Mylegsbig
Head Chef
Agree. Good job college cook.
How Dangerous is High-Fructose Corn Syrup?
- Thread starter Corey123
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
college_cook
Head Chef
It's just the facts. Unfortunately, many journalists over-sensationalize their coverage, and while this is understandable in some respects, I think it's irresponsible to create hype around overly complicated issues such as this. Most people don't want to or don't have the time to invest in reading scholarly articles from end to end, they just want the summary, and the media takes advantage of this sometimes. Let's face it, scientific journals don't exactly qualify as light reading.
I just get frustrated I guess, at all the hype that gets thrown around about obesity and diabetes, especially in children. Obviously it's cause for much concern, but I think the real problem is that folks want to point the finger rather than come to grips that their health problems are a result of their own habits. Honestly, if you're overweight, ask yourself this: do you REALLY try as hard as you can to eat properly and excersize as much as you can. I know I don't. I'm overweight and it's my fault. It's just easier to point fingers at someone else, and I think it's a shame that so many people fall victim to that.
I just get frustrated I guess, at all the hype that gets thrown around about obesity and diabetes, especially in children. Obviously it's cause for much concern, but I think the real problem is that folks want to point the finger rather than come to grips that their health problems are a result of their own habits. Honestly, if you're overweight, ask yourself this: do you REALLY try as hard as you can to eat properly and excersize as much as you can. I know I don't. I'm overweight and it's my fault. It's just easier to point fingers at someone else, and I think it's a shame that so many people fall victim to that.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
CC:
I have always been frustrated by the food police and the sensational claims they make. Many of these claims are often reversed later.
I saw a segment on 60 Minutes tonight about Rick Berman who is a guy who challenges the food police (among others) and their sometimes over the top claims. He's a shill for the companies but makes some good points.
I have always been frustrated by the food police and the sensational claims they make. Many of these claims are often reversed later.
I saw a segment on 60 Minutes tonight about Rick Berman who is a guy who challenges the food police (among others) and their sometimes over the top claims. He's a shill for the companies but makes some good points.
OP
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Corey123
Washing Up
Thanks everyone!
A wealth of info here on this subject.
The reason, or the main reason that I was trying to find this out is because since I'm a Type 2 diabetic, some sugar is needed to help stablize the glucose level in order to keep my blood sugar level from getting dangerously low.
It's like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place! I can't have too much or too little sugar. It can also be gotten from starchy foods as well.
Yes, the body is supposed to burn off fat first, then sugar, then protein last, I think. Which is why diabetics, obese children and adults should not be couch potatoes all the time.
A wealth of info here on this subject.
The reason, or the main reason that I was trying to find this out is because since I'm a Type 2 diabetic, some sugar is needed to help stablize the glucose level in order to keep my blood sugar level from getting dangerously low.
It's like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place! I can't have too much or too little sugar. It can also be gotten from starchy foods as well.
Yes, the body is supposed to burn off fat first, then sugar, then protein last, I think. Which is why diabetics, obese children and adults should not be couch potatoes all the time.
college_cook
Head Chef
Corey123 said:
The body burns off sugars, then fat, then proteins. I'm pretty sure that's why diabetics have to be so careful about their sugar intake, because it can become depleted so much more quickly than anything else.
Fructose (note, not high fructose) is reccommended in th diets for some diabetics because it is broken down and releases glucose into the bloodstream at a measured pace, rather than consuming glucose, which is absorbed into the bloodstream immediately upon ingestion. Changing from glucose to fructose might be something to talk to your doctor about, as it can be very beneficial to some diabetics.
I would say one thing though: if you drink alcohol regularly be careful about switching to a fructose diet. Fructose is metabolized in the liver, and since you're a diabetic and have to carefull watch your sugar intake as it is, fructose alone won't be a risk to your liver. However, the combination of too much fructose and/or alcohol has the potential to be damaging to your liver in long-term situations.
OP
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Corey123
Washing Up
No wonder my stomach is always growling, as it is right now!
I've also been told that diabetics must eat food in small amounts because they have to eat something at least every 2 hours to avoid getting sick (hypoglysemic or hyperglysemic attacks).
I've also been told that diabetics must eat food in small amounts because they have to eat something at least every 2 hours to avoid getting sick (hypoglysemic or hyperglysemic attacks).
Claire
Master Chef
You know we all have beliefs and opinions. I think a large cause of obesity and its sidekick, diabetes being on the increase is the constant eating, not just one ingredient. I (at 52 years old) was allowed 2 cookies a day (after school) and often chose fruit (which was offered as well). I got a little, and I do mean small, handful of potato chips once in awhile. We didn't walk around with a sippy cup of apple juice -- which the children of my friends do -- constantly. Eating or drinking (other than water) required going home and talking to Mom. And often the answer was "no, it's only a couple of hours to dinner." I think that it is interesting that my young French friend doesn't have a weight problem, but also does not walk around with a calorie source in his fist every minute of the day. Most of my young friends and relatives have something in their hands to eat or drink every minute.
Corey123 said:
Hi Corey, I read this last night and "bite my fingers", thinking I had said enough on another post where you asked a similar question but after sleeping on it, I feel I should say something.
If you are a diabetic, you MUST get proper information from a doctor or nutritiontist. I'm not saying we here aren't smart and there aren't doctors or nutritionists among us but we don't know you. My dad is a diabetic (juvenile) so I know the importance of proper care and management of this disease. If your insurance will not cover the cost of a nurtitional advisor, make an appointment with your gp and demand a referal to a diabetic counselor. They will help you develop a diet and regime that will help you control your diabetes. If you are not on insuline and trying to control this with diet alone, it is even more important. If the diabetic counselor does not assist you in regulating this disease, demand a new person.
The short answer to your question regarding eating every 2 hours is "kind of". You need to eat at regulated intervals that are appropriate for your diabetes and your lifestyle. Only your doctor or nutritionist can help you with this information. To begin, they may probly ask you to keep a log of when and what you are eating, when you are feeling low, and when you may feel high. From this, they can help you develop a plan.
I'm sorry if I am offending you or am coming across as a nag but diabetes, at any stage in life, is nothing to play around with. With any type of diabetes, the risks run the same from minor moments of being out of it to full blown diabetic comas and amputations.
Good luck to you ...
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
JMediger, 'consult your physician' is very good advice.
The good folks here at DC always offer advice because they sincerely want to help their fellow members. I do it all the time.
No one should make a medical decision based on the advice of a non-medical professional from an internet forum contributor who has never examined the patient.
I know Corey123 is smart enough to know that.
The good folks here at DC always offer advice because they sincerely want to help their fellow members. I do it all the time.
No one should make a medical decision based on the advice of a non-medical professional from an internet forum contributor who has never examined the patient.
I know Corey123 is smart enough to know that.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Anyone seeking medical information here should only use it as information to take to a qualified medical professional.
Often, folks with a medical problem will not realize it and information they get here will motivate them to seek medical care. That's how it should work.
Often, folks with a medical problem will not realize it and information they get here will motivate them to seek medical care. That's how it should work.
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Corey123
Washing Up
JMediger said:
Thank you.
I've seen my doctor, a nutritianist and a cardiologist. and have gotten info on the disease. In fact, my eyes were examined for glasses at the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Been there several times and have an appointment there the end of the month. And my insurance covers it
What is juvinile diabetes? i can't remember if I recorded this or not, but there was a documentary on a 16-year-old boy who was morbidly obese, had diabetes and sleep apnea.
He decided to have the stomach surgery which reduces the size of the stomach to a pear (Al Roker had the same surgery done a while back). The boy began to lose weight dramatically, and once he lost a considerable amount,
his diabetes went away and so did his sleeping disorder. He says he feels much better and excersises regularly and he's eating healthier foods.
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Juvenile diabetes is referred to as Type 1 Diabetes more frequently now. It is an inherited form of diabetes that afflicts individuals before the age of 15. It is typically controlled with insulin injections but more and more young people, with a great focus by their familes are able to control it with diet and tablets. It is not "curable" with weightloss or diet changes.
Most individuals with juvenile diabetes can trace it back in their families for generations and future generations of these individuals must be diligent in their testing for the disease as it may "pop - up" at any time. As future generations head into adult hood, they are also more prone to later or adult onset diabetes, especially if they are over weight or heavy drinkers.
My dad was diagnosed when he was 9 years old.
If you have adult onset diabetes, yours can be controlled with diet and exercise alone IF you are dilagent and with proper supervision by your doctor. Again, they [your doctor and dietician/nutritionist] should be helping you "program" your eating to find what works the best for you. For my dad, munching on crackers every couple of hours worked. For you, it may not. Again, your physician who has worked (hopefully closely) can help you with this. If you feel he/she is not helping you in a way that you feel you have or can easily get answers - request a new doctor.
Most individuals with juvenile diabetes can trace it back in their families for generations and future generations of these individuals must be diligent in their testing for the disease as it may "pop - up" at any time. As future generations head into adult hood, they are also more prone to later or adult onset diabetes, especially if they are over weight or heavy drinkers.
My dad was diagnosed when he was 9 years old.
If you have adult onset diabetes, yours can be controlled with diet and exercise alone IF you are dilagent and with proper supervision by your doctor. Again, they [your doctor and dietician/nutritionist] should be helping you "program" your eating to find what works the best for you. For my dad, munching on crackers every couple of hours worked. For you, it may not. Again, your physician who has worked (hopefully closely) can help you with this. If you feel he/she is not helping you in a way that you feel you have or can easily get answers - request a new doctor.
Caine said:
Not true, and you being a nutritionist should know that!
If you are a male rat, and have a "copper deficiency" in your diet - and consume larger than normal amounts of fructose (from any source) then you may be subject to develop severe pathologies of vital organs - liver, heart and testes exhibit extreme swelling, while the pancreas atrophies, invariably leading to death of the rats before maturity.
Then we get comments like this: "The bodies of the children I see today are mush," observed a concerned chiropractor recently. The culprit is the modern diet, high in fructose and low in copper-containing foods, resulting in inadequate formation of elastin and collagen--the sinews that hold the body together.
The idea that "fructose" doesn't invoke an insulin response is totally bogus. It's metabolized differently ... and released into the blood stream slower than sucrose or glucose- but it does cause an insulin response. On the Glycemic Index (GI) - table sugar is 100, a potato is 95, a banana is 60, and fructose is 20 - which is why fructose is better for diabetics .... twice as sweet so they only consume 1/2 as much, and it is released into the blood slower so there is less impact on the insulin system.
The nice thing about a lot of scientific research is that it is like statistical data ... you can tweak the same data to prove your point - no matter which way you want it to go ... for the average person reading it that doesn't have a real clue as to what the research really means.
Basically - if you boil it all down most of the research says - calories from sugar in place of calories from other more nutritious foods is bad. The so called "Empty Calories" - calories without other nutritional benefit. I can go along with that ... on the average. But, if you ever worked in exercise physiology ... electrolytes and measurable glucose/fructose levels is, well, Gatorade!
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Michael in FtW said:
Do you think I just make this stuff up? Here's an excerpt from an article from the Washington Post entitled
Sweet but Not So Innocent?
High-Fructose Corn Syrup May Act More Like Fat Than Sugar in the Body.More recent research suggests, however, that there may be some unexpected nutritional consequences of using the (high fructose corn) syrup. Fructose is absorbed differently than other sugars, says Bray. It doesn't register in the body metabolically the same way that glucose does.
For example, consumption of glucose kicks off a cascade of biochemical reactions. It increases production of insulin by the pancreas, which enables sugar in the blood to be transported into cells, where it can be used for energy. It increases production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage, and it suppresses production of another hormone made by the stomach, ghrelin, that helps regulate food intake. It has been theorized that when ghrelin levels drop, as they do after eating carbohydrates composed of glucose, hunger declines.
Fructose is a different story. It appears to behave more like fat with respect to the hormones involved in body weight regulation, explains Peter Havel, associate professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis. Fructose doesn't stimulate insulin secretion. It doesn't increase leptin production or suppress production of ghrelin. That suggests that consuming a lot of fructose, like consuming too much fat, could contribute to weight gain.
LMJ
Senior Cook
Mylegsbig said:
"I think that it is interesting that my young French friend doesn't have a weight problem, but also does not walk around with a calorie source in his fist every minute of the day."
They also don't use so much corn syrup or hydrogenated vegetable oils. America is the #1 consumer by any measure (by volume, per capita, total) of these heavily processed imitation fats and sugars. We're a sedentary people in America, true, but the artificial fats and sugars are killing us. If we stuck to compounds that actually occur in nature like continental Europeans do we'd probably be an awful lot better off.
Snoop Puss
Head Chef
LMJ, these are photoshopped images and not pictures of real models. Bodies of truly anorexic women have been used and superimposed to make models look far thinner than they really are. It'll take me a little while, but I'll try and find a link to a site with comparative shots.
It's extremely sad that while most of us see that these as ill bodies, some people presume that they are accepted standards of beauty. It is difficult to understand the motives of anyone photoshopping these images.
As for the corn syrup debate, I personally wouldn't take Wikipedia as gospel. My information came from the BBC, but that's written by journalists, who probably can't be trusted to have all the information either. When other points of view were put forward, I went looking for information. This is what the Mayo Clinic has to say:
High-fructose corn syrup: Why is it so bad for me? - MayoClinic.com
It's extremely sad that while most of us see that these as ill bodies, some people presume that they are accepted standards of beauty. It is difficult to understand the motives of anyone photoshopping these images.
As for the corn syrup debate, I personally wouldn't take Wikipedia as gospel. My information came from the BBC, but that's written by journalists, who probably can't be trusted to have all the information either. When other points of view were put forward, I went looking for information. This is what the Mayo Clinic has to say:
High-fructose corn syrup: Why is it so bad for me? - MayoClinic.com
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Corey123
Washing Up
Ok, HFCS is said to be a cheaper form of sweetener that's used in place of sugar.
I've looked at the ingredients on just about everything that I bought, and so far, I've yet to find ANYTHING that has sugar in it. Even cold cereal!
Have manufactures of things like yogurt, cereal, ketchup, even candy gone to cheaper & poorer quality by using HFCS? What a shame!!
Are we suposed to give up the foods that we were so used to because HFCS is more fattening than regular sugar? I imagine that chilvary IS dead!
I've looked at the ingredients on just about everything that I bought, and so far, I've yet to find ANYTHING that has sugar in it. Even cold cereal!
Have manufactures of things like yogurt, cereal, ketchup, even candy gone to cheaper & poorer quality by using HFCS? What a shame!!
Are we suposed to give up the foods that we were so used to because HFCS is more fattening than regular sugar? I imagine that chilvary IS dead!
bethzaring
Master Chef
Corey123 said:
Cory, the food manufactures are not in this for OUR health, they are in it for our $$$$$$.
Sugar goes by a lot of different names.
Everything in moderation, my friend.
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