High Fructose Equals No Glucose? Study Says High Fructose Corn Syrup Can Lead to Diabetes
Correlation does not imply causation.
 |
Political scientists are familiar with this term. If you’re unfamiliar with it, perhaps an example will illustrate its meaning.Â
Studies suggest that incidents of crime increase significantly in the summer time. Something else that increases in the summer time—other than the mercury level—are sales of ice cream. Based on this, we can say that crime and ice cream sales correlate, but we cannot say that ice cream purchases cause an increase in crime. Make sense? |
I mention this because of a troubling finding in health matters that correlate to a disturbing trend in food—the prevalence of high fructose corn syrup in foods. Have you noticed this? It’s truly amazing. You name it—cereal, soda, gum, bread, crackers—high fructose corn syrup is among the first few things you’re likely to find in the ingredient list.
If you have noticed this trend, you probably have not noticed the increasing number of people diagnosed with diabetes. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 million Americans have diabetes, a blood disease that prevents the body from being able to convert sugar into glucose due to an inability to produce insulin. At one time, the lion’s share of diabetes cases was Type I. After 1994, Type II diabetes diagnoses increased dramatically, up from four percent of cases to 45 percent of cases. It was around this time that high fructose corn syrup began to be used extensively in foods.Â
Though no one can say for certain that the rise in high fructose corn syrup in foods has caused the increase in diabetes, the link is hard to dismiss. Consider the findings revealed by researchers at the American Chemical Society who said that an increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup may increase the risk of acquiring Type II diabetes. Researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing 11 different sodas, finding that sodas containing high amounts of high fructose corn syrup also contained dangerously high levels of chemical called carbonyls—free radicals that pervade the blood of those with diabetes. Coincidence?
Of course, more research needs to be done before one can claim true causality, not just correlation. The point is really moot, though. The evidence continues to mount over just how unhealthy high fructose corn syrup is for the body. Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid.
My best advice is to avoid consuming foods with HFCS if at all possible. The biggest culprit—i.e. the foods and drinks that have the highest HFCS content—are sugary carbonated sodas. Stay away from them. They are bastions of empty calories and serve as a precursor to obesity. In this instance—obesity and soda pop consumption—correlation does imply causation. Perhaps we’ll be saying the same about HFCS and diabetes in the not too distant future.
Related Posts
- Obesity Raises Diabetes Risk More Than Inactivity, Study Finds
- 7UP Soda No Longer to be Marketed as “All-Natural”…
- Antioxidant Shown to be Effective in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, Study Concludes
- Sleeping Habits Linked to Diabetes Risk, According to Study
- Chemical In Chili Peppers Cures Mice of Type 1 Diabetes, Study Concludes
 
|
Enjoy this article? We guarantee your privacy. Your email address will NEVER be rented, traded or sold. |
Visit my new site: Self Help On The Web
 |
 |
Posted: February 4th, 2008 under Diabetes, high-fructose corn syrup.
