

I really hate conspiracy nonsense, but it certainly does *seem* that Coke wanted to change to the cheaper sweetener, knew that there was a taste difference, and came up with the period of New Coke in order for people to forget the taste of real Coke...

 

[princessmom29]

That's where I was going, but trying to avoid getting points

I don't see how stating a widely known fact could get you points? It's simply true that there is no research at all to support it. It COULD very well be happening in this specific case, but there are too many other variables at work to determine for sure without a scientifc study with a reasonable sample size.

 

[My sister's princess]

Bumber, I don't know if you saw when I asked, did you go to the Dr., it sounds like there are some serious medical issues!

 

[simba20]

I, too, am one of the people who avoids it. It's also hard to follow "morderation" when it's in nearly everything.

I also have a sensitivity to sugar, my family is diabetic, and I get through tests every year becaus eof this, but I have not been diagnosed as one. However, I tend to try to follow diabetic guidelines when I eat. Now that's not to say I don't allow myself to have a Coke/ice cream/Oreos/ etc every now and then, but I have become appaled while shopping and reading labels to find that HFCS is in nearly everything.

For my DD who is 2, I do allow her to eat like a kid (snacks and sweets every now and then), but I control how much she has -- and yes, Goldfish and gummy fruit snacks are a staple in her diaper bag. But at home, when she asks for a fruit snack, instead of a bag of gummy goodness, she gets REAL FRUIT. Thankfully, she's a kid who eats almost everything (still trying to get her to like mushrooms....LOL).

"Fake" sugar -- Sweet & Low, Nutra Sweet, Splenda, get no respect in my book either. Why do I want to put something in my body that is fake. What is the point of taking REAL sugar and changing it's chemical structure to something else and still tryign to pass it off as sugar. I know that for me, I get eveil headaches when I try to eat anything with fake sugar. My motto is to eat the real thing, but eat less of it. My in-laws have their kitchen stocked with everything that is fake -- fake oil, fake butter, fake sugar. They buy this stuff to eat healthier/cut fat/make modifications, but why even add the fake butter to your veggies int he first place? Change your pallate, learn to eat and like fresh veggies steamed with nothing, but perhaps a dash of salt and pepper. I could go on........

Like Bumber...., I too have seen effects with children who have had HFCS products or even products with Red dye #40. A close frined of mine, gave her son the "fruit punch" test one day to confirm her hypothesis, and her child was just a total manaic. 10 years ago I took a special ed class for educators that also spoke about a possible link between autisim and diet (namely Red dye #40), although the buzz about HFCS wasn't quite loud at that time, I also wouldn't be surprised.

My child goes to daycare where they have class parties at different holidays. Yes, I allow her to eat the treats then and bring candy/treat bags home, but I know that at dinnertime I can control what she eats. Same thing for birthday parties. She gets to enjoy the cake and ice cream and everythign else, but then what comes home (treat bags) is rationed. Same for Halloween. Heck, we still have Christmas candy treat bags from school.

I just look at her, and knowing what sugar does to me (excessive hyperness or sleepiness), I just don;t think she needs that much of it.

And yes, I am THE MOM who brings sandwhiches (turkey, ham), orange slices, baby carrots divided into quarters and other healthy items to my daughter's class parties. I know the other parents will drop off the candy/cookies/cup cakes so I provide balance.

 

[Sparx]

I keep forgetting!

DH has a friend who is a "Coke fiend" LOL. He is a big collector of CocaCola stuff.

DH had him look at the ingredients on the collected (unopened as well) cans from the 80s. Joe found that the cans of Coke BEFORE New Coke had cane sugar. Those cans are from the time that I would have a Snickers and a Coke for lunch, and would LOSE weight. The cans of "Classic" Coke, which were said to be the OLD formula after New Coke was so hated, were sweetened with HFCS.

I really hate conspiracy nonsense, but it certainly does *seem* that Coke wanted to change to the cheaper sweetener, knew that there was a taste difference, and came up with the period of New Coke in order for people to forget the taste of real Coke...

Coke also used to contain cocaine.

 

[simba20]

Oh I wanted to add.....there's a FABOLOUS documentary called "King Corn" in which two college grads, want to follow what happens to corn in our country.

The both grow an acre of corn and try to follow it's path.

Most of the corn grown on farms today is not edible. It's used primarly for other products (fuel, HFCS, feed). You try to eat it, it tastes like sawdust.

Also, most cattle that are fed on "grain" or feed, have to be slaughtered anyway, as the corn tears up their stomachs. Of course grass fed cattle take years to get big enough to be sold for beef, so corn is the way to get the cows big enough for production.

The guys also try to make their own HFCS at home-- the most interesting part--really doesn't want to make me eat the stuff when poison is mixed with corn to render the product.

If you liked "Supersize Me" and "Food Inc.," you will like this.

 

[simba20]

I keep forgetting!

DH has a friend who is a "Coke fiend" LOL. He is a big collector of CocaCola stuff.

DH had him look at the ingredients on the collected (unopened as well) cans from the 80s. Joe found that the cans of Coke BEFORE New Coke had cane sugar. Those cans are from the time that I would have a Snickers and a Coke for lunch, and would LOSE weight. The cans of "Classic" Coke, which were said to be the OLD formula after New Coke was so hated, were sweetened with HFCS.

I really hate conspiracy nonsense, but it certainly does *seem* that Coke wanted to change to the cheaper sweetener, knew that there was a taste difference, and came up with the period of New Coke in order for people to forget the taste of real Coke...

These companies are also promoting "made with cane sugar" editions of their products for a limited time. I just think to myself "why not go back to using it?"

Oh yes, because if they used REAL sugar the price of soda would rise. As opposed to HFCS which is used because it's cheap. Cheap and easy. Cheap and sleazy.

However, if the prices of Coke were to rise, maybe people would begin to think twice about buying junk foods.

But then again, ciggarette prices have been raised and taxed and people still buy them. Oh well.

 

[princessmom29]

Oh I wanted to add.....there's a FABOLOUS documentary called "King Corn" in which two college grads, want to follow what happens to corn in our country.

The both grow an acre of corn and try to follow it's path.

Most of the corn grown on farms today is not edible. It's used primarly for other products (fuel, HFCS, feed). You try to eat it, it tastes like sawdust.

Also, most cattle that are fed on "grain" or feed, have to be slaughtered anyway, as the corn tears up their stomachs. Of course grass fed cattle take years to get big enough to be sold for beef, so corn is the way to get the cows big enough for production.

The guys also try to make their own HFCS at home-- the most interesting part--really doesn't want to make me eat the stuff when poison is mixed with corn to render the product.

If you liked "Supersize Me" and "Food Inc.," you will like this.

Food inc. is FULL of inaccuracies. As a sicence teacher I won't use it in my calsses because a lot of what it protrays as the norm in the food industry is just NOT. I worked at one time as a feed nutrition chemist, so I have seen first hand a fair number of the inaccuracies. They use a broad brush to paint an entire industry as using practices that I know for a fact are not used in many companies.

 

[Aristomommy]

My family has avoided HFCS for quite a while now. Why? After working on my Master's and studying childhood obesity, we decided to focus on natural ingredients, locally grown foods and natural sweeteners such as pure maple syrup wherever possible. I have also watched Food Inc which I know may not be 100% accurate but can give us something to think about how food is made in this country. The biggest problem I have with HFCS is that it is in EVERYTHING. Most foods that are on sale, have coupons for them or advertised have HFCS as one of the first 5 ingredients. It is processed, cheap and there are studies linking it to obesity.

 

[Ember]

I would be worried if I was ingesting a lot of anything that was manmade. We buy soda without it. We rarely eat candy that has it. I really believe that the obsesity problems we are having in this country are related to the high level of use of HFCS. I always make sure I read lables and eliminate all altered materials as much as possible. Why would anyone purposefully use lots of any man made sweetner when there are plenty of naturally sweet foods available?

Do you wonder why the increase in all types of cancers, diabetes, obesity, heart disease? Modified fats, sweetners and other chemically altered items we put in our bodies very well could be the reason.

This is incorrect. Many types of cancer are showing a steady decrease in both incidence and death rates. While some specific cancers have shown an increase in incidence, overall, incidences of all cancers is down.

There are many studies out there to verify this, but here's a summery from a New York Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/health/research/26cancer.html

I have no issues what so ever with people eating whatever they want or avoiding things they don't wish to consume. But to spread blatantly false information is nothing but a scare tactic.

 

[Nicolepa]

My FIL is a dentist. He said that when flouride use became common the instance of cavities disappeared. When HFCS start becoming super common the amount of cavities skyrockted. Since our water is not flourinated I decided to take HFCS out of our house and see what happened. I noticed 2 things. 1.) W/O any other changes I lost 20 pounds. I ate all the same foods, just found HFCS free alternatives. 2.) My daughter who had regular cavities has not had a cavity since. (It's been almost 2 years.)

I have also noticed in the last year or so that companies are switching back to real sugar. Lots of the foods that I had banned now do not have HFCS in them.

 

[simba20]

I have no issues what so ever with people eating whatever they want or avoiding things they don't wish to consume. But to spread blatantly false information is nothing but a scare tactic.

This is basically how I am. Whatever people want to eat is fine. i do not lecture, brag, or boast. If asked, then I will speak and simply make my point to be "It's not for me." If asked more, then I give more.

Again, I let people be. However, it was at Thanksgiving one year with my in-laws, I realized how much "fake" stuff they used and thought to myself "hmmmm, wonder why their "diets" donl't work?" I didn't say this out loud, but just had the thought.

 

[lemondog]

I do try and avoid buying products with HFCS but like everything else, I believe it's okay in moderation. I do try my best to buy "natural" products but sometimes I don't, and that's okay too. What I focus on is less-processed food, more whole, natural foods. Lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains and I do buy bread, spaghetti sauce, chocolate syrup, ketchup, etc. made without HFCS. Unfortunately, most of these products are more expensive, and the cost is what prohibits me from going totally organic, especially on things like meat and dairy products. We go through 3 gallons of skim milk per week, the cost for regular, hormone-free milk is $2.59/gallon. The cost of the organic skim milk is $5.49/gallon. You do the math.

 

[Geoff_M]

Here is a study that was recently completed

High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats

Here's the shocking summary statement at the end of that abstract: "Translated to humans, these results suggest that excessive consumption of HFCS may contribute to the incidence of obesity." Well, slap me silly! I didn't see that one coming. Anyone willing to bet what the effects are of "excessive consumption of cane-based sugar" on the incidence of obesity in humans? I think it's safe to say that it's the "excessive consumption" part of the equation that the root of the problem, and not the "-crose" that's being used.

 

[buckler]

Here's the full paper
http://www.foodpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/HFCS_Rats_10.pdf