Food labels are read by only 80% of shoppers. Half of these, 40%, ignore what they've just read.
That's too bad, since 20% don't read labels and another 40% quickly forget, which means that a total of 60% are not aware of the use of High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sucralose (the leading brand is "Splenda").
These are risky, and both of these should be avoided.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)-?and other man-made fructose?metabolize in your body into triglycerides and adipose tissue (a fancy term for fat), says Joseph Mercola, D.O.
HFCS is included in many packaged foods. The average American consumes 68 pounds of HFCS each year, about one pound a week.
By comparison, sucrose (sugar) is converted into blood glucose. After ingesting sucrose, your blood sugar level rises within 25 minutes, then crashes below the starting level, which creates problems for diabetics and hypoglycemics.
Dr. David Williams, editor of "Alternatives," writes that High Fructose Corn Syrup is the "anti-diet drug."
"HFCS is not a natural product," he claims. "It's manufactured from corn starch by a process worthy of Rube Goldberg."
"Picture vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus, genetically modified enzymes, ion exchange and lots more chemical tweaking, all taking place in 16 chemical plants located in the Corn Belt."
"HFCS operates like an anti-diet pill, raising your levels of the make-you-fat hormones that diet pills are supposed to block. It makes your appetite ravenous," Dr. Williams claims.
Williams concludes by noting that Department of Agriculture data directly links HFCS to diabetes and obesity.
So, why is so much HFCS used? It?s one the cheapest things available to food makers. The four cheapest things for food manufacturers to use are air, water, salt, and high fructose corn syrup.
In addition, some claim that HFCS overstimulates cravings for more sweet foods which, more than likely, contain HFCS as well.
What are the health risks of eating foods with HFCS?
Since 1970, there has been a significant increase in America in cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypoglycemia, and diabetes.
When you plot the increases in these diseases since 1970 on a chart, when HFCS came on the market, you see a nearly-perfect, parallel fit with increases in HFCS sales and the increases of the above-mentioned diseases.
Clearly, that?s not convincing proof that HFCS causes these diseases. But it makes you wonder. Strong caution is recommended with HFCS.
My advice: eat fewer sweet things. And if you must use a sweetener, to the best of our knowledge, xylitol and stevia are safe to use. We prefer xylitol.
Don?t get suckered by Splenda (sucralose), either. It?s a chlorocarbon, made by bonding molecules of chlorine and carbon. Our bodies need carbon, but not chlorine. Would you drink Chlorox?
Splenda?s less-than-splendid slogan is ?made from sugar so it tastes like sugar.? After its chemical processing, it?s nothing like sugar, except for its sweet taste.
Sucralose was not thoroughly tested, unless you believe that trying it on six men is a representative sample for all men, women and children worldwide. Yes, six men?that?s all. What a test!
One more thing. It should bug you. Sucralose?s chemical structure resembles pesticides, Doctor Mercola says.
High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sucralose--how sweet they aren't.
