High Fructose Corn Syrup: Good or Bad?
Blue in a corn field
Over the weekend I was reading through some various “mom blogs” when I found one on High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). The title of the post asked if other mom bloggers were crossing a line when they reviewed HFCS and didn’t tell everyone how terrible it is. This piqued my interest because I had recently stumbled upon a dietitian’s blog that also talked about HFCS, only she had a very different point of view. These posts made me start to think about my views on HFCS and I began to wonder what the truth really is.
The mom bloggers very passionately talked about the harmfulness of HFCS. They sited studies that linked HFCS to an increase in diabetes and obesity as well as telling stories of their children outrageously acting out after eating foods that contain HFCS. It’s pretty compelling to read and if I hadn’t recently read the post on Prevention RD’s blog, it would have been easy to believe them.
As I’ve already said, Prevention RD posted a very different opinion on HFCS. She mentioned the same studies as the mom bloggers, but also stated that more recent studies show that HFCS is no better or worse than table sugar. In fact, she said that the human body breaks table sugar and HFCS down in the same way and they have a similar effect on the human body. Prevention RD stated that instead of just cutting HFCS out of our diet, we should consume all types of sugar in moderation.
That seemed to make more sense to me, as I am not, generally, a person to take an extreme stance on any issue.
But still, hearing all the other moms so passionately and convincingly talking about the concerns and health risks surrounding HFCS has made me question my thoughts on it. As Blue gets older (and more teeth come in) we will begin to introduce more and different kinds of foods, and I just want to make sure that I am making the most informed decision about the kinds of foods Blue is eating. I don’t want to knowingly feed him foods that could harm him, but is HFCS really one of those foods? Or is it just as healthy or unhealthy as table sugar and simply something to be consumed in moderation?
What are your thoughts?
Guest blog by MRS
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Prevention RD here! I saw your ping back come into my inbox and I had to check it out. 🙂
Thank you for valuing my opinion on HFCS. There are several other RD bloggers out there, Gina (Candid RD), Melinda (Food, Nutrition, and Travel), etc. who feel the same about HFCS. I think there should be a caution with ALL sugars and children (adults, too!). Today’s kids are growing up with their taste buds accustomed to the very potent sugars of sodas, juices, Koolaids, and so on. I believe we can attune our taste buds to what they prefer and expect, and starting life on mass amounts of sugar adapts our taste buds into what they will be for many years to come. For example, giving your child 100% fruit juice is a great way to give them tasty nutrition. However, a 50-50 juice-water dilution may be a better option calorie-wise, and with regards to the sugar content. Children are also then not so accustomed overly sweet beverages and foods.
HFCS is such an interesting, misinformed topic. Upcoming research on HFCS should yield some insightful studies to consider, but I think the rule of moderation is one that we can all benefit from practicing…no matter the product or food.
Thanks for commenting! When I read your post a couple of weeks ago, what you said just seemed to make sense to me. I also agree with you that we are just given too much sugar in general from such an early age – I always dilute Blue’s juice with water and he still LOVES it! I really want to raise Blue to like the healthy foods and to look at sweets as a special treat and not a staple in our diet!
I’m definitely going to be looking at more dietitian’s blogs for food information from now on!
Hi MRS,
I love how you post this as a concerned mom just seeking advice on the best way to nourish your little Blue…as a new mom myself, I totally understand your genuine desire to know the truth! Unfortunately as your blog research confirmed, the jury is still out on HFCS…as for me and my little man (Noah Mack, 14 months old) I am going to opt for #2 – HFCS is just as unhealthy as table sugar and should be consumed in moderation. I am by no way a sugar Nazi but I believe that HFCS gets such a bad rep because it is used as the sweetener in most (if not all) of pre-packaged sweet goodies. That to me is more of a turnoff than the HFCS itself…I prefer to treat my little guy with homemade goodies so at the very least I know they have no preservatives and were created in the safety of my own home. Hopefully we will have a definitive answer soon…
Enjoy your little guy! And thanks for the post!
Ashley
Thanks! There is SO much misinformation out there about food and what we should/shouldn’t feed our children that I sometimes don’t know what to make of it all, or what the truth really is! Option #2 also makes the most sense to me. I don’t go out of my way to avoid HFCS, but Blue doesn’t get much because I prefer to cook most of our meals & desserts at home 🙂
I agree. In moderation I’m sure it’s fine. What I have come to notice is a lot of products contaiing HFCS also has other sugars in it. Then you are not consuming sugars in general in moderation and that is why I don’t buy products containing HFCS. Also I try to buy as much fresh, local and preservative free food as possible and in doing so almost all of the food we buy doesn’t contain it. That alone says something to me.
Thanks for your comment! I have paid a lot more attention to the foods we eat since writing and posting this and have discovered that we really don’t eat that much HFCS. And I wasn’t even trying to avoid it! I just prepare most of our meals from scratch and that eliminates a lot of it.
I am convinced that HFCS is something we need to avoid completely. For the population as a whole, it is taking tremendous tolls and I believe helping perpetuate Type 2 diabetes. I am such a diabetic, but since striking this sweetener from my diet (along with many other changes), my A1C registers at 5.8 (not in a diabetic range any longer! Two years ago, it was at 7.8.
I have tremendous respect for Dr. Merola’s viewpoint on this issue (he has numerous articles on this, but here is a most recent):
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/01/new-high-fructose-corn-syrup-scam.aspx
Thanks for commenting! And YAY that your A1C numbers have gone down (although I don’t know what A1C means) and are no longer in diabetic range! Since I know you in real life 🙂 I was thinking about your comment and I know that outside of eliminating HFCS from your diet you have also made other significant diet and lifestyle changes in the last year. Do you think that you would have seen the same health improvements without intentionally avoiding HFCS and, instead, just following the diet and exercise regimen that you have been following?
You hit the nail on the head, all sugar (no matter the source) should be consumed in moderation. Here is how I look at it… if HCFS were to be banned tomorrow, food processors would just go out and find an alternative to it. Chances are that what they would use would be just as bad for us as HCFS and it would come from a less desirable source (ie: farms outside the US). So, the argument of HCFS vs. other sweeteners, really doesn’t accomplish anything and takes energy away from what we really need to look at. We need to be looking at sugars in food, period. It doesn’t matter where the sugar comes from, what matters is that it is being added to foods (and it shouldn’t be, in my humble opinion.) We need to send the message as consumers, and send it with our shopping habits, that we want wholesome, healthy food. That means buying less prepackaged, processed stuff and buying more whole grains, cuts of meat, and produce. The reason there is so much crap on the shelves of the store is because that is the message consumers have been sending: The average consumer wants convenience, affordability, and uniformity in their food. The health of it is an afterthought. Hence, the reason those sugary cereals can say they are “natural” and “nutritious” without being held overly accountable. We as a society keep blaming the food industry for giving us what we want. If we quit buying it, they would quit making it. It really is a personal responsibility and choice issue.
And, if a sugar is going to be used (sparingly), what is wrong with using one that is produced right here in the good ole heartland? 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I really think your comment sums up what I have been thinking ever since I posted this! I don’t think I could have said it better! I’ve also been thinking that a lot of the foods that contain HFCS are processed, pre-packaged foods that also have lots of other things in them that are bad for us (i.e. sodium & fat)…not just HFCS.
And since my family is a crop farming family it almost feels like we would be “cutting off our nose to spite our face” by avoiding HFCS 🙂
I do my best to avoid feeding my son HFCS. Yes, sugar in any form is bad if you eat too much of it. But for me, aside from all the other issues with how it is produced, etc., the simple fact is that you can’t avoid HFCS if you eat processed foods. That’s the problem with the “moderation” myth. It’s not just a matter of eating fewer cookies — HFCS is in bread (even whole wheat/whole grain ones), crackers, ketchup, juice, canned fruit, etc. Things that shouldn’t even need sweeteners and that you probably don’t even think of as junk food.
Thanks for commenting! It does seem like HFCS is “hidden” in so many foods; foods that you wouldn’t think of it being in. I really think Liz’s comment above sums up a lot of the issues with it. If consumers start buying less pre-packed & processed foods, then the companies who make those foods will, eventually, start producing healthier foods.
Here’s the thing that I think people are missing. Mom bloggers, who are not scientists or dietitians, were given product to listen to a seminar thing that some of them admitted to not understanding, and then came away with the idea that HFCS was okay. Of COURSE they would think that. The company would not woo people with product to then have an un-biased seminar of their product, would they?
I don’t think the point really is if HFCS is bad or not. It’s accepting product and promoting something that possibly one doesn’t know enough about to really take an educated stance on, and a stance that hasn’t been swayed by the company producing the product.
When we visit the USA we do our best to avoid HFCS because usually, the three of us end up kinda sick the entire time if we don’t. In Canada we don’t see HFCS in our labels. Does that mean it’s not there? I’m not entirely sure about that either.
Thanks for your comment! I admit that I am skeptical about MOST reviews I read on any blogger’s site. It just seems to me that if you’ve been given something for free (or given $ for reviewing something) then your opinion, no matter how educated, has been compromised. Even if that blogger is being 100% truthful about the experience.
The impassioned responses to the blog I read are really what prompted this post. Several of the commenters were very vocal in their beliefs that HFCS is absolutely bad for us and while I believe they are entitled to their opinions, a lot of them have the ability to influence a lot of people (hence the reviews, I know) and it seemed almost irresponsible to so vocally denounce something without listing reasons or credentials and without listing opposing research so the readers could really make an informed decision.
And my husband and I seem to get sick every time we travel! For us, I think it just because we eat A LOT more junk food when we’re traveling than when we’re at home as well as eating out more.
I too posted something on my blog about HFCS recently. My belief is that you should limit all sugars, not just HFCS. Doesn’t matter if you’re drinking regular Mt. Dew or Mt. Dew Throwback, I think both will turn your insides into sludge if you drink too much of it (exaggeration here, just to be clear). A sugar is a sugar and it won’t kill you if you consume it in limited quantites.
As a science person and an aggie I find myself at a crossroads. You can avoid HFCS, and by doing so, I have lost 20 lbs in the last few months. Same calories, same exercise, I still use sugar.. just not HFCS. This was brought on by a study discussed in “A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain” I was astonished at the results. Good science, is good science, and I do support corn growers, but not at the expense of my health or waist line. You can find HFCS free food, often generic, in every kind. Bread, cereal, syrup… its out there. You just have to take your time and read your labels. I have tried to loose weight for years, and I find it pretty ironic, that when the only adjustment I made was eliminating this one thing, it has come off, and pretty effortlessly. Read the article about the study at http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/ do the research your self. I do not think it is as harmless as many seem to think.
You can tweet me at @farmgirl44615 if you want more conversation on the matter. 🙂
For health purposes, like many of your other commenters, I take great care to avoid all added sugars in my family’s diet to the extent possible, HFCS included. But for me, avoiding HFCS even more strictly than other sugars is more about taking a stand for a more diverse crop production system. I have read about HFCS being added in ever-increasing amounts over the years to foods that other sugars were never added to, largely a result of market glut (needing to find a way to unload corn surpluses it in a value-added fashion)…hence its presence in virtually every processed food on the shelf. I would much rather our precious farmland go towards producing a variety of directly edible, healthful foods instead of pumping out a chemistry lab product. So on the rare occasion I do purchase something processed/packaged, I check the label for sugar instead of HFCS in principle. If I want corn, I buy corn…on the cob…directly from the farmer if I can. Incidentally, the same argument could be made against the seeming omni-presence of soy in processed/packaged foods, but because nutritrionally it doesn’t carry the same charge as HFCS it gets a pass. I have a very deep respect our nation’s farmers, but I also cringe at the sight of endless corn and soy fields in areas that I know are capable of fully supporting other true staple crops.
Sugar is sugar whether it be beet sugar, cane sugar or corn sugar (HFCS), etc. and we must remember…all things are OK in moderation!
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