I'm sure you've heard or read things about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), but did you know if they were true or false? Well, now you can have the facts.

As we all know, obesity rates are on the rise. One reason of the sharp increase is the use of added sugars has reached an all time high and much of the use is HFCS. A large majority of it is used in beverages, but also in baked goods and many other foods.

What is HFCS? It is 50/50 fructose and glucose. When comparing HFCS to white sugar, it is super cheap to produce, much sweeter, easier to use and more stable. To make it, the factory starts off with corn kernels and then they are spun at a high velocity and combined with enzymes to that it forms a thick syrup.

Added sugars provide excess energy, raising the risk of weight gain. The nutritional value is very low and replacing nutritional foods with added sugars in the diet of a child is not healthy. Some say it can be addictive. Others claim that is it so easy to swallow that it makes it difficult for the body to regulate appetite control and energy metabolism.

What should you do? Read labels. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. If HFCS is in the first few ingredients, you know there is a large amount in the product. Choose snacks and drinks wisely. As always, fresh foods are always the better choice.

Written by Tiffany Glenn, M.S., R.D.,L.D. Registered Dietitian Good health is important from the inside out. Learn more about how Tiffany nourishes her body from the outside by checking out her website at tglenn.myrandf.biz Tiffany lives in Lorena, TX with her husband Tim, son age 15 and daughters’ ages 9 and 13. E-mail: tiffanydglenn@gmail.com
Sources: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ygreen/20101220/sc_ygreen/fourreasonstoavoidhighfructosecornsyrup
Understanding Nutrition, Whitney & Rolfes, 12e.