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Please keep in mind that other members may claim medical or nutrition expertise or status that they may, or may not, possess. Please use good judgment and discretion in following their advice. Always check with your doctor or nutritionist before modifying your diet.
We want to know what questions you have on health and wellness. Share your questions here and Arlene Sanoy, registered dietician at Kraft Kitchens, will stop by monthly to select two questions to be answered in our new upcoming KRAFT Live Healthy & Happy newsletter. The answers will also be posted here for everyone to see on the message boards.
Please keep in mind that other members may claim medical or nutrition expertise or status that they may, or may not, possess. Please use good judgment and discretion in following their advice. Always check with your doctor or nutritionist before modifying your diet.
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349
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 9, 2008 7:58 AM
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thank you, st. b, once again for a great explanation!! and, once again, moderation in all things is key to a healthy lifestyle. 
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636
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 7, 2008 3:38 PM
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You are correct in saying that HFCS and fructose are not the same thing- however, your statement that those with liver disease should avoid fructose is incorrect (And to set the record straight- essentially ALL food items are metabolized to one degree or another in the liver- that is its job. Those w/liver disease- do need to be sure to eat consistent and regular amounts of carbs due to altered CHO metabolism/storage, however.)
Secondly uric acid is elevated in response to fructose (ie- fruit sugar) and HFCS is not a truly high source of fructose- it contains the same amount of fructose (and a similar molecular structure) to that of sucrose (table sugar). (And this mechanism is debatable anyway). And yes, your body does recognize HFCS as a sugar- if it didn't it wouldn't be turned to fat.
And yes, HFCS can be stored as fat (as will ANYTHING else that you eat- if you eat it in excess of what your body burns for fuel).
The latest research seems to show that the obesity/HFCS issue is more due to excess calorie intake it is associated with rather than the sugar alone. Previous research that showed a link between HFCS and disease- were based off of epidemiological studies- and therefore quite flawed. Here is a good overview of the myths about HFCS. http://www.sweetsurprise.com/files/HFCS_Press_Kit_FoodTechnologyOct06.pdf
Coulston and Johnston also wrote a good review for The Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2002 (vol 102. issue 3).
Again, though, it is all a matter of personal preferance. No one has ever suffered nutritional deficiencies from avoiding HFCS.
[I do however agree that a retest of the 'cake' experiment would be necessary- particularly since she was comparing crystalline fructose and not HFCS to brown sugar- two very different products.]
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 6, 2008 9:19 AM
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Hi,
Just so you understand, Fructose (which is crystallized fruit sugar) and HFCS are not the same thing. You should have less of a glycemic reaction to fructose. Your body understands what fructose is and reacts to it normally. However, fructose is metabolized in the liver, so if you have an alcohol addiction or liver disease you should not consume a high amount of fructose.
The combination of corn syrup and fructose is where the real problem lies.
Corn syrup is not a natural sweetener. Your body does not recognize it as a food sugar. So, what happens is that your body doesn't get the correct signals that you have consumed food! You don't manufacture the proper chemicals as a result of eating food made with HFCS and therefore you will literally overeat any and all foods containing this additive. Your body manufactures the correct insulin amounts to handle processing the foods you eat for energy, but when you eat HFCS because of its chemical make up Uric Acid is produced in your bloodstream and this blocks the insulin from working. This leads to horrible diabetic complications. Also, because of the liver metabolism involved in HFCS consumption you are storing fat in your liver every time you eat it.
I wonder if your friend's reaction was related to her preference for the 2 different recipes, rather than the sweetener used? I would suggest making the exact same cake with both sweeteners to get a more "scientifically" valid result before you make a conclusion on the test.
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 5, 2008 9:50 AM
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One more question - is HFCS always listed as "high fructose corn syrup" on ingredient labels, or can it be "disguised" as something else? (I hate when they do that - like with MSG, which has many nicknames).
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40
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 5, 2008 9:27 AM
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Can anyone tell me what adverse effects this product has on the body, and what benefits you have seen from eliminating it from your diet? I've seen some that had some weight loss, and I totally understand the dental thing, although I would think that would be a problem with other sugars and sweeteners as well.
Not trying to "challenge" anyone, but I'm not familiar with this subject and I'd like to know more. Thanks!
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 4, 2008 11:31 PM
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After my dentist said that the liquid high fructose corn syrup is like acid on your teeth, and he suspects a leading cause of the increase in cavities he sees, I have done my best to eliminate it from our diets where possible. My physician said regular sugar is better for you, which finally convinced my husband to go along with the changes.
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Moderator_Jane
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246
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 4, 2008 6:05 AM
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I try to cook from scratch, but I know that's not an option for every family every meal. It's easier to remove trans fats and HFSC from your diet if don't eat as many processed foods.
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 3, 2008 2:25 PM
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Good for you! I was told about 7 years ago I was allergic to anything with corn in it, so I have mostly eliminated anything with corn in it for about 7 years now. There are some really good substitutes out there, you just have to know what you are looking for. I also did a lot of reading on the subject to find out what to substitute. Granted, I still like to eat corn on the cob during the summer, but that is a rare treat. When I went in to be tested for corn allergy about 3 years ago, my reaction to it had went WAY down, just through diet modification. The allergist was very impressed. I also ended up dropping about 7 pounds the first year just from cutting out corn products.
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 3, 2008 12:06 PM
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I have also been working to eliminate this from my family's diet. It cannot be metabolized in your body. I don't really care what the FDA says, if it's not all natural without these Frankenstein preservatives, I will not put it into my children's mouths!!
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Moderator_Jane
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246
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 3, 2008 7:46 AM
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For me it's easier to find products without trans fats than it is to find foods without HFCS. I finally had to compromise a bit. No trans fats at all and no sugar, refined wheat flour or HFCS in the first four ingredients of other products.
Luckily, or maybe unluckily, I almost never have the opportunity to eat out so that helps, but it's easier now with companies removing trans fats from more of their products.
I'm not 100 percent successful, but I figure every little bit helps.
Jane
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349
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 3, 2008 7:28 AM
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It can be difficult to find products that don't contain HFCS or trans fats (hydrogenated oils) in the grocery store...I've become an avid label reader. Sometimes I do give in, but for the most part I stay away from both. I get frustrated with cereal and granola bars--there are very few that don't contain either of these. I try to stick with the South Beach brand or sometimes Kashi.
As far as the peanut butter, I've been buying all natural for several years and altho its not as sweet and creamy as other kinds, we have gotten used to it and now would never go back to regular. I've even made my own before, buying roasted peanuts in bulk and putting them in the blender. You have to add the oil yourself, but I like being in control of that, and it tastes just like store-bought!
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 2, 2008 11:35 PM
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I was determined to be high risk for diabetes at age 35...
I was extensively tested for food that my body had allergic type reactions to. Any kind of sugar or honey was off the chart for me - but my body had ZERO reaction to fructose(along with light and dark corn syrups).
As an experiment, I made 2 scratch cakes: one was an apple cake with granulated fructose substituted for the sugar - the other was a spice cake made with brown sugar. Both were made with corn oil - which is an oil that my body likes - I can't handle butter at all - off the chart reaction to red meats and saturated fats. I had a friend with a big 'sugar tooth' (i.e., likely will be a diabetic) at the party. She could have one piece of the fructose one - said it was good - and then could leave it alone. But she couldn't stop eating the brown sugar one. Had a totally addictive reaction to it. So the moral of that story for my life was that fructose is something I can handle - i.e., I don't crave it. So I ALWAYS substitute it for any type of sugar wherever possible.
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jul 2, 2008 7:18 PM
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I was totally surprised at the amount of trans fats in peanut butter too. A couple of years ago I decided to switch to the natural peanut butter. I wish I had done it before because it's so good. You do have to mix the oil and peanuts when you first open the jar but that's a minor thing to me. I know that when my grandkids have a pb and j they're eating peanuts without the bad fats. The natural peanut butter isn't that much more expensive than the regular stuff. Be sure to try the store brand if they have one... I'd never go back to Jif or Skippy.... 
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69
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jun 30, 2008 5:53 PM
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Yeah I refuse to eat trans fat
I love the Pillsberry cinnimon rolls but they have so many grams of trans fat in them it's crazy
I also lvoe peanutbutter and i wish someone would find a way to eliminate the transfat in that to because in Jiff's I think there is like .5 grams and its such a small amount its in small print at the bottom of the jar but stilll
So I avoid eating these things and anything with trans fat.
Isn't fructose in alot of cereals? or am I thinking of something else?
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Moderator_Sky
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143
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Re: high fructose corn syrup
Posted:
Jun 30, 2008 4:29 PM
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> Great idea! I am a nurse. I have spoken with many
> doctors on the topic. One doctor believes that high
> fructose corn syrup is largely to blame for childhood
> obesity in America and that you should avoid any food
> item that has high fructose corn syrup listed as one
> of the first 3 ingredients. Try weight watchers foods
> and smart ones they do a good job of avoiding high
> fructose corn syrup! Keep up the good work!
I know I'm doing SOMETHING right when his father tries to give him soda and my son takes a couple of sips then gives it back and doesn't want more. LOL He loves his all-natural apple juice.
He also is a little fiend for bananas and apples.
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