High Fructose Corn Syrup ~ HFCS

All afternoon I've been reading about HFCS - High Fructose Corn Syrup. Fascinating reading! Apparently, it started being put in almost everything we eat and drink, in the late 70's/early 80's, as a substitute for sugar ... at exactly the same time obesity rates in the US started skyrocketing. Coincidence? If you Google it, you'll find some very interesting reading!

These guys have made a documentary, airing on PBS in April - you can check their website at http://www.kingcorn.net/ and click on the PBS link to see when it airs in your town.

My kids are going to be so sorry I started reading about this stuff. Oh well, there's decent substitutes for almost all of it -- Heinz organic ketchup instead of Heinz regular ketchup, Paul Newman cookies instead of Oreos, Martin's potato bread for hamburger/hot dog rolls -- so I figure if I start incorporating it slowly around here, they'll be none-the-wiser. Certain brands of peanut butter, certain mixes of Heinz ketchup, some breads that we already eat, same with some of our cereals in the pantry are HFCS free. And when we go to Canada this summer, we'll be able to indulge in Coke there - made the old fashioned way with good ole, regular sugar!

I also learned that around Passover, you can buy "Kosher" Coke made like it was pre-'80's with sugar. Same thing with other Kosher products. I might check some ethnic markets around here - they say some of them carry Coke and other products made with sugar, not HFCS. Also read that some Costcos carry Coke made with sugar - guess it depends which distribution center they use.

That's mountains of corn .... waiting to be processed into HFCS.

Some of the statistics linking it to obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides, physical & mental sluggishness, ADD symptoms, mood swings, allergies, and more are just insane. There are other symptoms. Those are just the ones I made a mental note of and remember off the top of my head, because they're evident in our household. Some have also linked it to the increase in alzheimers & autism. The way your body holds on to it (and doesn't process it!) as opposed to sugar, is fascinating. Also interesting, the links some of it has to various lobbyists, too. Kind of makes you go "hmmmmm".

Fortunately, some manufacturers are starting to take notice, and putting regular cane & beet sugar back into foods. Guess everything really does start to come full circle eventually.

On Sunday afternoon, I think I'll head to the grocery and get some Heinz Organic Ketchup, some Paul Newman oreo and peanut butter type cookies, Archway molasses cookies, Fritos & 'natural' Cheetos (? I never knew there was anything natural about Cheetos!!). All HFCS-free. The kids won't even know what hit 'em. I also read that the Safeway "O" Organics brand is HFCS-free. Will have to check it out next time I go to that town.

I plan on recording it on our DVR when it airs here on PBS (Tues, April 15) but just in case, I reserved it at our library, too.