Growing up, my parents didn’t allow my siblings and I to drink soda and they limited our intake of sugary and processed foods. My mom even taught us to read labels and avoid things that contained (high fructose) corn syrup. Just imagine an 8-year-old going to her friend’s or grandparents’ house and examining a package of cookies before announcing “I can’t eat this. It has corn syrup in it.” Adults and kids alike were dumbfounded. But maybe my parents were on to something…

The other day, I came across a link to a lecture outlining the adverse effects of fructose on the body. It addresses the political, social, and consumer-driven motives behind the prevalence of this “toxic” substance in our diets, as well as the detrimental biological effects on the body. It’s fascinating, albeit long (90 minutes), so I’ll include a brief outline because I believe we could all benefit from healthier eating habits. However, if you can spare the time, for the sake of your health and well-being, I would highly recommend watching the clip.

• Dr. Robert Lustig reasons that sugar, particularly fructose, is the culprit behind obesity and disease in America and throughout the world. People today weight, on average, 25 pounds more than 30 years ago, supposedly because our appetite-suppressing mechanism has been compromised and we thus eat more calories. Even 6-month-olds are experiencing an obesity epidemic, likely because formula is 55% sugar and mothers often consume substantial levels of sugar while nursing. The high-fructose, high-calorie diet originated in America, but other countries who have adopted the American diet are also beginning to experience obesity and heath problems.
• One of the prime culprits highlighted was soda. Consumption has increased by 41% in the past 30 years, alongside obesity and type-2 diabetes. Soft drinks contain high levels of salt to increase your thirst (and encourage you to drink more), but no one wants a salty beverage so the salt is masked by inordinate levels of sugar.
• High-fructose corn syrup has become a common replacement for white sugar because it is cheaper and has a longer shelf-life. The average American consumer 63 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup a year.
• Fiber was once an important part of the human diet, with cavemen eating between 100 and 300 grams a day; today, we average about 12 grams per day. Fiber has been phased out of food production because it is slow to cook and doesn’t store well. Fast foods have particularly low levels of fiber and high levels of corn syrup. The primary source of fiber today is in fresh fruits and vegetables.
• When glucose, a more natural sugar, enters the body, most of it is used up by cells and organs before reaching the liver. That which does enter the liver is stored as glycogen and a signal is sent to the brain saying that you are full. On the other hand, when fructose enters the body, all of it goes to the liver and 30% of it is turned into fat. This chemical reaction also generates harmful chemicals that lead to gout, hypertension, increased blood pressure, a suppression of the signal to stop eating, and other health-related problems. The speaker compared the metabolization of fructose to alcohol, the difference being that fructose does not affect the brain directly and most people consume far more fructose than alcohol.
• Some tips about how to counteract obesity include: stop consumption of all sugary drinks (including soda and juices), always eat carbs with fiber (fiber counteracts many of the negative aspects of fructose and makes you feel full faster), wait 20 minutes to digest before consuming second portions, and “buy” TV or computer time minute-for-minute with physical activity.
• Excercise is beneficial, but not simply for burning calories. More importantly, it reduces stress, suppresses your appetite, and speeds up you metabolism before they get turned into fat.

Although it’s easy to point a finger and blame all our problems on one substance, it’s likely not that simple. However, it does appear that fructose has many adverse effects and no benefits (other than cost-efficiency and prolonged shelf-life). Thus, replacing sugary and fructose-containing foods with more natural and high-fiber foods appears to be good choice with positive health benefits. Although I have a relatively healthy diet already, this lecture has encouraged me to start reading labels again and resurrect my ”Sorry, I can’t eat this. It has high-fructose corn syrup.” spiel.