• james
• Feb 19,2009
• In: Health & Fitness, Healthy Lifestyle

Should High Fructose Corn Syrup be Public Enemy #1?

Recently, the Corn Refiners of America have decided to launch a PR campaign to convince fat America that there is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. They currently have two nationally syndicated commercials, the first of which shows a woman pouring her kids juice, when another parent objects to the nutritional content of the juice. The second commercial observes a couple on a picnic, when the female offers her man a bite of her Popsicle and he questions it’s nutritional value. In both commercials, the person who objects is put on the spot about what is really so bad about High Fructose Corn Syrup, and they stammer and are unable to answer. We are then reminded that High Fructose Corn Syrup is “all natural, made from corn, and fine in moderation.”

You can watch the commercials here on Alpha Mantra:

“Juice Parents” - High Fructose Corn Syrup Commercial
“Picnic Popsicle” - High Fructose Corn Syrup Commercial

Personally, in the second commercial he’s probably at a loss for words because he was just bullshitting so he would get to watch the chick finish off her Popsicle.

Alpha Man Law - Watching a woman eat a Popsicle is far superior to enjoying one yourself.

So is High Fructose Corn Syrup Public enemy #1, or is as American as the Apple Pie’s we form from it? First we need to understand the arguments on both sides. Mass public health concern over this sweetener came to the forefront after Supersize Me explained how bad McDonald’s is for you, and then went on to explain that the soda is the worst part of the meal because unlike the Burger, it actually has NO nutritional value whatsoever.

It’s true, soda manufacturers switched over from table sugar to High Fructose Corn Syrup in the 1970s because it was cheaper to make, had a longer shelf-life, and because the resulting product would taste about 20 times sweeter than the original. This will cause the number of Americans drinking Fructose beverages to rise 135% over the next 30 years. And it gets worse:

Drinking high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the main ingredient in most soft drinks throughout the world, increases your triglyceride levels and your LDL (bad) cholesterol. These effects only occurred in the study participants who drank fructose — not glucose.

It actually gets worse. In explaining how soda is the worst part of a meal, you need to understand first that High Fructose Corn Syrup is the #1 source of calories in the US. Then you need to understand that fat has 250% more calories than sugar in an equal size portion to fully experience the gravity of the previous statement.

High Fructose Corn Syrup wouldn’t be the tyrant if it was only in soda. Most people are aware that soda is not the healthiest beverage option out there, neither are flaming shots of alcohol, but sometimes you have to let loose. The problem has grown exponentially because High Fructose Corn Syrup is in EVERYTHING! It’s in almost all processed foods, but it’s even in seemingly innocent foods too. A study by Rudi’s Organic Breads (a healthy bread manufacturing company) recently found that only 25% of Americans are aware that High Fructose Corn Syrup is commonly used in bread.

My favorite analogy is still the Burger. The Bun is made with corn and corn syrup, the the meat is raised on a corn diet, the tomatoes and onions are covered in a corn wax, the ketchup you put on it has High Fructose Corn Syrup, and the soda you wash it all down with? Corn again. Gross.

So we understand that High Fructose Corn Syrup is everywhere, how about the argument that it’s “Natural?” Let’s take a quick look at how High Fructose Corn Syrup is made, as expained by Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

High-fructose corn syrup starts out as cornstarch, which is chemically or enzymatically degraded to glucose and some short polymers of glucose. Another enzyme is then used to convert varying fractions of glucose into fructose. High-fructose corn syrup just doesn’t exist in nature.

So it’s made from corn, but not exactly naturally. How about the final statement, that it’s fine in moderation? Well technically that one’s true. Obviously you’re better off with no High Fructose Corn Syrup, but having small amounts won’t have a significant negative impact on your health. The problem is, how do you consume something in moderation that is artificially injected into everything on the planet? High Fructose Corn Syrup is not inherently more likely to cause obesity, diabetes or heart disease than copious amounts of sugar, but you’re much more likely to unknowingly ingest more High Fructose Corn Syrup than you realize than you are with table sugar, and there in lies the problem.

You don’t have to quit High Fructose Corn Syrup cold turkey, but you should probably do your best to avoid it in any products you buy on a regular basis. If you’re not checking ingredients lists at the supermarket, then you are complacent in the demise of your own body! Personally, I feel like if the foods you eat day in and day out are very healthy, then you can afford to have High Fructose Corn Syrup when it comes up. Sometimes when I’m at the gas station I’ll grab a Mountain Dew instead of a Muscle Milk if I’m feeling tired. It’s rare, it makes me happy, and it’s not killing me. If I’m at a party and someone is serving food that may or may mot have High Fructose Corn Syrup, it’s probably the lesser of two evils to just have some than to starve your body and miss a meal. Life is short, make smart choices, but don’t be a nazi about it.

Finally, if you’re on a date with a woman, never (and The Rock means NEVER) tell her about the High Fructose Corn Syrup in her salad dressing or the Trans Fat in her croutons. An Alpha Man does not force his lifestyle on others. Awesomeness and intelligence are to be exuded, not exclaimed. Besides, women don’t bust out their Popsicle techniques on guys who make them feel self conscious.

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