High Fructose Corn Syrup Makes You Fat

What Sugar Actually Does to Your Brain and Body

2011-06-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

Fructose-heavy soda is remarkably problematic because... you can keep drinking it while your body isn't recognizing your sugar intake—so your body remains hungry.

http://lifehacker.com/5809331/what-sugar-actually-does-to-your-brain-and-body

Princeton researchers find that High Fructose Corn Syrup makes you fat

2010-03-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

Study Links Diabetes and High Fructose Corn Syrup Found in Soda

2007-08-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

A new study released Thursday suggests sodas sweetened with high fructose corn syrup may contribute to the development of diabetes. The study from researchers at Rutgers University, shows sodas sweetened with high fructose corn syrup contain high levels of compounds that previous research suggests may play a role in the development of diabetes. Especially when consumed in large amounts.

http://www.wtlv.com/news/health/news-article.aspx?storyid=89755
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Note that this article, like many others, includes comments from the The Corn Refiners Association and the American Beverage Association. Both are obviously open-minded to scientific studies that show fault with corn syrup. Also, like others, this article tries to downplay the effects of corn syrup and implies that eating fewer calories and exercising should be the main focus of any obesity study.

Cigarette companies could make similar arguments - studies should focus on unhealthy lifestyles and not cigarettes as a cause of problems.

Sugary drinks are piling on the pounds

2006-08-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

An extra can of soda a day can pile on 15 pounds (7 kilograms) in a single year, and the evidence strongly suggests that this sort of increased consumption is a key reason that more people have gained weight, the researchers say.

Full Article Here

Soft drink trends have marched lock-step with the growing obesity epidemic, but industry groups have long fought efforts to say one directly caused the other. Not all studies conclude that beverages are at fault, and the new analysis ignored some that would have discounted such a link, the American Beverage Association said in a statement issued in response to the study.

"When it comes to beverage trends and obesity, "it's like documenting the force of gravity," he said. "There's an overwhelmingly strong case to be made for a causal relationship."
--Dr. David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children's Hospital in Boston

High Fructose Creates Obesity

2006-08-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

"If we talk about dangerous things - and trans fats have certainly been something that people have been looking at—but high-fructose corn syrup has probably done more to create obesity in this country than any single item.”

-Dr. Terry Mason, Chicago’s Commissioner of Public Health

The Wilmington Journal

More than 12 million adults to be obese within four years

2006-08-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

By 2010, more than 12 million adults and more than 1 million children will be classified as obese unless preventive measures are taken, according to a Department of Health report, Forecast for Obesity to 2010.

Full Article here

Foods That Have High Fructose Corn Syrup

2006-08-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to avoid products containing High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is why the average American is consuming over 40 pounds of it every year. In most cases, an alternative product can be found but it is usually more expensive (organic, for example).

Check the ingredients on many products. Corn syrup is showing up everywhere:

Jelly: Smucker's, Welch's, other
Syrup: Aunt Jemima Original Syrup, Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth's, other fake syrups
Soda: Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7Up, Dr. Pepper, etc. - nearly all
Power Drinks: Gatorade, Powerade
Juice:

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Capri Sun Drinks- almost all High Fructose Corn Syrup with a little pear juice
Minute Maid Products
Most "fruit drinks"

Barbeque Sauces
Bread (nearly all high-volume brands)
Flavored Mustard
Ketchup
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Salad Dressing
Ice Cream (any cheap store brand)
Pickles
Frozen and refrigerated products aimed at kids:

popsicles
ice cream treats
juice boxes

Candy

M&Ms
Caramels
Twizzlers
Lollipops
Hard candies
Gummy Bears
GumBalls
Jelly Beans

For a more complete list, click HERE

Note: Brands are trademarked and owned by the brand owners

Opinion on the NY Times Article Saying HFCS is Not Bad

2006-08-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

This guy makes some interesting counterpoints about the NY Times Article-

Opinion Article That Rips on the NY Times Article

About the NY Times Article:

"If that doesn't get your corporate shill radar detector going I don't know what will."

High Fructose Makes Ninth-Grader Fat

2006-08-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

Story About an Overweight Teenager

Ninth-grader DeAndre Patrick of Oxford has an admitted sweet tooth, and at 265 pounds and 6 feet tall, it shows.

"Sprite, Power-Ade, Vault, Fanta, Pepsi and Coke. I've been drinking them all my life, since I was 2," DeAndre said.

Comments-
In addition to being morbidly obese this kid had two abscessed teeth, one of which had to be pulled. His mom, who used to put soda in his baby bottle, is a moron.

Again, this article argues that too many of any calories make you fat which is a true statement. But it is not a relevant point as to whether HFCS is a problem or not.

UK Paper Summarizes Problems with HFCS

2006-08-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

From a UK paper-

UK Paper - Times Online

Richard Faulks, ofthe Institute of Food Research in Norwich says:

“The problem with it is that it is too easy to consume too much,” Faulks says. “It is everywhere. You don’t always realise where it crops up because you don’t look for it, so you can take in large quantities of HFCS and think you are eating healthily.”

---
Juan Zapata, a Republican in the Florida House of Representatives, calls HFCS the “crack of sweeteners” and wants it banned.

Counterpoint: Arguments Suggesting HFCS Does Not Make You Fat

2006-07-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

Several Articles about why HFCS does not make you fat, sample articles here:

Denver Post

New York Times

Main arguments from these articles and a COUNTERPOINT

Mexico, Europe and Australia do not use HFCS and they are getting fat. COUNTERPOINT: THAT IS LIKE SAYING COAL DUST CAUSES CANCER, THEREFORE CIGARETTES ARE NOT THE CAUSE. INCREASED CALORIE CONSUMPTION CAUSES OBESITY. HFCS IS ONE (DOMINANT) FACTOR, NOT THE ONLY FACTOR. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE CAUSE OF OBESITY, HFCS JUST HAPPENS TO BE A BIG ONE.
University of Washington gave diet cola, milk, and cola to 37 people and found no difference in satiety levels: COUNTERPOINT: ONE WOULD NOT EXPECT A NOTICABLE DIFFERENCE ON ONE DRINK. MEASURE THIS GROUP OVER A YEAR, ONE PART USING HFCS AND THE OTHERS WITHOUT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
University of North Carolina nutrition professor Barry M. Popkin organized a panel to discuss HFCS and concluded that it is no different than sugar: COUNTERPOINT: A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN A ROOM IS NOT A SCIENTIFIC STUDY.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is not bad by itself, just eating too many of any calories is bad (Dr. Walter Willet, Harvard): COUNTERPOINT: TRUE, EATING TOO MANY CALORIES OF ANYTHING IS BAD. HOWEVER, HFCS HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY SHOWN TO CAUSE PEOPLE TO EAT MORE CALORIES THAN IF THEY CONSUMED SUGAR.
We need more studies, we do not have proof: COUNTERPOINT: THE SAME ARGUMENT WAS MADE BY CIGARETTE COMPANIES IN THE 1970s

Food Fight: Scientists are taking on sodas as the 'cigarettes' of obesity

2006-07-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

• Count One: Guilt by association.

Soft drink consumption rose more than 60 percent among adults and more than doubled in kids from 1977-97. The prevalence of obesity roughly doubled in that time. Scientists say these parallel trends are one criterion for proving cause-and-effect.

• Count Two: Physical evidence.

Biologically, the calories from sugar-sweetened beverages are fundamentally different in the body than those from food.

The main sweetener in soda — high-fructose corn syrup — can increase fats in the blood called triglycerides, which raises the risk of heart problems, diabetes and other health woes.

• Count Three: Bad influence on others.

Sugar-sweetened beverages affect the intake of other foods, such as lowering milk consumption. Popkin contends they also may be psychological triggers of poor eating habits and cravings for fast food.

He examined dietary patterns of 9,500 American adults in a federal study from 1999-2002. Those who drank healthier beverages — water, low-fat milk, unsweetened coffee or tea — were more likely to eat vegetables and less likely to eat fast food.

• Count Four: Consistency of evidence.

Many studies of different types link sugary drinks and weight gain or obesity. Some even show a "dose-response" relationship — as consumption rises, so does weight.

Collectively, they meet many criteria for proving cause and effect, Dr. William Dietz, director of nutrition at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in an editorial accompanying a study in February's Journal of Pediatrics.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/health/stories/0307dietsoda.html

Carb intake vs. Obesity - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

2006-06-06T05:58:00.000-07:00

Chart of increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States between 1960 and 1997 with increasing carbohydrate intake.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/5/774/F5

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND OBESITY

2006-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Several recent studies have shown that fructose is processed differently in the body than the far more common sugar, glucose (3,4). Glucose causes the pancreas to release insulin which drives sugar from the bloodstream into cells. Glucose causes fat cells to release leptin that makes you feel full so you eat less. Glucose prevents the stomach from releasing ghrelin that makes you hungry. On the other hand, fructose does not cause fat cells to release leptin and does not suppress ghrelin. This means that fructose increases hunger to make you eat more. Furthermore, the liver converts fructose far more readily to a body fat called triglyceride, than it does with glucose. High triglyceride levels raise blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol and lower blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol, which increases heart attack risk.

http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/3021.html

Hidden Health Risks of Hydrogenated oils and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

2006-06-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hidden Health Risks of Hydrogenated oils and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Dietary experts and scientists warn that high fructose corn syrup is contributing to obesity and diabetes. The ubiquitous sweetener substance is derived from wet milling of domestically produced corn starch. Corn refiners produce high fructose corn syrup by converting corn starch into a syrup that is nearly all dextrose. Enzymes isomerize the dextrose to produce a 42% fructose syrup. Then it’s passed through an ion-exchange column that retains fructose & then draw-off 90% HFCS and blends it with 42% HFCS, hence a higher fructose content. Studies suggest that fructose is digested differently. Sugar is broken down in the digestive tract and processed in cells. HFCS goes directly to the liver. Research has shown that the liver releases enzymes that instruct the body to store fat, leading to increase LDL and triglycerides.

http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/esh/
medical/now/news/med2004may.pdf

Fructose and Obesity

2006-06-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Main Category: Nutrition/Agriculture News
Article Date: 08 Dec 2005 - 14:00pm (PDT)

University of Florida researchers have identified one possible reason for rising obesity rates, and it all starts with fructose, found in fruit, honey, table sugar and other sweeteners, and in many processed foods.

Fructose may trick you into thinking you are hungrier than you should be, say the scientists, whose studies in animals have revealed its role in a biochemical chain reaction that triggers weight gain and other features of metabolic syndrome - the main precursor to type 2 diabetes. In related research, they also prevented rats from packing on the pounds by interrupting the way their bodies processed this simple sugar, even when the animals continued to consume it.

"There may be more than just the common concept that the reason a person gets fat is because they eat too many calories and they don't do enough exercise," said Richard J. Johnson, M.D., the J. Robert Cade professor of nephrology and chief of nephrology, hypertension and transplantation at UF's College of Medicine. "And although genetic predispositions are obviously important, there's some major environmental force driving this process. Our data suggest certain foods and, in particular, fructose, may actually speed the process for a person to become obese."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=34669

Mice consuming fructose get fat

2006-06-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

One laboratory study found that mice drinking fructose consumed fewer calories from solid food, yet gained weight and had 27 percent more body fat than other mice.

Detailed experiment information here:
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-
879X2000001200004&script=sci_arttext

Fruit Sugars Might Speed Obesity

2006-06-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

They may interfere with insulin to increase weight gain, experts say

THURSDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Fructose, the sugar found in fruit, honey and the corn-syrup sweeteners used in many processed foods, may trick the body into thinking it's hungrier than it really is, researchers report.

The findings could explain why sweet foods help boost obesity rates in the United States and elsewhere.

http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=529546

High-Fructose Corn Syrup May Act More Like Fat Than Sugar in the Body

2006-06-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

High-Fructose Corn Syrup May Act More Like Fat Than Sugar in the Body
Washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, March 11, 2003; Page HE01

...Fructose is a different story. It "appears to behave more like fat with respect to the hormones involved in body weight regulation," explains Peter Havel, associate professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis. "Fructose doesn't stimulate insulin secretion. It doesn't increase leptin production or suppress production of ghrelin. That suggests that consuming a lot of fructose, like consuming too much fat, could contribute to weight gain." Whether it actually does do this is not known "because the studies have not been conducted," said Havel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/
A8003-2003Mar10?language=printer

Chart of Obesity Rates vs. Consumption of HFCS

2006-06-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

This Chart shows the sharp spike in Obesity rates which coincides with the spike in consumption of High Fructose Corn Syrup.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/4/537/F1

The Devil's Candy - From Men's Health

2006-06-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Food companies are adding an evil ingredient to their products that may turn your body into a fat-storing machine

By: Susan Kleiner
Reviewed on 04/12/2005

Article in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

2006-06-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity

George A Bray, Samara Joy Nielsen and Barry M Popkin

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/4/537

Overconsumption of sweetened beverages
One model for producing obesity in rodents is to provide sweetened(sucrose, maltose, etc) beverages for them to drink (28). Inthis setting, the desire for the calorically sweetened solutionreduces the intake of solid food, but not by enough to preventa positive caloric balance and the slow development of obesity.Adding the same amount of sucrose or maltose as of a solid inthe diet does not produce the same response. Thus, in experimentalanimals, sweetened beverages appear to enhance caloric consumption.