the big three: alcohol, caffeine, and sugarToday we sit on our behinds at home or in our cars. Food can
either be driven to us or we can drive up to the food. The added
sugars in foods, whether from cane or beet (sucrose) or high fruc-
tose corn syrup, are totally unnecessary for our survival. What’s
more, these added sweeteners contain neither phytochemicals, fi-
ber nor nutrients to help metabolize the extra calories and protect
our bodies from internal and external insults, nor important plant
compounds to give our genes the right message about proper cel-
lular functioning. The excess calories have to go somewhere, espe-
cially since we aren’t burning them off, so they get stored as fat. In
turn, fat and excess calories lead to inflammation and we get more
chronic disease. Excess sugar can also increase cholesterol.
Humans most commonly add sucrose, a disaccharide (glucose
and fructose), as their main sweetener. Commercially produced
table sugar (sucrose) comes either from sugar cane or from sugar
beet. Corn sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), are
the most common added sweeteners in processed foods. The term
HFCS actually refers to any of a group of corn syrups (pure glucose,
a monosaccharide) that have undergone enzymatic processing to
increase the fructose (monosaccharide) content. The enzymati-
cally enhanced corn syrup, now fructose, is mixed with pure corn
syrup, which is 100 percent glucose, in varying percentages, and is
found virtually in all processed foods and beverages, including soft
drinks, cookies, crackers, salad dressings, snack foods, soups, etc.
Even if these sugars were metabolized perfectly by our bodies with
no adverse effects, they are totally unnecessary and are only added
calories. The most common types of high fructose corn syrup are:^6
- HFCS 90—approximately 90 percent fructose and 10 percent
glucose, made in small quantities mainly to increase the fruc-
tose content of HFCS 42 to 55. - HFCS 55—approximately 55 percent fructose and 45 percent
glucose, primarily used in soft drinks. - HFCS 42 —approximately 42 percent fructose and 58 percent
glucose, mainly used in foods and baked goods.