Not So Sweet After All

When I sit down and watch TV, I usually tune into a sitcom to entertain myself with humor. Much to my surprise, it was a commercial last week that caught my attention and made me laugh out loud. Those creators of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), you had me chuckling at your ads, but more concerned about your deceptive approach.

If you haven't seen it, the Corn Refiners Association introduced a campaign titled "Sweet Surprise" explaining and promoting the benefits of HFCS while fighting the argument of what its opponents say. Oh and this campaign? It's not cheap. Just around a cool $20 to $30 million dollars.



HFCS is in EVERYTHING! Not just in Popsicles, candy and soda, like the commercials promote, but in bread, tomato sauce, granola bars, cereals and ketchup to name a few. HFCS is made from corn starch and contains fructose and glucose -- two sugar building blocks. It's in these products because it adds flavor, helps processed foods sustain a longer shelf life and it's cheap. It's sweeter than refined sugar, which is popular among manufacturers because they can use less.

But the price of consuming HFCS is much more costly. A simple search on Google will introduce you to how it does damage to our bodies. It contributes to obesity, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, bad cholesterol levels and liver disease.

Don't let the commercials and pretty Web site fool you. It's best for you and your family to avoid HFCS. Here are some simple ways to do that.

• Do not buy over packaged foods and processed foods containing byproducts from corn growth
• Give up corn-sweetened or preserved foods
• Look for products that are sweetened with organic cane sugar
• Organic foods may still contain corn products, but it's still a better alternative because you know that it doesn't contain pesticides, herbicides and inputs that pollute soil and water

And my message to the Corn Refiners Association. You can take your money and eat it! It's probably healthier than the HFCS you're advertising right now.

-Tasha