One more sugar-related post.
We're facing an obesity epidemic in this country. Due in part to our sedentary lifestyles to be sure, but one can not overlook that the rising numbers started just about the time that High Fructose Corn Syrup was developed. It's quite the complicated procedure to extract HFCS from corn, yet it is still cheaper for manufacturers to use it than other sweetener sources such as cane or beet sugar.
Since it's not a naturally occurring substance, our bodies can't deal with it well. Here's an excerpt from a San Francisco Times article describing how HFCS leads to weight gain:
In addition to obesity, researchers believe there is a link between HFCS and the increased rates of type 2 diabetes, as well.
What I found most shocking when I was researching HFCS a few years ago for a speech I was preparing for a public speaking class is that it's seemingly everything. In addition to it's expected places like soda, it's in most yogurts, health drinks like SoBe, frozen foods to extend shelf life, breads to increase browning...it's even in that Chewy Trail Mix bar I ate for breakfast (damn, forgot to check the label last night when I bought those).
What's the most telling is when trying to find people that believe it has no ill health effects for human, you find people connected with the corn industry. Hmmm.
We're facing an obesity epidemic in this country. Due in part to our sedentary lifestyles to be sure, but one can not overlook that the rising numbers started just about the time that High Fructose Corn Syrup was developed. It's quite the complicated procedure to extract HFCS from corn, yet it is still cheaper for manufacturers to use it than other sweetener sources such as cane or beet sugar.
Since it's not a naturally occurring substance, our bodies can't deal with it well. Here's an excerpt from a San Francisco Times article describing how HFCS leads to weight gain:
And unlike other types of carbohydrate made up of glucose, fructose does not stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin. Peter Havel, a nutrition researcher at UC Davis who studies the metabolic effects of fructose, has also shown that fructose fails to increase the production of leptin, a hormone produced by the body's fat cells.
Both insulin and leptin act as signals to the brain to turn down the appetite and control body weight. And in another metabolic twist, Havel's research shows that fructose does not appear to suppress the production of ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger and appetite.
"Because fructose in isolation doesn't activate the hormones that regulate body weight as do other types of carbohydrate composed of glucose, consuming a diet high in fructose could lead to taking in more calories and, over time, to weight gain," he says.
In addition to obesity, researchers believe there is a link between HFCS and the increased rates of type 2 diabetes, as well.
What I found most shocking when I was researching HFCS a few years ago for a speech I was preparing for a public speaking class is that it's seemingly everything. In addition to it's expected places like soda, it's in most yogurts, health drinks like SoBe, frozen foods to extend shelf life, breads to increase browning...it's even in that Chewy Trail Mix bar I ate for breakfast (damn, forgot to check the label last night when I bought those).
What's the most telling is when trying to find people that believe it has no ill health effects for human, you find people connected with the corn industry. Hmmm.
The B-52's—Rock Lobster
Name: LaDonna
