Fit for Human Consumption, or Rat Poison? High Fructose Corn Syrup Continually Indicted in Obesity Epidemic.

Fit for Human Consumption, or Rat Poison? How many foods use High Fructose Corn Syrup? The answer might surprise you. Or, it may not. Originally uploaded by SouthernBreeze

In the last several years, obesity has become a rampant epidemic in the United States. While there are doubtless many causes, it is my opinion that a wholesale change in our dietary practices – and I specifically do not mean to refer to increased portion sizes, consumption or intake – but rather to an ingredient which has become all too common in commercially prepared food… which, if we were honest with ourselves, is most of what we consume.

For example, the majority of Americans do NOT grow their own vegetables, raise their own groceries (meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, pork, etc.), nor do they eat homegrown, locally grown, or even “freshly prepared” vegetables, even if those vegetables were imported to the United States. Consider even pineapples, for example. Once, the exceeding majority of the world’s supply of pineapples were grown in Hawaii. The highest quality pineapples are sold to Japanese markets, where they pay top price for the highest quality fruit. Not so in the United States, where American customers balk at high prices, even if it’s associated with higher quality.

Historically, Hawaii was the world’s largest pineapple producer and source for pineapples. Relatively recently however, rapacious corporate profit seekers abandoned Hawaii for cheaper production (translate “cheap labor” & “no health & safety regulation”), and there now remain only two fresh pineapple operations remaining in Hawaii: one on Maui, and another on Oahu. And that quandary is an entirely separate, yet related, problematic issue.

However, much of what we eat has been commercially processed in volume. And I mean in HUGE volumes! In America’s factory food processors, a fairly common ingredient is corn and corn derivatives, which include most frequently “high fructose corn syrup.” In fact, it’s often the second ingredient in many foods, including: most nationally recognized & advertised brands of peanut butter, commercially known canned soups, . It’s definitely the second ingredient in the exceedingly vast majority of soda pops. However, there are a few drinks-makers who still craft their beverages using cane sugar.

In much, if not most of the world, corn is considered animal feed. And that it is… animal feed.

For example, consider what is fed to livestock – I mean to refer specifically to cattle – when they’re sent to a feedlot before sale.

Could it be Corn?

Why, yes… it is!

And what is the purpose of sending cattle to a feedlot before sale? They’re given food to fatten them up, allowed to feed almost continuously, and in a short period of time, gain significant amounts of weight.

Why corn?

It’s a cost effective way to fatten up cattle.

Consider two separate studies on the matter. One, a 2012 Cornell University study on Feedlot cattle diets which had as
A. Objective: Grow cattle as fast and efficiently as possible, and;
B. Use the most economical feeds.

And the other, a 2006 factsheet on Typical Beef Feedlot and Background Diets by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs which had as an objective a 3lb/day weight gain per animal.

Of note as well, there are at least two studies which show that High Fructose Corn Syrup has a different effect upon our body. One is a recently published (January 2, 2013) human study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on corn sweetener versus cane sugar found that satiety – that is, the sense of satisfaction, or of fulness, associated from eating – was significantly lower in corn sweeteners, thus requiring more intake to feel satisfied.

The other is research from 2010 by Princeton University, that found “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese… every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

Via Flickr:
In the last several years, obesity has become a rampant epidemic in the United States. While there are doubtless many causes, it is my opinion that a wholesale change in our dietary practices – and I specifically do not mean to refer to increased portion sizes, consumption or intake – but rather to an ingredient which has become all too common in commercially prepared food… which, if we were honest with ourselves, is most of what we consume.

For example, the majority of Americans do NOT grow their own vegetables, raise their own groceries (meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, pork, etc.), nor do they eat homegrown, locally grown, or even “freshly prepared” vegetables, even if those vegetables were imported to the United States. Consider even pineapples, for example. Once, the exceeding majority of the world’s supply of pineapples were grown in Hawaii. The highest quality pineapples are sold to Japanese markets, where they pay top price for the highest quality fruit. Not so in the United States, where American customers balk at high prices, even if it’s associated with higher quality.

Historically, Hawaii was the world’s largest pineapple producer and source for pineapples. Relatively recently, rapacious corporate profit seekers abandoned Hawaii for cheaper production (translate “labor” & “health & safety regulation”), and there remain only two fresh pineapple operations remaining in Hawaii: one on Maui, and another on Oahu. And that quandary is an entirely separate, yet related, problematic issue.

However, much of what we eat has been commercially processed in volume. And I mean in HUGE volumes! In America’s factory food processors, a fairly common ingredient is corn and corn derivatives, which include most frequently “high fructose corn syrup.” In fact, it’s often the second ingredient in many foods, including: most nationally recognized & advertised brands of peanut butter, commercially known canned soups, . It’s definitely the second ingredient in the exceedingly vast majority of soda pops. However, there are a few drinks-makers who still craft their beverages using cane sugar.

In much, if not most of the world, corn is considered animal feed. And that it is… animal feed.

For example, consider what is fed to livestock – I mean to refer specifically to cattle – when they’re sent to a feedlot before sale.

Could it be Corn?

Why, yes… it is!

And what is the purpose of sending cattle to a feedlot before sale? They’re given food to fatten them up, allowed to feed almost continuously, and in a short period of time, gain significant amounts of weight.

Why corn?

It’s a cost effective way to fatten up cattle.

Consider two separate studies on the matter. One, a 2012 Cornell University study on Feedlot cattle diets which had as
A. Objective: Grow cattle as fast and efficiently as possible, and;
B. Use the most economical feeds.

And the other, a 2006 factsheet on Typical Beef Feedlot and Background Diets by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs which had as an objective a 3lb/day weight gain per animal.

Of note as well, there are at least two studies which show that High Fructose Corn Syrup has a different effect upon our body. One is a recently published (January 2, 2013) human study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on corn sweetener versus cane sugar found that satiety – that is, the sense of satisfaction, or of fulness, associated from eating – was significantly lower in corn sweeteners, thus requiring more intake to feel satisfied.

The other is research from 2010 by Princeton University, that found “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese… every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

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Ever feel like cattle in a feedlot? High Fructose Corn Syrup works wonders!