I will admit that when I grocery shop, I have a few priorities. I want to be quick. I want to save money. I want to provide a balanced diet for my kids. I try as best I can to read the labels of the products I buy, but when I have two kids in tow, this can provide a challenge. Food labels on the front of the package make it easy for me. Labels such as “Low fat” or “Less Sugar” generally catch my attention.
I have noticed that labels reading “No High Fructose Corn Syrup” have appeared in the food aisles after this sugar received media attention for being linked to obesity. However, thanks to a recent webcast from Mom Central and Sweet Surprise, I am learning that high fructose corn syrup is no more likely to cause weight gain than sugar when used in moderation. According to the Corn Refiners Association, high fructose corn syrup (corn sugar) is a natural substance made up of the same components of regular granulated sugar. The components, fructose and glucose, are handled similarly by the body. In fact, once absorbed into the bloodstream, sugar and high fructose corn syrup are indistinguishable according to the American Diabetic Association.
After taking a look in my pantry, I was surprised at how many foods contain corn sugar. While I do want to provide healthy meals for my family and strive to keep any kind of sugar intake to a reasonable level, I believe balance is key. It would be nearly impossible to rid my entire pantry of the high fructose corn syrup and honestly, I wouldn’t want to. Everything in moderation.
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the Corn Refiners Association. I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
THANK YOU!!! I have been saying this for SO long to people. It is from corn – a natural product that our bodies can digest and use just like glucose to produce cells our bodies need.
I’m so tired of people using scare tactics to get people to stop using certain things without having all the facts.
Good for you for posting the facts.
Are all of the facts presented, though? Or just the facts attained from CRA, an organization vested in the sale of HFCS?
I keep reading in the blog posts participating in this blog carnival that reading food labels is challenging. Is CRA pushing that idea on us? Because I find the less processed foods you buy, the easier the label is to read.
Perhaps HFCS isn’t the root of the obesity epidemic. Perhaps it’s more about American attitude towards foods, such as wanting it fast, cheap and easy. That means buying processed foods which are all around high in sugar and fat and low in nutritional value. Perhaps we need to reevaluate our priorities and this whole HFCS debate will disappear since we’ll realize the value of quality over cheapness.
You appear to have not been taken in by the rampant fearmongering surrounding high fructose corn syrup, and you’ve actually looked at the science. Congratulations!
just a quick note and correction: corn sugar is actually a dextrose product (not HFCS) and regular corn syrup is a glucose product (not HFCS). I’d be surprised if your pantry ingredients contained corn sugar.