Think of sugar and you think of sugar cane or beets. Extraction of sugar from sugar cane spurred the colonization of the New World. Extraction of sugar from beets was developed during the time of Napoleon so that the French could have sugar in spite of the English trading blockade.
Nobody thinks of sugar when they see a field of corn. Most of us would be surprised to learn that the larger percentage of sweeteners used in processed food comes from corn, not sugar cane or beets.
The process for making the sweetener high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) out of corn was developed in the 1970s. Use of HFCS grew rapidly, from less than three million short tons in 1980 to almost 8 million short tons in 1995. During the late 1990s, use of sugar actually declined as it was eclipsed by HFCS. Today Americans consume more HFCS than sugar.
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is produced by processing corn starch to yield glucose, and then processing the glucose to produce a high percentage of fructose. It all sounds rather simple–white cornstarch is turned into crystal clear syrup. However, the process is actually very complicated.
First, cornstarch is treated with alpha-amylase to produce shorter chains of sugars called polysaccharides. Alpha-amylase is industrially produced by a bacterium, usually Bacillus sp. It is purified and then shipped to HFCS manufacturers.
Next, an enzyme called glucoamylase breaks the sugar chains down even further to yield the simple sugar glucose. Unlike alpha-amylase, glucoamylase is produced by Aspergillus, a fungus, in a fermentation vat where one would likely see little balls of Aspergillus floating on the top.
The third enzyme, glucose-isomerase, is very expensive. It converts glucose to a mixture of about 42 percentfructose and 50-52 percent glucose with some other sugars mixed in. While alpha-amylase and glucoamylase are added directly to the slurry, pricey glucose-isomerase is packed into columns and the sugar mixture is then passed over it. Inexpensive alpha-amylase and glucoamylase are used only once, glucose-isomerase is reused until it loses most of its activity.
There are two more steps involved. First is a liquid chromatography step that takes the mixture to 90 percentfructose. Finally, this is back-blended with the original mixture to yield a final concentration of about 55 percentfructose–what the industry calls high fructose corn syrup.
HFCS has the exact same sweetness and taste as an equal amount of sucrose from cane or beet sugar but it is obviously much more complicated to make, involving vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus and chemical tweaking, all of which take place in one of 16 chemical plants located in the Corn Belt. Yet in spite of all the special enzymes required, HFCS is actually cheaper than sugar. It is also very easy to transport–it’s just piped into tanker trucks. This translates into lower costs and higher profits for food producers. Research Conducted by The Weston Price Foundation
Health Problems:
*Former FDA toxicologist Dr. Dana Flavin says while sugar is burned and turned into energy, high fructose corn syrup turns into fat, causing what’s known as “fatty liver.” She says sugar can make you feel full, but high fructose corn syrup does not trigger the body’s satisfaction gauge, so you always desire more. ”So you do eat more,” Flavin explained. “You have a greater appetite because your body’s saying, ‘I haven’t had enough’ and your body’s being fooled.”
*High fructose corn syrup is the main ingredient in soft drinks, but is also hidden in foods like bread and pasta sauce. Dr. Steven Sinatra, author of Metabolic Cardiology, says high fructose corn syrup and its chemical cousins, are directly linked to high blood pressure and heart disease, which unfortunately, most doctors treat with medication instead of going to the source. ”He or she may prescribe drugs, when only the best treatment is loss of weight,” Sinatra said. “Exercise and restriction of simple carbohydrates, sugars and high fructose corn syrup is at the top of the list.”
*Fructose interacts with oral contraceptives and elevates insulin levels in women on “the pill.”
*”The medical profession thinks fructose is better for diabetics than sugar,” says Dr. Field, “but every cell in the body can metabolize glucose. However, all fructose must be metabolized in the liver. The livers of the rats on the highfructose diet looked like the livers of alcoholics, plugged with fat and cirrhotic.”
*Nearly half of the 20 HFCS samples tested in a recent study contained small amounts of potentially harmful mercury, according to a report in Environmental Health. While the Corn Refiners Association argues that the research was based on outdated information, another study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy found that one-third of all HFCS-containing foods it bought in the fall of 2008 tested positive for the toxin. The researchers believe that HFCS is probably the source: A compound known as caustic soda, which is used to separate the corn starch from the kernel, can be tainted with mercury, and there’s no way for you to know whether the caustic soda used was contaminated, according to study author David Wallinga, MD. Although much of the US production of caustic soda uses mercury-free technology, not all manufacturers worldwide have followed suit, adding fuel to the argument for minimizing HFCS intake.
*The FDA has ruled twice that HFCS is “safe” to consume. But the FDA also considers double bacon cheeseburgers safe — and you wouldn’t want to eat those every day. Limiting HFCS (and other added sweeteners) does have one well-understood benefit: It will help you lose weight. And that will help prevent disease.
How To Avoid It:
*Read Labels (it’s in most all junk foods, ketchups, sauces, salad dressings and candy)
*Avoid sodas and fast food
Also avoid other syrups and sweeteners like dextrose, sucralose, glucose, lactose and maltose.
Know The Facts About Buying Organic
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate the use of the word “natural”. Foods and beverages can be labeled as “natural” even though they contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), because fructose is a naturally occurring sugar. The word “organic” is heavily regulated, and basically, only foods labeled as 100% organic can be assumed to be HFCS-free. In case you’re wondering, here’s why only foods labeled 100% organic can be assumed to be HFCS-free:
- Products that say “made with organic (specified ingredients or food groups)” can contain non-organic HFCS if HFCS is not the specified ingredient. They cannot be labeled as “organic”, and they cannot utilize the USDA seal.
- Products labeled “organic” can carry the USDA seal and can include organic HFCS. These products must contain 95% organic ingredients by weight or volume excluding water and salt. The remaining 5% must be on the National List of allowed substances. Since HFCS is not on that list, HFCS can only be included if it is organic.
- Theoretically, a product labeled USDA 100% organic could contain HFCS if the HFCS itself was 100% organic, but no such product is currently available because the processing aids used in making HFCS are not organic. While there is organic HFCS available it is not 100% organic and therefore cannot be included in a product that is labeled 100% organic.
Bottom Line. READ LABELS!
research and studies listed done by the the doctors cited and Weston Price Foundation. Don’t take my word, go read for yourself!!
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