Monday, November 17, 2008

HFCS...

So....just because I'm seeing all these commercials around here making parents who are concerned about High Fructose Corn Syrup seem like uninformed idiots, I just want to post the following info about HFCS so there is no confusion:

There are a number of relevant studies published in peer reviewed journals suggesting a link between high fructose diets and adverse health effects. For example, studies on the effect of fructose, as reviewed by Elliot et al.,[1] implicate increased consumption of fructose (due primarily to the increased consumption of sugars but also partly due to the slightly higher fructose content of HFCS as compared to sucrose) in obesity and insulin resistance. Chi-Tang Ho et al. found that soft drinks sweetened with HFCS are up to 10 times richer in harmful carbonyl compounds, such as methylglyoxal, than a diet soft drink control.[2] Carbonyl compounds are elevated in people with diabetes and are blamed for causing diabetic complications such as foot ulcers and eye and nerve damage;[3][4] Furthermore, a study in mice suggests that fructose increases obesity.[5] Large quantities of fructose stimulate the liver to produce triglycerides, promotes glycation of proteins and induces insulin resistance.[6] According to one study, the average American consumes nearly 70 pounds of HFCS per annum, marking HFCS as a major contributor to the rising rates of obesity in the last generation. [7]

A 2007 study also raised concerns of possible liver damage as a result of HFCS in combination with a high fat diet and a sedentary lifestyle.[8]

1. Elliott, Sharon S; Nancy L Keim, Judith S Stern, Karen Teff and Peter J Havel (April 2004). "Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome1". Am J Clin Nutr. 79 (4): 537–43.
2. Soda Warning? New Study Supports Link Between Diabetes, High-fructose Corn Syrup
3. "Diabetes fears over corn syrup in soda". New Scientist (04 September 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
4. Theresa Waldron Sugary Sodas High in Diabetes-Linked Compound
5. Jurgens, Hella; et al. (2005). "Consuming Fructose-sweetened Beverages Increases Body Adiposity in Mice" (abstract). Obesity Res 13: 1146–1156. doi:10.1038/oby.2005.136, http://www.obesityresearch.org/cgi/content/abstract/13/7/1146.
6. Faeh D, Minehira K, Schwarz JM, Periasamy R, Park S, Tappy L (July 2005). "Effect of fructose overfeeding and fish oil administration on hepatic de novo lipogenesis and insulin sensitivity in healthy men". DIABETES 54 (7): 1907–1913. doi:10.2337/diabetes.54.7.1907. PMID 15983189, http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/54/7/1907.
7. Mariniello, J. Martin (2007-11-28). "Weight Loss — Revealing The Hidden Secrets" (in English), Obesity Factors In Current Society. Retrieved on 28 November 2007.
8. “Supersize Me” Mice Research Offers Grim Warning for America’s Fast Food Consumers

1 comment:

Miles Orion said...

Sam wants me to read all of this and give my opinion on the sugar vs HFCS debate. Do you have links to the papers you've reference so I can read them?

Joe