High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)- Good or bad?

Anything with fructose and corn in it doesn't sound like a bad thing, does it? In fact, it sounds downright healthy. However, you could be aeons from guessing the perils of consuming HFCS.

First of all, there's nothing natural about the way it's produced. It's made by processing corn starch with chemicals like caustic soda, hydrochloric acid and enzymes. 

Second, it has almost next to none nutritional value. Yet, it's used commonly in breakfast cereals, bread, sweets. 

Alright, so it's sweet like sugar(in fact, sweeter)- what's the big  deal?

Here's what's wrong with this picture. 

 

 

HFCS (which has a higher blend of fructose to glucose) is linked with obesity, heart disease, tooth decay primarily because of the way it's metabolized compared to sugar and is absorbed faster into the blood stream which then leads to an increased production in insulin. In the long run, this leads to an increased risk of developing diabetes. HFCS intake messes with the delicate balance of your hormones and can induce you to eat more.

So do pay attention to the ingredients of your groceries.