The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

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starter
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The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

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Thanks to Girevik for bringing the issue about high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to my attention (http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13083). I found the following article about HFCS:

"High-fructose corn syrup is known for its widespread use among the food supply. From residing in soft drinks, juice beverages, processed foods, and even ‘all-natural’ products, high-fructose corn syrup has been subject to a large degree of controversy. The Corn Refiners Association (CRA), a large organization that represents the corn refining industry, has continued to assert that high-fructose corn syrup is completely safe and perfectly ‘natural’, yet many health experts are calling the organization out on their claims. In fact, the CRA even attempted to changed the name of high-fructose corn syrup to ‘corn sugar’ as research revealed the true nature of the substance.

What the research shows is that high-fructose corn syrup is not the same as regular table sugar, despite the claims of the CRA and advocates of the ingredient. In fact, one study performed by Princeton found that high-fructose corn syrup ingestion in rats prompted considerably more weight gain than table sugar — even when caloric intake was the same. The team found that when rats consumed levels of high-fructose corn syrup considerably below the amount present in soda, they became obese. It wasn’t an isolated incident, either. According to Princeton weight and sugar addiction professor Bart Hoebel, all of the rats in the study became obese after being administered the levels of high-fructose corn syrup.

Even more concerning than the link between obesity and high-fructose corn syrup, however, is the fact that high-fructose corn syrup has been found to contain the toxic element mercury. Toxic in all forms, two studies found that around half of tested high-fructose corn syrup samples contained mercury. What’s more, mercury was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products which contained high-fructose corn syrup as the first-or-second-highest labeled ingredient. Despite public outrage over the findings and consumer groups demanding the FDA to take action, the agency has still done nothing to address the presence of mercury in the processed food supply.

Common food items that contain high-fructose corn syrup include:

Soda
Juice beverages
Iced tea products
Yogurt
Breakfast cereals
Breads and baked goods
Breakfast bars
Salad dressings
Candy bars
Ketchup"


[http://naturalsociety.com/high-fructose ... z33iqrkqA9]

This article made me wonder about the safety of the afore-mentioned foods. Why must HFCS be added to food, if it's already found to be so contraversial ?

I guess we simply can't avoid harmful ingradients in our foods (even organic foods are not really much safer, to my knowledge), so it's better to eat things in moderation, and better unprocessed.

Thanks and metta!
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manas
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Re: The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

Post by manas »

I recall hearing that most hfcs is from corn that was genetically modified, which would make sense as much corn is nowadays, and so I would be very careful not to put any of that toxic muck into my body, ever. A good way to avoid it is to eat a wholefoods, organic diet.

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Mkoll
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Re: The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

Post by Mkoll »

starter wrote:This article made me wonder about the safety of the afore-mentioned foods. Why must HFCS be added to food, if it's already found to be so contraversial ?
It's cheap and it's sweet. Manufacturers are willing to overlook negative health effects of their products if they sell well enough --- just look at cigarettes. Plus, your average consumer values taste and/or convenience over possible negative health effects of ingredients --- fast food is a case in point.
starter wrote:I guess we simply can't avoid harmful ingradients in our foods (even organic foods are not really much safer, to my knowledge), so it's better to eat things in moderation, and better unprocessed.

Thanks and metta!
Yes, that is good advice.

Organic foods are better if you can afford them. Not only do you avoid pesticides and GMOs, but organic food also keeps our environment cleaner than conventional food. Also, they taste better IMO.

See the list below for a list of foods that you should buy organic.
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php
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Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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TheNoBSBuddhist
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Re: The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

Post by TheNoBSBuddhist »

I'm far more concerned about the honest evils of aspartame. God that stuff is revolting!

And the fact you can eat it, is down to pure political manipulation, and financial greed.
The product is poison. Total, sheer poison.
:namaste:

You will not be punished FOR your 'emotions'; you will be punished BY your 'emotions'.



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Mkoll
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Re: The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

Post by Mkoll »

TheNoBSBuddhist wrote:I'm far more concerned about the honest evils of aspartame. God that stuff is revolting!

And the fact you can eat it, is down to pure political manipulation, and financial greed.
The product is poison. Total, sheer poison.
Yes, thanks to our good friends at Monsanto, who were also makers of other very harmful chemicals such as PCBs, dioxins, DDT, Agent Orange, and rBGH.

Anything to make a buck.
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TheNoBSBuddhist
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Re: The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

Post by TheNoBSBuddhist »

Yachgh, the stuff is revolting I honestly do not know how anyone can literally stomach the stuff; all I know is that I can detect it at the very first taste, and if I eat it it makes me very sick.

Do you know that the diet industry has controlled things to such an extent that it is completely impossible to buy any brand of chewing gum in the UK - that DOESN'T have aspartame in it?

It's ALL sugar free. All of it.

Except kid's gum.
That's still mercifully free of this rubbish.

Why?
Because it's classified as unsafe for consumption by children.

Who probably drink gallons of sugar-free fizzy drinks....
*gag*
:namaste:

You will not be punished FOR your 'emotions'; you will be punished BY your 'emotions'.



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Pay attention, simplify, and (Meditation instruction in a nutshell) "Mind - the Gap."
‘Absit invidia verbo’ - may ill-will be absent from the word. And mindful of that, if I don't respond, this may be why....
Denisa
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Re: The safety of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup?

Post by Denisa »

To me sugar is a poison that you'll easily get addicted to. Overloading The Liver With Fructose Can Cause Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Also read sweet poison.

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