Myth: Metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels) is caused by lifestyle issues.

Fact: According to Dr. Robert Lustig, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is derived from GMO corn, and which is in almost every processed food on the market, almost single-handedly drives metabolic syndrome, which in turn drives the majority of healthcare costs in this country.

Currently, more than half of all Americans suffer from metabolic syndrome which by the way also leads to type 2 diabetes, another US epidemic, and high fructose corn syrup is at the heart (no pun intended) of this issue. Let’s take a look at some of the damages of HFCS:

Wow! Think about that for a moment. When you consider that HFCS is an unnecessary but common ingredient in almost every processed food on the U.S. market, this is a serious problem. The stuff is everywhere. It is probably in your catsup, your soup, and your child’s cereal.

Why is it so dangerous? Besides the fact that HFCS raises blood sugar levels and leads to weight gain and eventually type 2 diabetes, as mentioned above, it also causes a condition known as a fatty liver, which is a major component in metabolic syndrome. If that is not bad enough, HFCS is very addicting. Indeed, studies show that it is more addicting than heroin or cocaine.

Finally, HFCS damages the hormone (Leptin) that regulates eating and fat storage. It actually fries Leptin receptors to death causing you to feel hungry all the time and to keep storing fat, whether or not you need it. Talk about the munchies that pack on the pounds!

Ever wonder why you just can’t stop eating, even when you are not hungry? Check the ingredients in your processed foods. I’ll bet the majority of them have HFCS. This is a good example of Food Pollution Disorder. 

Myth: HFCS flies below the radar and has never been formally recognized as a problem.

Fact: The role that HFCS plays in polluting foods has been clearly identified. One good example is Subway. All Subway buns were made with HFCS until 2014. In a study in 2011, comparing countries with Subway restaurants and those without Subway restaurants, researchers found that higher obesity rates correlated with higher numbers of this fast-food restaurant. 

No matter how they sliced it, the research showed that the countries with the highest number of Subway restaurants (such as the United States and Canada) had the highest prevalence of obesity when compared to the countries with the lowest number of Subways (like Norway and Japan) according to the authors of the study—Roberto De Vogliab, Anne Kouvonenc, and David Gimenod.

We know that correlation is not causation, but this research makes the connection hard to ignore. It got Subway’s attention, as they took the HFCS out of their buns in 2014.

Unfortunately, you can still find high fructose corn syrup in almost every US processed food.

Myth: Restaurants and food producers behave responsibly when it comes to the use of sugar in their products.

Fact: Subway is not the only fast-food place offering serious servings of sugar. The restaurants on the chart below were also using large servings of HFCS in their deserts as well as other forms of sugar. The point is that some of these deserts had the equivalent of 50 or more teaspoons of sugar in one serving! Holy Sugar Shock!

Note that after the research on these levels of sugar went viral, a few of the establishments took the items in question off of their menus. Shining a light on these problems does help. Unfortunately, US food manufacturers are notorious for putting ingredients like HFCS in as many foods as possible if they can get away with it. 

Tip: The good news is that you can eliminate HFCS from your diet by reading labels and by being informed. In general, don’t buy foods containing ingredients with the word “corn” in them; Corn solids, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, natural corn syrup, or maize (a native word for corn). Also avoid other forms of fructose syrup such as glucose/fructose syrup and tapioca syrup (not from corn, but also fructose and not good for you). 

If you or a loved one have type two diabetes or if you can’t stop gaining weight, I am the Mind Weight & Wellness Pro and I can help. You can call me at (513)205-6543.