So you want to talk SCIENCE?

There is so much out there in terms of research on high fructose corn syrup, but some of the basic studies that we should be aware of for our overall health I am going to talk about right now.  First, studies have shown that a diet high in HFCS causes the body to become resistant to a protein called Leptin.  This protein is an appetite regulator in our hypothalumus.  When this protein is supressed, our ability to control hunger is diminished.  This obviously can lead to overeating.  Secondly, our body uses glucose as an energy source in the body.  Fructose is instead processed in the liver and does not stimulate insulin secretion and results in an almost immediate form of a free fatty acid.  It is much more difficult for our bodies to break down fat into glucose to use for energy. So its ability to convert to fat is far greater than consuming sugar which is converted to glucose first.
Just when you take those two factors, and compare with the inconvenience of reading the label to find out which ketchup doesn't have HFCS, I just can't understand why someone would choose to take the risks.  Cost?  Yes, I can see that why choosing those products seem more appealing if they are cheaper.  If I may back track, I was watching a food documentary, and a family of 5 was talking about the difficult times right now, and how feeding a family was so much harder on a limited budget.  When money is brought into the picture, it becomes less about the health aspects, and more about being able to provide enough calories for your family to survive.  So however those calories come, the most you can get at the cheapest price is the one most people will choose.  So this family talked of going through the drive thru several times a week and order the dollar menu items, and both the parents and teenage daughters were all over weight to some extent.  The father had type 2 diabetes, and was spending about $250 a month on medication.  What do you think that $250 a month could do to the family's quality of eating each month if the father wasn't spending it on medication?  I know first hand, that I switched to a all natural diet a few months back, so that means only fruits, vegetables, beans,  brown rice, and sweet potatoes and on occasion, meat or poultry.  No bread, or anything processed.  I am still working on my family, but I will tell you that since I  have gone almost meatless, I go to the farmers market, and I can feed myself for about $30 a week.  PLUS, everything is natural!  I know I got off on a tangent here, but I know families can eat healthy for less than eating fast food.  You don't need meat at every meal, if you combine rice and beans, that is a complete protein!  I will talk more in a later blog about natural diets, but I just wanted to help you get on the path of natural versus processed.  High Fructose Corn Syrup is a natural product that is then processed!   Don't let them fool you.  Until next time, Health and Happiness.