You’ve probably heard a lot of hype in the media recently about how High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad. Chances are however, you’re probably still not sure what it is exactly and why you need to avoid it like the plague!

In short, High Fructose Corn Syrup is to be avoided. Unfortunately, most of us are blissfully unaware that many of the foods we buy at the supermarket are sweetened with HFCS. Worse still, many of these foods are marketed as “health foods” or for their ability to promote weight loss!

So what is it exactly?

According to Wikipedia, HFCS are comprised of corn syrups that have undergone enzymatic processing to convert its glucose into fructose which are then mixed with pure corn syrup (100% glucose) to produce a desired sweetness. In the US, foods and products use HFCS as a sugar substitute in processed foods and beverages, including soft drinks yogurt, bread, cookies, salad dressings, and tomato soup. HFCS is highly soluble and mixes well in many foods. It is also very cheap to produce and stores well.

Why is it bad?

The Weston A. Price Foundation cautions people to avoid eating foods that contain HFCS. “High fructose corn syrup can be manipulated to contain equal amounts of fructose and glucose, or up to 80 percent fructose and 20 percent glucose. Thus, with almost twice the fructose, HFCS delivers a double danger compared to sugar.”

In comparison to fructose, glucose can be metabolized by every cell in the body, where as fructose must be metabolized by the liver. Research shows that when fed to test animals, fructose causes animals to develop cirrhosis of the liver.

High fructose diets have also been implicated in the development of adult-onset diabetes. According to Richard Anderson, Ph.D., lead scientist at the Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, fructose, especially when combined with other sugars, reduces stores of chromium, a mineral essential for maintaining balanced insulin levels.

Worse still, HFCS are also thought to lower circulating insulin and leptin levels. “Because leptin production is regulated by insulin responses to meals, fructose consumption also reduces circulating leptin concentrations. The combined effects of lowered circulating leptin and insulin in individuals who consume diets that are high in dietary fructose could therefore increase the likelihood of weight gain and its associated metabolic sequelae,” states a 2002 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In response to the negative press HFCS has received, the following food and beverage companies are removing HFCS from their products:

Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup

Dr Pepper with Imperial Sugar

Wheat Thins

Pillsbury® Simply™ Cookies

Sprite Green™ made with Truvia™

Gatorade and Pepsi are experimenting with corn-free versions of their popular drinks.