by Katerina Nikolas

Created on: April 14, 2010

Many people love to consume unhealthy diets with large quantities of high corn fructose syrup, in support of the subsidized corn growers. Their favorite food and beverage choices might just not taste the same without this chemically engineered additive in it. The reports all stamp it safe to use, despite the myriad of tests which link it to obesity and diabetes, and some other health issues which laboratory animals succumbed to, but that’s no reason for them to stop gorging on fast food and soda. It’s their choice.

However a growing segment of society is increasingly suspicious of high fructose corn syrup, and believes it is best to avoid it. After all they were conned into believing that trans fat laden margarines were healthy too.

Health conscious individuals are unlikely to be over indulging in fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Burger King in the first place, which pack their food with corn fructose. They may well be surprised at some of the foods they choose deliberately presuming they are healthy, containing it. Just as many low fat labelled foods aren’t really as innocent as they appear, foods which we associate with health claims their manufacturers have made, actually contain corn fructose syrup.

The only way to ensure your diet is free of this processed liquid gloop is to cut all processed foods from your diet until the safety issue is resolved to your satisfaction. This is difficult to do as although you can cut out the obvious culprits such as sodas, fast food and ready meals, most people tend to keep a box of cereal around. However you may want to think again about several products which you really thought were healthy and corn fructose free.

Unsurprisingly considering their recent endorsement of McDonald’s food for cash, Weight Watchers are guilty of promoting snacks and deserts which contain corn fructose syrup in their own diet range. Their image of a bastion of advice for healthy weight loss just goes down in the ratings day by day it seems, with profit counting far more than promoting healthy foods for weight loss. Corn syrup is also found in cough syrups which they think need sweetening up, so check the labels.

Although one would expect that sweetened breakfast cereals use corn fructose it isn’t as obvious that such brands as Kellogg’s would put it into All Bran or Fruit and Fiber cereals, but they do. OceanSpray Cranberry Juice was an eye opener though as many people turn to cranberry juice for its well known beneficial qualities and think it is a healthy choice to make.

Companies which cash in by making nutrition bars are also guilty of including the suspect corn fructose, along with some brands of whole grain breads. Nutri grain bars and Pepperidge Farm’s 100% whole grain breads just don’t have the same healthy ring to them when you realize what else is in them. Yoplait yogurts and reduced calorie salad dressings carry the corn, but are easy to avoid by replacing them with home made dressings from olive oil, and looking for natural Greek yogurt.

The only way to be certain if products contain high fructose corn syrup is to avoid processed foods, but then again you never know what is in your restaurant food either. Read labels before purchasing anything processed whilst food which doesn’t come with a label attached is sure not to contain it. It has infiltrated the food supply to such a degree that unless you follow a raw vegan diet you will end up consuming it somehow, but at least you can be alert to its presence and make a concerted effort to avoid it.

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