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Originally Posted by squeeeb
...high fructose corn syrup...
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Originally Posted by aberkok
...HFCS...
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Originally Posted by redlemon
...HFCS...
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Originally Posted by squeeeb
...300 calories with HFCS is worse than 800 calories without...
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I'm definitely going to have to call shenanigans on all this crap.
High fructose corn syrup is exactly what it sounds like; namely, it's fructose, a type of sugar. It will not eat your children, give you toenail cancer or summon the debil. But instead of just saying that, let's look at the science, shall we?
High fructose corn syrup contains a mixture of glucose and fructose; the exact ratio depends on the formula in question and can vary from 45% fructose to 90% fructose. According to my reading, there are several different formulae in use which makes it difficult to put an exact number on it. Glucose and fructose are both monosaccharides with a chemical formula of C6H12O6. Sucrose, on the other hand, (commonly known as cane sugar) is a disaccharide and consists of one glucose and one fructose molecule in a weak bond. Upon exposure to acid, such as that in our stomaches, sucrose rapidly breaks down into glucose and fructose, and is then metabolized. In terms of how it's metabolized, high fructose corn syrup differs from sucrose only in the ratio of glucose to fructose; in soft drinks this ratio is usually 55% glucose to 45% fructose, as opposed to a 50-50 from cane sugar. I have yet to find any conclusive evidence that fructose is any better or worse than glucose, although admittedly I've only been reading since this morning.
All of these sugars are simple carbohydrates. They add sweetness to the foods and have a high caloric content without any further nutritive value. This is what dietitians refer to as 'empty calories,' because they boost your daily caloric intake without adding anything further to your diet. As such, all forms of sugar should be taken in moderation.
So why are Americans getting fat? Well, the thing about high fructose corn syrup is that it's cheap; in the US it would seem that it's actually cheaper to produce than cane sugar. This allows American companies of all flavours to manufacture their goods at a lower price and pass the savings onto the consumer, while still making a profit. So the 'crime' that high fructose corn syrup is committing is lowering the cost of almost all foods.
Nobody should be consuming excess amounts of sugar, no matter what form it takes. If cutting high fructose corn syrup out of your diet is your shortcut for limiting your sugar intake, I say more power to you. By all means, dieting and calorie counting is tough and anything that makes it easier for you is worthwhile. That doesn't mean, however, that high fructose corn syrup is the source of all the world's woes. Yes, the introduction of high fructose corn syrup and the rise in obesity did start at about the same time, but
correlation is not causation. One didn't necessarily cause the other.
In Canada we have an obesity problem of our own, with as much as 50% of the population overweight and 20% or more morbidly obese. We're not much better than you guys, in other words; yet, a scouring of every label in my house (which includes Gatorade, Coca Cola and Lay's potato chips, to name a few popular brands) revealed not one mention of high fructose corn syrup. We don't use the stuff here, but we're fat too. Ergo, it would stand to reason that high fructose corn syrup is unlikely to be the sole cause of obesity.
It bothers me a bit that I actually have to point that out, but whatever.
As to Subway, well, yeah. Apparently the American branches use high fructose corn syrup in their bread. I don't see why this is a surprise. All bread contains sugar and a company like Subway produces huge amounts of bread. In order to offer their product at the lowest possible price, it stands to reason that they would use the cheapest form of sugar avilable. In the United States for reasons I can't be bothered to look into, this seems to be high fructose corn syrup. That does not make the food unhealthy and a Subway sandwich is still much better for you health-wise than a burger from McDonald's or Burger King. Exactly how healthy the sandwich is will depend entirely on what you decide to put on it; again, this really shouldn't be a surprise.