High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) sounds so nice and natural. It's high instead of low, sounds fruity with fructose, and natural since it's corn syrup. However, it has a very bad rap these days and lots of people are vilifying it as the reason that Americans are obese. So, in an effort to learn more about HFCS, MindfulEats caught up with it yesterday for a quick interview.
MindfulEats: What are you anyway?
HFCS: I'm a sweetener, 'cause people love sweets. I start out as corn. Then I'm milled to produce corn starch, from which I'm processed into corn syrup. After that enzymes get added to me to turn most of my glucose into fructose. In most cases when you consume me, I'm HFCS 55 (55% glucose, 45% fructose), which is practically the same profile as table sugar.
MindfulEats: Why do you exist?
HFCS: I am used predominantly in the U.S. That's because messed up protectionist laws keep the price of sugar artificially inflated, and I'm a cheaper alternative.
MindfulEats: What are you in?
HFCS: I'm in practically everything. Soda, fruit juices, flavored yogurt, hot-dog buns, ketchup, mustard, English Muffins, ice cream, and the list goes on. I'm in anything that might be processed.
MindfulEats: You are accused of leaving people feeling unsatiated, making them obese, and harming their livers. Well?
HFCS: All those tests are inconclusive. You can cite studies that go both ways. There's only one thing that makes people fat, and that's excess calories. Some consumers go out of their way to avoid me by finding Mexican soda, which is made out of sugar. Last time I checked, those people are still drinking soda and they're still overweight. As for the liver, high amounts of fructose do stimulate the liver, but I dunno. Once people start accusing you of things, you just become a fall guy. All I can say is prove it.
MindfulEats: Well, aren't you unenvironmental?
HFCS: Well, aren't you? I think I saw you get out of a cab last week. That trip had a bigger carbon footprint than all the HFCS you consume in a year. Why don't you focus on the direct things you do that have a huge environmental impact, Ms. Do-Gooder? Look, I'm a processed food so obviously it takes resources to process me beyond corn. I'm not the most green item out there, but I'm not the bogeyman that people make me out to be.
MindfulEats: HFCS, thanks for being so honest and coming in to speak to us!
After our illuminating interview, the MindfulEats opinion is to cut down on HFCS because it's a telltale sign of a processed food, and we are on a quest to eat whole foods. HFCS is a sweetener, and we're not fans of any sweeteners, not even sugar.
What to do - Cut Down on High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Read the ingredients list of your food. HCFS is in almost everything: soda, jam, ketchup, yogurt, ice cream, Twinkies. Check anything that has a sweetener.
- HCFS is in processed food, so if you see it in your food labels, be mindful that you eat processed foods. You won't be able to cut it out entirely, but start reducing it. Is soda a culprit? How much of it do you drink? Limit it to 4x a week, or less. Are English muffins a big part of your breakfast? Switch to whole wheat bread. Set some Mindful Goals - it's about getting better, not being perfect.
What I ate: 12 oz. green juice, 1 banana, 3 clementines, 1.5 cups coffee w/ milk, brown rice + ground flax seeds, stirfried tofu + broccoli (resavored), 2 oz. macadamia nuts, 2 oz. pumpkin seeds, 1 apple, 3 sq. dark chocolate, shared appetizers: humus, babaganous + pita, roasted potatoes, feta + honey, spanikoptica, vegetable tagine, 2/3 c. couscous, 3 bites chocolate cake + ice cream, 66 oz. water
Exercise: 5 miles interval training (first time since October, it was tough but great!)
