Why Corn Syrup is Worse than Sugar
Why is it important to choose natural sugars instead of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)? Dr. Vanessa Bundy, a pediatric resident at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University, remarks, “Fructose is metabolized differently than other sugars and has some byproducts [that are] believed to be bad for us.” Children and adolescents that consume many foods containing pure fructose, such as sodas and energy drinks, kids’ cereals and sugary snacks, are at special risk. The researchers’ analysis of 559 adolescents, ages 14 to 18, correlated high-fructose diets with higher blood pressure, fasting glucose levels, insulin resistance and inflammatory factors that contribute to heart and vascular disease. Heavy consumers of the mega-sweetener also tended to have lower levels of cardiovascular protectors such as HDL (good) cholesterol and adiponectin, a protein hormone that regulates the body’s metab...