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The Vox Box

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The Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup

With all of the ads either for or against high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) many people are wondering where to stand on the topic. So I looked up the truth about HFCS, and found some upsetting information.

According to Linda Joyce Forristal, HFCS is cheaper than sugar and easy to transport.

To get from corn to fructose corn syrup requires three steps (all described on the link), which involves “vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus and chemical tweaking, all of which take place in one of 16 chemical plants located in the Corn Belt.” Not exactly appetizing.

 

Even more concerning is the study conducted on rats to determine whether fructose and glucose had an impact on their health. The rats given glucose were fine, unfortunately the same could not be said for the rats given fructose. The male rats were effected the most: they were anemic, they did not reach adulthood, and they suffered from high cholesterol and heart hypertrophy (their hearts enlarged until they exploded). The females were unable to produce live young. The rats effected the most were copper-deficient (a common occurrence in America), which interferes with the production of collagen in a growing body.

Don’t be confused by the commercials from the Corn Refiners Association. High Fructose Corn Syrup is not the same as regular cane or beet sugar, and it is not completely safe. It is made from corn, but the corn is often genetically modified.

Do you try to avoid products with ingredients like High Fructose Corn syrup? Does the fact that you might be eating large amounts of HFCS bother you?

In 2006, then-editor Steve Smith of The Spokesman-Review had the idea of starting a publication for an often forgotten audience: teenagers. The Vox Box was a continuation of the Vox, an all-student staffed newspaper published by The Spokesman-Review. High school student journalists who staffed the Vox made all content decisions as they learn about the trade of journalism. This blog's mission was to give students an opportunity to publish their voices. The Vox Box and the Vox wrapped up in June 2009, but you can follow former staffers' new blog at http://voxxiez.blogspot.com.