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All About YOU: Hold the Corn (Syrup)

Corn syrup -- it's absolutely everywhere. And it may be making you fat.

Here's why: High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), used to sweeten everything from the obvious (soft drinks) to the obscure (ketchup, salad dressing, bread), can trip up digestive system hormones that control hunger and appetite. The end result: Your brain misses out on hormone messages that signal a full stomach.

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Ringo1
4 of 4 people found this helpful.
8/25/2008 8:17:51 AM

Watching for HFCS and not calories has helped me so much with my diet. Now there are several reasons not to consume those things I was addicted to. 
PyesAngel
9 of 9 people found this helpful.
7/21/2008 4:37:35 PM

Just try to find something that DOSEN'T have HFCS in it, it's next to impossible. Too bad our counrty doesn't follow those of most of Europe and Canada and ban it. 
geovern
10 of 10 people found this helpful.
6/30/2008 12:43:32 PM

I consider HFCS a poison and avoid it with a passion.
Sprouts Farmers Markets carry many products without HFCS. 
berty
19 of 20 people found this helpful.
5/30/2008 1:19:24 AM

I suffered with Chrone's disease and colitis for 20 years. I came across an article written by a gatroenterologist that claimed that their was a direct correlation between the number of ibs-related diseases and the introduction of cornsyrup in the American market. I started reading labels and stopped eating anything with corn syrup in it as well as anything with high concentrations of fructose-which is what corn syrup is. I was immediately 90% better and after a few years, I have no symptoms. I must add, that I did not have a mild case. I was not suprised to read that there is yet another digestive connection. 
Investigator
8 of 9 people found this helpful.
5/27/2008 10:00:57 AM

In response to "veggie1984" -- please see: http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/antpoison.asp. Aspartame was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s by R. G. Searle, specifically as an artificial sweetener. It was not created as an insecticide. The Snopes.com site references an experiment in which ants were fed aspartame and thrived. Still, I will not use it -- it causes me to experience headaches.

Re Splenda: I used this product until I returned to my office after an extended absence and found dead ants in my little stash of Splenda. The sweetness apparently attracted them. My take on any food item: if insects can't survive in it, I won't ingest it! LOL 
dmarie53
8 of 9 people found this helpful.
5/27/2008 5:38:26 AM

agave nectar is a great sugar subsitute. It's sweet and doesn't spike insulin level. Try it. 
brad1
6 of 9 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 8:59:33 PM

Useful but very discouraging to those of us regular folks who for economic reasons(fixed, relatively low income) cannot afford to buy non-HFCS food and drinks. I know--drink water,eat spinach... 
Wuxie
5 of 6 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 6:47:55 PM

If it has a shelf life longer than yours, don't buy it! 
Fej70
9 of 9 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 6:45:22 PM

If your looking for a healthy alternative to sugar, Stevia is a good one as it is a natural herb from South America. When dried into a powder it's sweetness is about 200-300 times stronger than sugar. There is a company called Steviva that makes a blend of Stevia and another natural sweetener called erythirtol to reduce it's strength. It's calorie free and all natural so it's safe. 
Romey777
2 of 3 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 4:16:08 PM

At our house the rule is..."If you need a dictionary to know what you're eating, DON'T EAT IT." And forget processed foods. Almost everything we eat, I make from scratch. 
cyndi_mt
7 of 7 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 11:18:22 AM

To Duane4ta --I personally try to stear clear of all artificial sweeteners, including sucralose (Splenda). If you can't use sugar, honey, maple syrup etc in modest amounts, due to diabetes or something, try something like stevia or xylitol. There are many other safe natural sweetenes out there. Also, try to break the addiction for the taste of sweet. For instance, everything you drink doesn't have to be sweet. Train your taste buds to enjoy some of the countless teas and herbal teas that are available, as well as clean pure water. I'm a recovering sugar junkie myself, but I don't trust the artificial stuff at all. 
veggie1984
10 of 13 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 11:07:31 AM

Yes, watch out for all the High Fructose Corn Syrup lurking in so so many packaged foods, but even more important is watch out for ASPARTAME! It's a toxic chemical that was intended as a pesticide... but by accident it was discovered that it's 10 times sweeter (and cheaper) than sugar. It failed a dozen tests for safety by the FDA and was finally allowed when people at the top were bought out, literally.

Where is it hiding? Almost ALL sugar-free foods and drinks and chewing gums (the only gum I can find that doesn't have it is Sprye brand available at Whole Foods). And it's in LOTS of fat-free drinks and foods (even in your precious Yoplait yogurt). It's POISON, don't eat or drink it! Google "aspartame" for more info.... 
Duane4ta
6 of 6 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 9:50:23 AM

Regarding those HFCS's....They are the 1st or 2nd ingredient in 99% of ALL BBQ Sauce & TERIYAKI Sauces....So try to make your own....I also found a BBQ sauce that used Splenda instead of HFCS... 
JElisabeth
9 of 9 people found this helpful.
5/26/2008 8:09:52 AM

Wait to hear about a certain "truth" about nutrition at least from 3 different sources, one being the NIH or a medical institution (not a .com) before you truly trust it! 
Organic88
6 of 11 people found this helpful.
5/18/2008 2:16:16 PM

I was told that if one blends the green part of water cress and onion, put it in a jar and take a teaspoon of the mixture w honey one could rid oneself of Asthma. Diluted is a good idea.