People are what they put into their body. One of the reasons kids in my elementary school picture were all thin is in part due to the absence of high fructose corn syrup in our diet. Fructrose constitutes more than 40% of sweeteners consumption in western countries. High fructose corn syrup consumption increased by more than 1,000% between 1970 and 1990. This past decade alone people have switched from eating 16-20 grams of fructose to 60-100 grams every day – a dramatic 500% increase.
The most common form of fructose that Americans consume today is high fructose corn syrup. Previously sugar beets and sugar cane was our main source of sugar. Food manufacturers have found that corn syrup provides not only better flavor and stability but also foods stay fresher longer and the texture and color is better. And more importantly it is cheaper.
Fructose has the highest sweetness among all natural sugars, with its sweetness being about 1.8 times that of sugar (beet or cane sugar). However, corn fructose has many negative impacts on our health.
- Increased calorie intake: Corn fructose may stimulate appetite and promote overeating
- Fat accumulation: Corn fructose can be more easily converted into fat in the liver and other tissues leading to weight gain and fatty liver.
- Insulin resistance: Corn fructose consumption can impair insulin sensitivity, making it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar levels
- Inflammation: Corn fructose can trigger inflammation in the body, which can contribute to weight gain and other metabolic disease
Another characteristic of corn fructose is it is the only sweetener that does not require insulin to enter into cells. In other words it can go directly into your cells without any regulation from the body.
When it comes to cancer, studies suggest that cancers preferentially use high corn fructose as fuel to accelerate their growth. In fact epidemiological studies have revealed that cancer growth is fueled by high fructose corn syrup.
There is a subtle movement in the food industry to use less corn fructose. But it ultimately is up to people to decide what they eat.
Terry Pfau DO, HMD