Processed and packaged foods always contain hidden ingredients that cause damage to our health. Even if these foods are heavily marketed as ‘healthy,’ such as cereals, protein bars, energy drinks and salad dressings, do not believe it.
If you want to avoid weight gain, heart complications, liver problems and high blood sugar, you need to mindful of everything you ingest by thoroughly looking at the food labels to see if they contain one of the worst things to eat – high fructose corn syrup.
High-fructose corn syrup, or otherwise known as HFCS is manufactured from corn syrup extracted from regular corn. With corn syrup already containing a big amount of glucose which is a carbohydrate-derived sugar, more enzymes are added to high-fructose corn syrup to turn that glucose into fructose for an even sweeter taste. This was done in the 1970’s-80’s as the price of sugar was increasing while the cost of the genetically modified (GMO) corn syrup remained lower.
For this reason alone, the soft drink industry started using this highly processed corn syrup for their sodas, while other food and beverage companies followed their example in order to cut costs. While it was clearly beneficial for these corporations to produce at a cheaper price, public health consequences when drinking these products have been sky high.
Experts blame the obesity epidemic, along with other metabolic problems on mass-consumption of processed goods the contain artificial sugars like HFCS. Other than that, studies have shown HFCS to have negative effects on the body which causes excessive weight gain, diabetes and fatty liver.
Excessive sugar consumption is the number one culprit when it comes to weight gain, as indicated in various studies. It also proves that consumption of HFCS is a key player in the gradual development of obesity. Another study also found that beverages that contain fructose don’t activate the part of the brain that controls appetite, while the glucose-sweetened beverages do. In layman’s terms, eating or drinking food that is sweetened with glucose makes you feel unsatisfied, which leads you to consume more in excess.
The main source of fructose comes from fruits and vegetables, but since they also contain fiber, this slows down the sugar absorption in the blood stream, which offsets blood sugar imbalances. When it comes to processed goods, it is manufacture with an excess of fructose and practically no fiber content, so the sugar absorption to the blood stream is immediate which leads to high blood sugar. Further studies have also proved that consumption of HFCS leads to insulin resistance, which eventually causes type 2 diabetes.
Another serious condition that could occur is fatty liver, which is when excess fat gets accumulated in the liver and hinders its function, which can eventually lead to liver failure.
A fatty liver overproduces glucose and triglycerides which can also lead to heart disease and diabetes. Fructose is also metabolized by the liver, and if consumed in large quantities, this also poses as a major health risk.
The only way to protect your live from fat accumulation is by lowering your intake of HFCS, but the problem is that this syrup is hidden in a lot of the most commonly consumed foods. Some of these foods that we eat regularly like ketchup, cereal, salad dressings, sweetened drinks, yogurt, canned fruit, granola bars, baked goods, jams and jellies and even frozen food can all contain HFCS.
By always reading the food labels of these pre-packaged foods so you know what they actually have inside them will be an amazing thing for your long-term health.
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