The high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) industry has recently suffered a severe blow from the health industry because of its' detrimental health effects on the body. Yet, many people are still unaware of the dangers of high fructose corn syrup and how it's increased consumption poses a significantly higher health risk than regular sugar.
Here are the facts:
1. HFCS is metabolized in the body differently than regular table sugar.
Regular sugar is converted into glucose in the mouth and stomach. High fructose corn syrup is converted to fat in the liver. This fact alone has massive health implications which will be discussed in points #3 and #4.
2. HFCS is manufactured from genetically modified corn in a factory.
It's "made from corn" alright, but so is ethanol. That doesn't mean it's natural or good for you.
3.HFCS causes liver scarring and fibrosis.
A Duke University Medical Research team, led by Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, analyzed 427 adults with a fatty liver and found an unmistakable correlation between an increased consumption of HFCS and liver scarring and fibrosis. The study was published in 2008 in the Journal of Hepatology.
4. According to a study at University of California-Berkeley, HFCS causes visceral fat (belly fat), significantly raises triglycerides, small-ldl cholesterol and apo-B concentrations, while sugar does not .
5. According to a study conducted by Dr. Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D, high fructose corn syrup contains an "astonishingly high amount" of highly reactive chemical compounds that cause cell and tissue damage (reactive carbonyls).
5. High fructose corn syrup consumption is strongly linked to a obesity, fatty liver and insulin resistance (pre-diabetes).
Gerald Shulman of Yale University School of Medicine discovered through testing and research that high fructose corn syrup "is much more readily metabolized to fat in the liver than glucose is and in the process can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease...NAFLD in turn leads to hepatic insulin resistance and type II diabetes."
6. HFCS is chemically manufactured via a reaction with genetically modified cornstarch and an enzyme derived from the Aspergillus fungus.
Bottom line: Don't be fooled: sugar and high fructose corn syrup are two completely different things. Avoid consuming products that contain HFCS and you will be much healthier. Soda, artificially sweetened juice and tea are the primary sources of high fructose corn syrup. They are loaded with it. If you eliminate these drinks alone, you will dramatically lower you intake of high fructose corn syrup and improve your health. I assure you, if you are a "soda addict," you are most likely overweight, have high triglycerides, visceral fat, a compromised immune system and at risk of more health problems down the road.
For more helpful information on the latest health news, research, and nutritional science visit my blog at http://www.healthquestblog.net
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