Comments on: Word is getting out about high-fructose corn syrup

By: Hsa33

Hsa33 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:03:54 +0000

Hi MRE-
I agree that HFCS is found in more foods than sugar, because (like you said) sugar cannot be used in the same way. I think these types of foods are overly-processed to begin with and should be avoided. In terms of sugary drinks, I just feel that both HFCS and sugar should be consumed in moderation, and have seen no proof that HFCS is worse than sugar.

I agree that in small amount HFCS is no worse than sugar, but in the people who tend to over consume the small difference in fructose between the two begins to add up and have an effect.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Carlos

Carlos — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:43:37 +0000

Soda Pop, NAh! BEER, (and pizza) that is what I miss the most of all the stuff that I have given up following the low carb lifestyle!

By: John

John — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:48:29 +0000

I gotta second that comment about the original sugar-based Doctor Pepper. A better tasting pop has never been invented. If I were whisked in a time machine, back to the hometown of my youth ( early ’60’s), the first thing I would do is ride my bike to the edge of town where existed the only vending machine ( at a truck stop ) that had the marvelous stuff, and in bottles. We’d go get this stuff on a hot summer day, and felt we were drinking some forbidden fruit, made only for adults.

Makes me almost want to try some, but not quite.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:26:45 +0000

FYI Costco is now selling the Mexican Coca-Cola by the case for about $17.

By: Goi

Goi — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:57:11 +0000

People need to stop drinking this crap altogether. Switching from HFCS to sugar won’t make them any less obese.

Agreed.

By: Esther

Esther — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:16:40 +0000

I love Mexican coke and grew up on the stuff. We always swore that it was less sweet than the American coke and that’s why it tasted better. I don’t know how it’s packaged currently but back in the day, the only way to get it was in those small glass bottles. I’ve always thought that soda packaged in plastic and cans doesn’t taste very good which makes it easy for me to pass up even the diet varieties.

I think that the difference is that just about the time they started using HFCS they started using plastic bottles. I’m not certain about this, it’s just a thought.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:11:41 +0000

Personally, I just don’t understand the fuss over HFCS – it’s not that much different that real sugar, and either one is bad for you taken in large amounts.

Hi Jenn–

It’s true; they are both bad. But HFCS is a little worse.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Hsa33

Hsa33 — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:48:47 +0000

I have to say, I don’t know if pure sugar is really any better that HFCS. I read an article not too long ago that said there wasn’t a link between HFCS and obesity. It reported that the fructose levels in high fructose corn syrup could be compared to the levels in normal table sugar. I think we just have to remember that over-indulging in any kind of sweets or fats can lead to health problems.

Hi Hsa–

I pretty much agree. But there is a little more fructose in HFCS, and because of some of its other properties HCFS is used in foods in ways that sugar couldn’t be, and so is found in more foods than would be sugar if HFCS didn’t exist.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Adam Campbell

Adam Campbell — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:20:23 +0000

Mike,

do you think “we’d” be better off had the food industry just used sucrose instead of HFCS? I’m certainly on the HFCS-is-nasty-stuff bandwagon, but it’s hard to see an appreciable difference between it and sucrose.

Of course, I caught your earlier post in which you did the math on HFCS-55 compared to sucrose, but if someone is drinking that much regular soda, they’re in trouble period, since excess glucose will be converted to triglycerides, too.

I don’t know what the percentages of fructose and glucose are in “organic cane juice,” but to me, it seems that singling HFCS out allows food manufacturers to start fooling the public with “hippie” sugar. (”Hey, we don’t use HFCS–we use organic sugar!”)

No doubt you agree that any sugar consumed in high quantities is a bad idea, but I was curious as to your thoughts on whether Coke drinkers would actually be better off if it were sweetened with sucrose–or say, turbinado, evaporated can juice invert syrup, or granular fruit grape juice concentrate? (Ha!)

Keep in mind that every time I broach this topic, someone misunderstands my point and chastises me for defending HFCS. It’s just the opposite–what I’m seeing is that the more educated the public is specifically about HFCS, the more savvy food manufacturers exploit this by making sure HFCS isn’t on the ingredients label, even if a caloric sweetener is still used. This gives some consumers the impression it’s a far healthier product, and it’s hard
to believe that’s the case.

What think?

Keep up the great work.

Adam

Hey Adam–

I think you’re right on the money. All sugar is bad, and focusing on HFCS sends people bolting to other more ‘healthful’ sugars, which is a real oxymoron.

For Coke drinkers who drink the occasional Coke it doesn’t really matter whether it’s sweetened with HFCS or sucrose; for Coke drinkers who guzzle it in huge quantities it probably doesn’t matter either because they are in trouble with the total amount of fructose they get whether it comes from HFCS or sucrose. It’s probably a little worse for them to get the extra 10-20 grams of fructose daily from the HFCS that they wouldn’t get from sucrose, but in the great scheme of things, it’s probably not that much different.

It had never occurred to me that all the anti-HFCS hype might in some way make sucrose itself seem healthful, but it looks like that’s what’s happening. I just saw a TV commercial last night for Sugar in the Raw, which I assume is minimally processed sugar. If so, this stuff might have a few more micronutrients, but would still have the insulin-raising, health-destroying capacity of plain old refined table sugar.

Yeesh.

Cheers–

Mike

By: Marilyn Leahy

Marilyn Leahy — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 05:15:54 +0000

My favorite non event health study, WHI, has been analyzed by Sandy Szwarc at Junk Food Science. You may wish to check out the \\

Hi Marilyn–

Your comment was somehow truncated.

Best–

MRE