Think High Fructose Corn Syrup is just a no-no? You better sit down...

HFCS            

You probably don’t want to read this post. Why would you, you’re aware it’s bad for you. You promise to make more of an effort to read labels-whatever, leave you alone and go away…
But do you really know just how bad it is? I’m guessing a majority of people think it’s bad,
like French fries, or ice cream, but it’s not.  It’s much worse.  I hope you’ll take a minute
to read this post, I think it's important, and I promise to make it quick and painless. 

Do you know what ATP is? I didn’t either; Adenosine triphosphate is a chemical compound present in 
all living cells in your body.  It functions as the primary energy source for cellular function.  

Remember mitochondria from high school biology?  Mitochondria are the tiny power plants that keep everything running inside the individual cell, ATP is their energy source.    

Not all sugars are the same, and they are not metabolized in the same way. Fructose is referred to as just another type of sugar; this is where controversy and confusion begin. 

This is done on purpose. 

There are further distinctions about sugars; for more

 info check the sources under biology tab, or wikipedia. 

High Fructose Corn Syrup is made from cornstarch that has been converted to corn syrup. The syrup is then enzymatically altered into fructose, which amplifies sweetness.

Sucrose (common sugar) is composed of equal parts glucose and fructose.

Fructose is derived from fruit and fruit juice, it usually contains nutrients and fiber.

Food Glucose is sugar derived from food starches.

Blood Glucose refers to a combination of sugars in the bloodstream used by the body.     

The important difference is how the sugars are metabolized. 
This study in The European Journal of Clinical nutrition found an important distinction between fructose and glucose.  They discovered when fructose is being metabolized, it causes depletion of ATP levels in the liver, kidney and intestines, which in turn, triggers an inflammatory response in epithelial tissue.  

More troubling is that HFCS causes insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2Diabetes.  The study also points to a distinction between the glycemic index, and the fructose index. Glycemic (glucose) stimulates insulin, whereas fructose (HFCS) inhibits insulin production.

In Summary:   High Fructose Corn Syrup robs you of energy, can give                                                         you diabetes, and makes you obese.  

Below are a few extra facts, links, and charts I used as references.  My hope is that the average person will become more vigilant when it comes to the products they buy.  
Sadly, being on a shelf at your local market is no guarantee 
of product safety.   

Courtesy Cycling Hall of Fame

This chart is similar to one listed on the CDC website a few years ago, but I was unable to locate it. The chart suggests a relationship to the rise in use of HFCS with the rise in rates of obesity in the United States. 

    

Obesity in the United States had reached staggering proportions by 2004; 66% of the adult population in our country was overweight or obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics and the CDC.

Fun fact!   HFCS had a small role in the Watergate Scandal. 

Not convinced? 

Put on your foil hat and click here.

The Daily Kos ran a comprehensive article

detailing the adverse health effects directly attributed to HFCS, in addition to the 

billions spent in healthcare. 

I hope they remembered to include taxpayer subsidies to GMO corn. 

There is a ton of information on this subject available. I chose the journal 
article for the reason that it highlights information being studied outside of the United States, 
and presumably less subject to influence.