Seriously Cerebral – 5 points you should know about HFCS

  1. A Princeton University Study has demonstrated that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), the main ingredient in most table syrups, causes significantly more weight gain than regular table sugar – even when caloric intake is the same.
  2. Researchers at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy found that almost half of tested commercial samples of HFCS, and as many as one in three samples of food products containing high fructose corn syrups as the first or second ingredient, contained detectable levels of mercury.
  3. High fructose corn syrup health risks? Excess fructose intake (the main ingredient in HFCS) has been associated with adverse health effects such as metabolic syndrome, elevated triglyceride levels, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and excess uric acid levels (associated with gout and kidney stones).
  4. All sweeteners should be enjoyed in moderation – but HFCS is particularly difficult to avoid because it can be found in so many foods and beverages including fake maple syrup.
  5. Corn, wheat, rice, soybeans and cotton are the five most subsidized crops in America – receiving more than 42 billion dollars in subsidies over a five year period.