Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence.
                                                                                                     -Henri Frederic Amiel

A Sweetener by Any Other Name…Is Still a Sweetener

I’ve discussed in other Inspirations how fats don’t always make us fat. What a revelation, huh? What could cause more and more of us to pack on the pounds at such an alarming rate? It turns out there’s another culprit that is just as likely, if not more so, to add holes to our belts.

Since its introduction in the 1970’s consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increased over 1000%, and obesity rates more than doubled in that same time.  During the late 1990’s use of sugar actually went down, as HFCS took its place. Today Americans take in more HFCS than sugar.

This artificial sweetener has cleverly found its way into almost all soft drinks and most sweetened food and beverages. You’ll see it among the top ingredients in iced teas, soda pop, and candies, and in less obvious places like ketchup, cigarettes, and even some breads.

Because HFCS contains fructose--which we associate with fruit, something natural—we assume it is healthier than sugar; and food manufacturers have capitalized on this. I’m not saying sugar is good for you, but if I had to do a side-by-side comparison, sugar beats HFCS hands down.

HFCS causes our liver to make more fat, a process caused lipogenesis, something that sugar does not do.  In addition, unlike sugar, HFCS lowers production of two key hormones, insulin and leptin, both needed to control appetite and maintain healthy body weight. Feeding HFCS to animals causes insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), high triglycerides (fat in the blood), and high blood pressure. 

So what to do? I can offer some ideas. First, start reading labels. If sweetened food and drinks are a regular part of your life, switch to those with safer sweeteners. Look for evaporated cane juice, pure cane sugar, barley malt, honey, agave syrup, or stevia. Please, keep clear of diet ingredients Splenda, Nutrasweet (Equal), or saccharin (Sweet n Low)! These create long-term health problems all their own. Also, make an effort to reduce your overall sweets by replacing them with high-protein foods. These curb sugar cravings and can help those cravings eventually cease.

Healthiest regards,