IS HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP WORSE THAN SUGAR?

Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Worse Than Sugar?
By Donovan Baldwin

Does it matter?

Probably not.

On the other hand, it IS sugar, and one of the worst things you can legally introduce into your body daily without a prescription, is sugar.

That's sugar in any form!

There's been a lot of yelling recently about "high fructose corn syrup" being bad for you. Some even go so far as to say that it's worse than refined sugar.

Again, I ask the question, "Does it matter?"

Once sugar enters your body in any form, the results are essentially the same.

It is converted into glucose...which is a sugar. However, this is the "good" sugar...the one your body uses for energy. However, if too much glucose is created, most commonly through the use of too much sugar in your food, or by eating "simple" carbohydrates, such as a slice of the basic American white bread...or donut.

Now, all kinds of claims have been made about what too much sugar can do to you. I personally notice a feeling of nasal congestion and a reduced ability to process oxygen after eating a food that is high in sugar. I also get headaches and may even get blurry vision.

That's me, but sugar has been linked to other symptoms in other people.

However, for me, that's still not the issue.

The important point is what the sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or simple carbohydrate, you eat, does to blood sugar levels.

As I pointed out earlier, when these foods enter your body, they are converted into glucose, which is the fuel your body needs for every function.

Gotta have it.

If too much glucose is made, however, it causes a reaction which is not good.

Blood sugar levels rise naturally after eating. In response to this, the pancreas produces insulin which tells the cells, "Open up! I've got some glucose for you." When the blood sugar levels are within a normal range, the cells do as they are told, and your body gets the energy it needs to keep you alive and functioning in tip-top fashion.

When there is too much sugar, or too many simple carbs, the blood sugar levels "spike".

While this is not particularly dangerous for most people as an occasional event...the second piece of Aunt Mary's apple pie at Thanksgiving...if it becomes a regular event, or if the person is already at risk, it sets off a chain of events which, over time, can become devastating.

When too much sugar is eaten regularly, the cells begin to ignore the insulin and refuse to accept the glucose. The body then stores this excess glucose as fat.

In need of energy as their glucose stores dwindle, the cells send out a message for more glucose. The body sends out a message that we recognize as hunger, and so, we eat more. Odds are, if we are in the habit of eating meals with lots of sugar or simple carbs, we are going to do it again, and the cycle will repeat itself.

This leads to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

So, just drop sugar from your diet, right?

Wish it was that easy.

Start checking food labels. You will find "sugars" listed there. You might be surprised at how many foods have "sugars". Now, look down the label to where it shows the ingredients. If you see anything with an "ose" at the end, you are almost certainly looking at sugar.

There are many claims that high fructose corn syrup is worse than plain sugar, but again I repeat, "Does it matter?" It's the foods which contain sugar in any form which should be your focus, not the particular type of sugar.

In the modern diet, if you are not paying attention to what you are eating, you are getting sugar in so many forms that your health is in danger. The point is NOT to focus on one particular form of sugar, but to eliminate sugar from your diet.

In the 1900's, the average person consumed about half an ounce of sugar a day. Today, the average person consumes nearly 30 times that much...most of it unintentionally!

So, what can you do about it?

Well, the first and most obvious step is to stop eating simple carbs and foods that contain sugar...including high fructose corn syrup.

But, how do you go about that? After all, your body NEEDS carbs and other nutrients to function properly, and you probably do not have training in nutrition.

In these cases, we generally turn to an expert.

Two great resources to help you cut sugar from your diet and manage your blood sugar are a book, Sugar Busters, and an online resource, the Sugar Detox Solution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Donovan Baldwin is a 73-year-old bodybuilder, freelance writer, certified optician, and Internet marketer currently living in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a past member of Mensa and has held several managerial and supervisory positions throughout his career. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he became interested in Internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters.

He has an online store of various homeopathic and herbal health products which can be found at nodiet4me.com/health_products.

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