To go along with the health/weight theme... HFCS?

[SallyMander]

I am very interested in the few posts I've seen here by DUers who have cut high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) out of their diets. I've considered doing this too, but not for any solid reason -- I just have a somewhat "bad feeling" about the health and environmental implications. Anyone have good, scientific reasons for this dietary change? I am interested in both health-based and ecological/economic arguments (e.g., corn subsidies???). I am also really interested to hear from people who have made this change -- did you stick with it? Do you feel better? I don't think I eat much HFCS as-is, so I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me.

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

[LisaM]

1. I have stuck with this for about a year now (as much as I can)

and I have slowly and steadily lost weight (nothing dramatic, but then it didn't go on dramatically either). I am wearing clothes that I couldn't wear last year, and most of my stuff is looser.

I haven't been sick in a long time, either. I think it's making me healthier. I believe the main reason is that there is something in HFCS that depresses feelings of fullness. I feel full much sooner now and am eating smaller portions.

[SallyMander]

3. Thank you, and congrats on your weight loss

Gradual is the best way to do it! That's really interesting about the changes you've seen in your appetite. Do you find yourself endlessly reading labels? It seems HFCS is in *everything*!

[LisaM]

22. LOL - I can't eat without my reading glasses anymore!

Or shop.

[MercutioATC]

2. Haven't you seen the commercials on TV? It's CORN. It's GOOD for you!

:eyes:

[SallyMander]

4. Ha! I know, sacrilege, right?

Especially seeing as how i now live in Ohio! :wow:

[MercutioATC]

8. High fructose corn syrup is NATURAL...

Shame on you for doubting the corn industry and believing whackjobs like....well....doctors.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Man, I love those ads.

Cut right to the chase, don't they?

[tridim]

7. It's good for you in moderation, just like sugar.

Thank you TeeVee! :eyes:

[AlCzervik]

10. saw those before the election.

[tridim]

5. About 5 years ago I stopped drinking my daily 3 cans of Dr. Pepper

Although it's nearly impossible to cut out all HFCS because it's in lots of products you wouldn't expect, like white bread and jelly.

I did lose some weight, but I was already thin when I cut it out of my diet. Ended up having to add more food calories to maintain a healthy weight. The bonus is, I replaced it with good stuff, like fiber and nuts. IMO, those foods helped more than the HFCS hurt.

[SallyMander]

11. Sounds like a really healthy change

Thanks!

And off-topic, but that pic of Obama with the pie in your sig line is one of my favorites... hopefully the pie is made with good ol' sugar ;)

[tridim]

15. Forgot to mention I started drinking water when I quit Dr. Pepper

Water and fruit juice is about all I drink now. Yes I checked, the fruit juice is HFCS free. :)

[CrispyQ]

23. I used to drink 4-5 Cokes a day.

Then I decided everytime I wanted a Coke to drink a glass of water instead. If I still wanted a Coke afterwards, I could have one. That worked immediately! I went down to one or zero Cokes a day.

[guitar man]

9. HFCS is poison

My 2 year old daughter is so intolerant to it it almost killed her, caused an intestinal blockage and luckily we have a very good pediatrician who spotted the problem quickly. Since we have pretty much cut it out of our diets, we're seeing health benefits and some weight loss.

[SallyMander]

12. Oh, wow!! I am so glad she's ok!

How did the doc figure out what the problem was?

:hug: for the little one!

[guitar man]

17. she's a really good doctor

She thought it was lactose intolerance at first, when that didn't help and we went back, she had just got a medical journal with an article about fructose intolerance in young children, with HFCS being a major culprit in such problems. We took her off anything with HFCS and she straightened right up.It is expensive to feed her though. :(

My wife and I followed suit and are both eating a majority of HFCS free foods now.We've lost some weight, although I can hardly afford to, I'm pretty skinny already!! The wife is rather round (and hawt just like she is!)and she is glad to be shedding some pounds.

[Gwendolyn]

13. If you're interested in ecology and some economic info...

... you might enjoy reading here.

http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html

HFCS is very convenient for manufacturers because it's so easily transported and helps keep foods from going bad. It's awful stuff though... does a number on the liver, promotes premature aging and leeches nutrients from the body.

As we get older, we gradually lose taste buds and so when we crave sweets, we crave them really sweet. :) The more we can get rid of it in our diets the better. I noticed, after giving up "crap" food, along with the dietary benefits obviously, how little garbage and recycling we had. All those plastic wrappers, containers, cans, etc... gone!

[SallyMander]

16. Thanks for the link!

I will definitely check that out. And another good point with the reduction in waste -- I hadn't thought about that at all!

[TygrBright]

14. Judging by results, there's SOMETHING in it. We are definitely healthier...

...and have lost a little weight.

We don't bother reading labels much, though, because we buy very little processed food. We make our own salad dressing, ice cream, bread, etc., most of the time. That's cheaper as well as yummier.

It is time-consuming, though. Not for every one.

I should note that my esposo is a non-insulin dependent diabetic, and since we've cut out HFCS, he has been able to enjoy modest consumption of cane sugar-sweetened, honey-, molasses- or agave-sweetened goodies like cookies, brownies, and pie, all while staying well within his targeted blood sugar levels.

I also avoid ultra-processed corn and soy derivatives, although I cook with corn meal and tofu plenty.

helpfully,
Bright

[SallyMander]

18. Can i just come live with you?

:D

Seriously though, good for you guys! My hubbie does make our bread from time to time, but we don't spend as much time in the kitchen as i wish we did. I always think "maybe after i finish my dissertation," but probably by then it'll be "maybe after" something else!

Glad to hear about the extra benefits for your husband!

[KansDem]

19. I had my last HFCS-based soft drink in January, 1980...

...and I don't drink artificially-sweeten drinks, either.

HFCS is poison! When I stopped in 1980, if I wanted something bubbly to drink I had to get a bottle of club soda and slice a lime for flavor. Now we had so much more choice with flavored seltzers! :D

I don't know why I didn't stop drinking HFCS sooner!

Previous posts are correct: HFCS is in practically everything! Just go to the bread aisle of any major supermarket and read the ingredients of a random sampling of breads :puke:

And I read labels all the time

[Taverner]

20. HFCS is no worse for you than table sugar, but it tastes like ass

At least table sugar AKA cane sugar tastes good

[sentelle]

28. by itself maybe not

But one of the reactions of HFCS in the body is to inhibit the production of ghrelin in the body. Ghrelin is the chemical that tells the body its full. Because of it, on average people with HFCS eat about 15% more than those who don't.

And no, HFCS is not natural. Its a corn starch, modified by an enzyme to convert it into glucose, then modifed by another enzyme to make a split between glucose and fructose.

Yes, fructose exists in nature, but not in such a pure state.

And for the record, sugar is not so great either. Since the refining process began in the 1850's the rate of diabetes shot up. Some say its the refining process.

[Taverner]

29. True - but all sugars are good in moderation, but deadly in excess

And I include alcohol in there...

But yeah, honey is much less damaging than table sugar

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

34. Balony.

"But one of the reactions of HFCS in the body is to inhibit the production of ghrelin in the body. Ghrelin is the chemical that tells the body its full. Because of it, on average people with HFCS eat about 15% more than those who don't."

The change in ghrelin due to HFCS is the same when table sugar is used.

"And no, HFCS is not natural. Its a corn starch, modified by an enzyme to convert it into glucose, then modifed by another enzyme to make a split between glucose and fructose."

This is an entirely natural process. Your body does the same thing every time you eat corn.

"Yes, fructose exists in nature, but not in such a pure state."

Honey has the same fructose to glucose proportion as HFCS. So do apples, and any number of other fruits and vegetables.

[old mark]

21. I quit drinking soda, well maybe one a month, no more,

stopped eating snack foods of all kinds, as well as candies, and junk in general. Seldom eat any frozen or prepared foods - make most meals at home. Cut down on sugar generally.
I started to intentionally lose weight last spring, and have lost a little over 50 pounds so far. I am not on a diet, I just eat different things, and eat smaller meals more frequently. I also have way less stress, which I believe helps.

mark

[Sanctified]

24. I killed HFCS when I killed sugar from my diet.

The only scientific reasons I can give for my dietary change was my doctor told me I was one PEZ away from being a diabetic. I did lose a ton of weight though, so if you are looking to lose weight I understand cutting HFCS can help.

[CrispyQ]

25. If you can find it, watch the documentary "King Corn."

King Corn: http://www.kingcorn.net /

It's about two guys who read that today's youth do not have as long a life expectancy as my generation, which is attributed to diet & environment. They decide to make a documentary - they rent an acre of land in Iowa & grow corn & follow that corn through the food chain.

The first third of the movie is about Iowa & growing corn & exactly what kind of corn is grown. It's not the kind of corn that you find in your frozen food section or canned goods section. In fact, it’s not edible. They took a bite of their corn & spit it out. One farmer commented that it was ironic that most of Iowa is covered with fields of a crop that humans can't eat as is.

There is a corn glut & our government subsidizes it. Many communities in Iowa have had to build bigger grain elevators to store the excess corn & even those are over flowing. They said that corn hasn't been bred to make more corn per stalk, but rather to be able to thrive closer together, hence, more corn per acre. Almost every farmer they talked to hated the current system, particularly the fact that smaller farms were being bought out by larger farms.

In the second third of the movie, our documentarians travel to eastern Colorado & investigate the modern cattle ranch, only it's not a ranch anymore. Much of the grassland has been converted to growing corn to feed to the cows. Naturally, cows would live fairly long lives, grazing in open fields of grasses. It is very sad what we do to these animals. Because grazing takes too long to fatten them up, they are confined in pens & fed a diet of corn. Because we pervert their diet, their lives are cut dramatically short. They are purchased as calves & generally slaughtered within 120 days of that. After 120 days, the animal starts to have serious health problems.

The last part of the movie, they go to Brooklyn & investigate the impact of a diet that is high in HFCS. They interview one man who lost over 100 pounds by simply cutting out his favorite soft drink. He said he didn't diet or exercise, he simply stopped drinking grape soda. They also cruise the grocery store isles & show just how many products have HFCS in them. They talk to health professionals who report how many more cases of diabetes there are now, & even among children.

I found the movie to be a fascinating look into our perverted food system. Make it a double feature & rent "Super Size Me" too!

Highly recommended! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[SallyMander]

31. Thanks so much for the recommendation!

This sounds really fascinating. I did see Super Size Me, and i enjoyed that (although i was simultaneously grossed out...). I'll tell the hubby to put it in our Blockbuster queue!

[lukasahero]

26. We've done it

Both my husband and I showed sensitivities to it so it was recommended we come of corn altogether (as well as wheat). What we found was that it was near impossible to find ANY food that didn't have HFCS in it - plain freakin' yogurt had it in it. I think the problem isn't the HFCS per se but the fac that you absolutely cannot get away from it if you eat any processed foods.

At this point, we eat whole foods almost exclusively. And if we do eat processed foods, we are careful to check the ingredients.

[trotsky]

27. You should try to minimize sweetener consumption regardless of source.

But really, when it comes to HFCS, there is no serious evidence that it's the demon some people make it out to be. Overconsumption of just about ANYTHING will hurt you.

One plus that HFCS does have, is that since it is made from corn it's good for American agriculture, and results in less transportation costs since it can be made in the continental US unlike sugar cane.

[SurveyResearch2008]

30. After a trip to Europe last year I figured out I was intolerant to it

I thought I had IBS for years. Well, I do have a mild touch of IBS, but it turns out that I have a major case of HFCS intolerance. Since cutting all HFCS out of my diet, I now am down to maybe one mild IBS episode every 3 months or so. I wish I had removed that crap from my diet years ago!

It's quite difficult to get rid of it, however, because the American diet has it in literally everything from bread to soup to you name it. I am very grateful that I have both a Trader Joe's and a Whole Foods within several miles of my house, and the income to shop at those places. It would be...interesting...if I had to rely on the regular grocery store foods while not eating any HFCS.

[surrealAmerican]

32. I'm not even sure that hfcs by itself is the culprit, but ...

... it is found in highly processed foods, and there are good sound reasons for avoiding processed food products. In general you want to focus on what you DO eat, and try to make sure it has real value in your diet. Processed food doesn't give you much, and just takes the place of more nutritious food.

[conscious evolution]

33. Attention deficit disorder

Ask Coca Cola about it.