The average American eats 35 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year, a hazardous ingredient that recent research has linked to a significant decrease in brain function related to both memory and learning. The researchers even go on to say that the ubiquitous substance can make you ‘stupid’. Considering that high fructose corn syrup is present in over 90% of processed food items like sodas and candy, enough so to make up the 35 pound annual figure, it is easy to see that the average American diet is made up of enough HFCS to seriously impact mental capabilities.
So what does this mean for the United States and other nations where high-fructose corn syrup consumption has run rampant? Outside of the obvious issue surrounding the fact that agencies like the FDA continue to let this ingredient and others be used throughout the food supply despite numerous studies linking it to a multitude of problems, it raises concern over just how much of an impact toxic additives like HFCS have on the nation’s mental abilities. When considering that high-fructose corn syrup is but one of many dangerous food ingredients that can harm your biological functions, it really puts the matter into perspective.
And the research is quite clear. Conducted by the UCLA and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology, the landmark study established the relationship between a diet high in HFCS and decreased brain function — particularly when it comes to memory and learning (two key characteristics of the academic field and basically anything else in life).
“Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,” explained professor of neurosurgery Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, who is from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
In the past, high-fructose corn syrup has also been found to contain mercury — an element that is toxic in all forms and poses a direct threat to human health. While the amount of mercury present in the substance is not clear based upon the research, it is easy to downplay this fact by saying that the mercury content is present in very ‘low’ levels. When considering the fact that the average American now consumes an entire 35 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup annually (food being but one source of mercury exposure), it becomes more apparent how much of a health threat mercury exposure really is.
The ‘average American diet’ is continually being shown as a destructive trap full of proverbial health landmines and invisible pitfalls. It’s time for both the public and leading officials to change the food paradigm. Citizens are eating themselves into ‘stupidity’ and disease, and they may not even be aware!
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…and people think I'm stupid for looking at the ingredients at the store.
As long as you get what you want and have a special HFCS face on your a cool one; $#*@!
…and I have noticed that more and more food is being poisoned with this $#*@.
HFCS is nasty. I know when I've eaten something with HFCS, my skin and scalp will all the sudden become very oily and I feel gross. I'll then go back and look at the food packaging, and find that I missed the HFCS or corn syrup ingredient on the label.
I have parents and a sister that literally eat a complete diet from breakfast, lunch, to dinner of food containing HFCS. I've told them for years to avoid it, and they just laugh at me. If they were fit intelligent people, I wouldn't say a word. Coincidentally, all three of them are fat. My mom is obese and my sister has the indian buddha look going with the skinny body limbs and the huge spare tire midsection. My dad has the same look. All 3 are stupid too. They really are.
And yes, they are the same types that believe anything that the mainstream media says, if you mention anything about financial meltdown or our debt based monetary system…they'll call you a conspiracy theorist, my dad is addicted to sports and even watches girls softball, they all watch dancing with the stars and american idol……..they're worthless people. They do nothing for society. They are just HFCS consumers that made it this far because they were able to find gov't payroll jobs years ago when jobs were plentiful and never had to think for a living. They just float through life and live off of SS money and inheritance. And they voted for Obama.
Not sure why the Obama part is in there, considering the links studies have shown between who you vote for and your level of intelligence (hint: smart people usually vote democratic, look it up yourself).
That aside, you make it sound like HFCS is the sole reason for them to be dumb. Im sort of doubting that, but this study certainly make me reevaluate my own eating habits.
Smart people usually vote Democratic????
You do realize business, the entire Finance world, anyone making over $100,000 overwhelmingly vote Republican yes?
Are you suggesting there is a negative correlation between intelligence and income?
Like most liberals, you're full of shit. Have a great day destroying our country.
Are you seriously too blind to notice the correlation between wealth and political stance? Wealthy people vote republican because it is in the best interest of his or her wallet.
Yes, saying smart people vote democrat is a big generalization, and yes, what you said about people making over $100,000 overwhelmingly votes republican is true.
BUT assuming financially successful or educated people must be intelligent is a common logical fallacy. This correlation you see is a result of people siding with a political party to preserve self-interest (such as tax cuts for the rich, little govt interference), not because the rich people are inherently superior and more intelligent than most people under its income bracket. Not to mention, only 6.61% of Americans actually make over $100,000, according to 2010 US census. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_t…
You are speaking for the interests of an extremely small minority. Also were you going to say that those rich people of the financial world never f***s everyone up? Do you remember Lehman Bros. bankruptcy not too long ago?
I know a LOT of them are smart people, but you can't use that to prove that Republican is somehow a smarter, more successful party. Don't forget that a ton of conservative trailer-trash folks down south vote overwhelmingly republican too, and call Obama the devil.
Your gross generalization of "liberals=people who are full of shit" and your blind party loyalty makes me sick, and its exactly what's dragging this country under. Have a nice day.
Well George W Bush is rich, his father is rich, his whole family is rich but would you say they are very intelligent?
Most people who are rich, even people in the financial world, inherited their wealth.
Even if there were a positive correlation between intelligence and income, correlation as you know is not the same as cause and the correlation would only apply to IQ levels up to 130. Beyond an IQ level of 130, the correlation becomes weak, probably because most people at that level and beyond are working in science careers and scientific people as a group aren't that wealthy (unless they're mathematicians specialising in game theory in the stock market).
Actually, the numbers don't lie, and statistically, smarter people do vote democrat. Unfortunately, making over $100,000 years does not imply smarts anymore, it implies greed and selfishness.
what numbers don't lie ? where is the proof ?
hahaha youre stupid.
What a sad story Jeff.
Not because of your family – but how your attitude towards life. Look your family are perfectly capable of making their own decisions as are you… you should love them unconditionally, no matter what they do.
Otherwise you will find your whole life has always been looking at everyone else’s faults and you will have missed your entire life.
If you cannot change something – then change your attitude towards it and move on..be kind and compassionate towards your family..because in the end when we are dying that is all that is going to matter
Very pertinent to the article. Oh, also you are an idiot.
why would ahve eaten something with HFCS in it? Do you mean you eat factory prepared stuff without knowing the ingredients?
It sounds like you have some anger issues, calling them worthless when you would not even exist if it wasn't for them is pretty low. While their health and low iq may be linked to their diet, a 'normal' human being would feel sorry for them. You sound downright hostile. Get help. P.S. As bad as Obama is, Romney was far worse. Apparently your family had the good sense not to vote for him.
If HFCS is found in soda and makes people stupid and if stupid people vote for liberals than why would a liberal like Mayor Nanny Bloomberg pass laws controlling how much soda his sheeple can consume? It would seem to me that liberals would want to subsidize soda along with legalizing pot.
What a sad story Jeff.
Not because of your family – but how your attitude towards life. Look your family are perfectly capable of making their own decisions as are you… you should love them unconditionally, no matter what they do.
Otherwise you will find your whole life has always been looking at everyone else's faults and you will have missed your entire life.
If you cannot change something – then change your attitude towards it and move on..be kind and compassionate towards your family..because in the end when we are dying that is all that is going to matter
So I was right to avoid HFCS all the time. Until now I only did it because it was linked to obesity, now I have one more reason.
I have convinced my whole family to stop buying stuff with it too. Unfortunately it creeps into more and more food over here in Europe, too.
The UCLA study you link to doesn't say HFCS makes you stupid, it says Fructose, period, makes you stupid when consumed in large quantities and in absence of essential fatty acids and oils.
Considering the brain draws energy much more efficiently from fat rather than from carbohydrates, this isn't surprising.
But this article doesn't say that, this article points directly at HFCS, as if one were to substitute natural cane sugar instead, the food they eat would somehow be less damaging. This is not the case. HFCS is no more toxic than any other kind of sugar, and all added sugar, natural, HFCS, or otherwise, is bad for you in large amounts.
"HFCS is no more toxic than any other kind of sugar, and all added sugar, natural, HFCS, or otherwise, is bad for you in large amounts."
An oversimplified statement. Over consumption of any kind of sugar may not be advisable, but over consumption of HFCS is far less healthy than an over-consumption of natural sugar.
Incorrect, sir.
"Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/arti…
I DISAGREE. Companies that buy HFCS place massive amounts of it into their products so they taste good. HFCS is very cheap to buy in large quantities. This is the problem so please understand that YES there is a toxic difference !!!
So if people become stupid from eating HFCS, then obviously they are not smart enough to ever understand that it is bad for them. I really don't care anymore, invest in junk food companies and make money from their stupidity.
I cut HFCS (and most other sugar) out of my diet and my weight started dropping. To illustrate how pervasive HFCS is (and the corn it's made from), I defy any of you to walk into a gas station convenience store and find an item that doesn't have HFCS or corn. Exclude the coffee and pretzels and you won't find one item among thousands that isn't made with/from corn and HFCS. Corn, and consequently HFCS is deeply subsidized by our tax dollars. Where are the 'free market' cheerleaders calling for an end to the corporate welfare that ultimately makes this country fat and stupid?
High Fructose Corn Syrup http://www.SweetSurprise.com/
All Your Questions Answered About HFCS. Visit Our Site to Learn More.
Why is this advertisment on Natural Society ? It is in complete disagreement with the article!
As an experiment, I eliminated HFCS from my diet. At the years end I lost a total of 35 pounds. I did NOT eliminate sugar. In my experiment, I ate as much sugar as I wanted. The only things that I changed were eliminating HFCS and other strange ingredients (you know all those weird things that you can't pronounce). I see a B-I-G difference. No more heartburn from GMO corn ( I used to suffer with it several times a week) WAY BETTER mental clarity, no more skin issues, high blood pressure is fine now withOUT meds… just to name a few changes!! If HFCS is so sweet ('scuse the pun) and innocent, then why not let the media in the factories to film how it's made? Why can't the gmo corn and its HFCS business stand on its own WITHOUT the government being so involved. Why isn't it an ingredient that I can purchase myself? (Honey, could you run into town, I need more HFCS and mono diglycerides to finish these homemade cookies!! HA HA I don't think so)
Actually, I believe you can buy it.. it's Karo corn syrup. I threw all mine out. If I recipe calls for it, well that is a food I don't need to eat. Also, congratulations on improving your health by making the changes that last a lifetime 🙂
The headaches are pain, literally. Sometimes they can interfere with work, school or other daily activities that are important to life. Headaches aren't always relieved simply by taking pain medication. Thanks.
This will not be the same measurement as brix degrees using a density or refractive index measurement, because it will specifically measure dissolved sugar concentration instead of all dissolved solids. Thanks.
Vegan baby, vegan.
I now have a garden and grow plants from organic, heirloom seeds and use water from a rain barrel for watering. Good food, good exercise. I’m buying hens for eggs, and will try beekeeping next. What fun!
All sugars are destructive. Raw cane sugar, evaporated cane juice..whole wheat bread, pasta..even naturally juiced fruits are destructive. One bagel has the glycemic load of a couple of full size SNICKERS bars (total of 75-90 grams of carbohydrates!!!) Who are they kidding? Now we see researchers telling us that a brain feeding off of glucose for a lifetime begins to resist the absorption of glucose for fuel and we see Alzheimer's beginning to really accelerate as neurons cease to accept glucose for their fuel and being to die off (Dr. Mary Newport's husband is doing phenomenally since she began administering coconut oil to him and his brains feeds off of the ketones instead of glucose). Of course, genetic variability is always a factor. Alzheimer's is beginning to be called "Type-3 diabetes. Who knows what this constant bath of glucose does to the brain for younger people? Judging from our ancient diets, it would seem that ketones is looking to be the natural fuel for the body. Even tumors shrink when denied carbohydrates and cancers are being arrested and cured: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlbLIJJ4QZM
Yea, someone said that HFCS is no worse than other sugars. I agree that all refined sugar is really bad. But I would say HFCS is worse due it being made from GMO corn. So you have not only toxic levels of fructose, but also toxic pesticides as well in one product. And don't forget about the sulfuric acid they soak the corn in first. Yum!
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Definitely Vegan!
More than 3,000 food additives — preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients — are added to U.S. foods.
While each of these substances are legal to use in the US, whether or not they are safe for long-term consumption — by themselves or in combination — is a different story altogether. Many have been deemed too harmful to use in other countries.
When you consider that about 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes toward processed foods loaded with these additives, it’s no wonder most people are carrying a hefty toxic load that can wreak havoc on their health.
A list of ingredients that are banned across the globe but still allowed for U.S. foods recently made the news. The list is featured in the new book, Rich Food, Poor Food, authored by nutritionist Mira Calton and her husband Jayson.
The banned ingredients include various food dyes, the fat substitute Olestra, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate (aka brominanted flour), Azodicarbonamide, BHA, BHT, rBGH, rBST, and arsenic.
Seeing that the overall health of Americans is so much lower than other industrialized countries, you can’t help but wonder whether toxic ingredients such as these might play a role in our unhealthy conditions.
Meanwhile, Russia has announced that it plans to extend a ban on U.S. beef, pork and turkey imports coming into effect this month, due to the feed additive ractopamine in the meats. Ractopamine is a growth stimulant banned in several countries, including Russia.
The food industry has already formulated safer, better products for other countries, in which these and other harmful ingredients are banned. So why do they insist on selling inferior versions in America? For clear examples, take a look at a recent article on 100DaysOfRealFood.com.3 In it, Vani Hari shows the ingredient labels of several common foods sold in the US and the UK, such as Betty Crocker’s Red Velvet cake mix, McDonald’s French fries, and Pizza Hut’s garlic cheese bread. For other clear examples, please visit Vani’s website at FoodBabe.com. Amazingly, while these foods can be created using a bare minimum of additives in the UK (and sometimes none), in the US, they’re absolutely LOADED with chemicals.