I've mentioned before that we actively avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup in this house. That link contains a video which explains why in excruciating scientific detail. Bottom line: it's bad for you, y'all. Now I'm reading from several different sources that they (whoever "they" are, probably the companies that make HFCS) want to change the name to "corn sugar." You know, to show us that it's just ... sugar. Made from corn. Nevermind that it is not chemically identical to beet or cane sugar, and that it is metabolized differently, or that obesity and diabetes have increased dramatically since its introduction 20 years ago...
Here's the thing, even if I'm wrong - even if HFCS and sugar are identical in terms of their impact on health... by avoiding HFCS or "corn sugar," I'm avoiding things like soda, prepackaged cookies, white bread and buns, and a bunch of other heavily processed low-fiber cheap junk food. I'm avoiding high calorie salad dressings, but I'm still eating salads. And they taste better! It's not any hardship to read the labels and buy a barbecue sauce without HFCS. Heinz has even come out with an HFCS-free "Simply Heinz" ketchup.
Even if HFCS is no worse for us than sugar, avoiding it is a good way to make sure that I'm not eating too much processed, cheap crap. So even if they change the name to "corn sugar," I'll continue to avoid it.
How about you?
2 comments:
We don't complete avoid it yet, but I have been reducing it greatly over the past few years. I know more than one diabetic person who says HFCS spikes their blood sugar much worse than the same amount of sugars from real sugar. So their is no question that are bodies process it different.
I doubt anyone is going to be fooled by the re-branding.
We are starting to eliminate it from our diets, but still have it lurking around here and there. Sooner or later we'll be rid of it all together, whether "IT" is HFCS or "Corn Sugar."
I think it's disturbingly hilarious how the people who manufacture HFCS have these commercials out to tell us that HFCS is just like sugar. It always reminds me of Obi Wan in Star Wars playing his Jedi mind tricks. You know..."These are not the droids you're looking for."
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