foodconsumer.org

Sugar May Be Bad, But This Sweetener Is Far More Deadly

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:03:00 +0000

Posted by: Dr. Mercola January 02 2010 Scientists have proved for the first time that fructose, a cheap form of sugar used in thousands of food

ashleyweightlosscoach

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:08:16 +0000

I think this article is great and highly informative. I also recommend if at all using low glycemic sweeteners like yacon root syrup

Jan Tilley

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:13:05 +0000

As a registered dietitian, I come across a lot of incomplete and unnecessarily alarmist information on the Web about high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and wanted to provide some additional perspective. First and foremost, it’s important to note that HFCS and fructose have been extensively researched and it has been found that any negative health effects from fructose have involved excessively high intakes of pure fructose –not the amounts found in foods or beverages sweetened with HFCS. In fact, according a National Cancer Institute analysis from April 2009, Americans get added sugar from a lot of places. Soda, sports drinks, sweetened waters and energy drinks contributes just 5.5% of the calories in the average American diet. That means that nearly 95% of our calories come from other foods. Obesity is a complex issue, so it’s unjustified to single out a specific food, beverage or ingredient as the cause for the rising obesity epidemic, especially since the majority of our calories are coming from a variety of sources. Instead of eliminating items from one’s diet, I tell my clients who include food and beverage companies, that Americans need to balance their calorie intake with appropriate levels of exercise. That way, any food or beverage can be enjoyed in moderation, even soda.

Robyn Flipse

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:59:14 +0000

This article is very disturbing to me because it not only contradicts virtually everything else I know and have studied about fructose and its impact on human health, it also appears to have been written for the sole purpose to distort the truth and confuse the public. I am a registered dietitian with advanced degrees in human nutrition, 30+ years of clinical experience in medical nutrition therapy and expertise in food composition that allows me to serve as a consultant to food and beverage companies. Given my qualifications as a nutrition educator, I feel it is my professional duty to challenge what is being presented here.
The simple truth is this: High fructose corn syrup is no better or worse for you than common table sugar. Both have the same composition, meaning they are made up of about equal amounts of glucose and fructose, and both have the same number of calories and sweetening power and are metabolized the same way. Your body simply cannot tell whether you have eaten something sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup once the food is digested. Any evidence suggesting harmful effects from consuming high fructose corn syrup were either done on laboratory animals with very different physiology than ours or using pure fructose in amounts that could never be achieved from our diets today.
Next it must be noted that no one food, beverage or ingredient is responsible for obesity. In the context of a well balanced diet, all foods and beverages must be eaten in moderation because anything that supplies calories along with its nutrients can result in weight gain. The addition of either sugar or high fructose corn syrup makes no difference as long as the calories they provide are counted in the daily total and offset by enough physical activity.
There is abundant evidence to dispute what Dr. Mercola is asserting here, starting with that found at www.SweetSurprise.com, but even if there were not, you can also rely on your common sense. And it just doesn’t make sense that a single ingredient like fructose could be as dangerous as he suggests when it has been in our diets since the beginning of time from fruits, vegetables and honey? In fact, the real problem with American diets that should be addressed is that we are not eating enough fruits and vegetables to maintain good health.