Watch Out For High Fructose Corn Syrup!

I picked up the jar of preserves and read the ingredients. To our surprise it contained both “corn syrup” and “high fructose corn syrup,” along with sugar. Why in the world fruit preserves would need both sugar and corn syrup, I don’t know. My mom hadn’t read the ingredients because it never occurred to her that fruit preserves would contain corn syrup.

The sad reality is that HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is now in more foods than you would imagine. It’s cheaper than regular “sugar” and also much sweeter. Most manufacturers are more interested in their bottom line profits than people’s health, so they have no problem using this dangerous ingredient. 

There are some people who try to tell us that HFCS is healthy for you. But the research all indicates otherwise. Because of all the negative effects it causes in the body, HFCS has been linked to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and even Alzheimers. 

As if that isn’t bad enough, HFCS has now been shown in some studies to increase the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. (This blog post by Jordan Rubin explains it.) With the abundance of HFCS in almost every packaged or processed food these days, it’s no wonder cancer continues to spread.  

One of the main products containing HFCS is soda. I never drink soda for many reasons, but this is another important reason to avoid it. (This article by Dr. Mercola talks more about HFCS and how it increases bad cholesterol.) Drinking soda is basically like drinking poison. 

I understand occasionally eating something that isn’t entirely healthy, or that may contain HFCS (I indulge in a piece of cheesecake now and then myself). But we must be aware of what we are putting into our bodies. When it comes to our health, we can’t afford to live in ignorance or denial. 

As much as possible, high fructose corn syrup is definitely to be avoided. So keep reading those labels, and keep eating food as God created it, not as man has corrupted it.