high fructose corn syrup | Happy Hodgepodge Home

My kids are big fans of Disney’s Phineas and Ferb… Actually, my whole family loves this show.

For those of you unfamiliar with this show, it usually follows two story lines. The main story line follows Phineas and Ferb, two brothers who create these outrageous inventions, have fantastic adventures with their friends while wondering “Where’s Perry?” (their pet platypus).Sister Candace is constantly trying to bust them, but somehow, their inventions magically disappear before their mom ever sees them.

In the alternate story line, Phineas and Ferb’s seemingly normal platypus, Perry, is actually a secret agent. He battles his nemesis, Dr. Doofenshmirtz in each episode. Dr. Doofenshmirtz invents various devices to take over the Tri-State area. Perry usually thwarts him and somehow these events usually result in the disappearance of Phineas and Ferb’s inventions before Candace can bust them.

OK, so now your wondering why I’m telling you about a kids cartoon, right? And what this has to do with you helping an evil scientist?

I have been trying to get rid of processed foods in my family’s diet. Particularly foods that contain high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils.

The episode below is a hilarious version of what happens to our bodies when we eat high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils. Be patient, it starts with the Phineas and Ferb segment and alternates between the two (connected) story lines.

Part one

Part two

I don’t have any crafts, decorating ideas, or pictures for you today. I am quite upset about something that most people aren’t aware of. Something in our food that is slowly killing us…contributing to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

It’s in almost every food, condiment and drink we consume. We are eating it in huge quantities and most of us don’t even know what it is. Since it was introduced into our diets nearly 40 years ago, obesity rates have skyrocketed. Do you know what this awful secret ingredient is? It is called high fructose corn syrup.

Forty years ago, the food industry discovered a way to sweeten foods at significantly less cost to them: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Over the years HFCS has replaced natural sugars in most of the foods we consume.

Go open up your cupboards and your refrigerator. Start reading labels and look to see how many products you have with HFCS. Here are some of the other names that are used for HFCS: Fructose Corn Syrup; Fructose-Glucose Syrup; glucose Fructose Syrup; and Fructose Corn Syrup Solids.

It is likely that you will find it in your soft drinks, cereals, breads, ketchup, mayonnaise, juice, yogurt and so on. Foods that are supposedly healthy have HFCS.

Why is it so bad? Research shows us that it causes a greater weight gain than regular sugar, especially in the abdomen. Princeton University did a study using rats. Some were given HFCS while another group was given a very high fat diet (no HFCS). ALL of the rats consuming HFCS became obese while only some of the rats consuming the high fat diet became obese.

HFCS slows down the secretion of leptin. Leptin is the hormone that tells you when you are full and to stop eating. This means your cravings are never quite satisfied, leaving you wanting more and more.

Natural sugars are processed in the pancreas which helps us to regulate insulin. HFCS bypasses the pancreas and goes straight to the liver. This confuses the body and leads to insulin resistance. It can also cause liver damage in high doses or long term.

OK, so now you are thinking…everything in moderation, right? I don’t think a small amount of HFCS would hurt you. But, look at the foods in your kitchen again. Look how MANY of them have HFCS! Do you drink soda? The second ingredient (after carbonated water) is almost always HFCS. It is almost impossible to eat it in moderation! By moderation I mean, perhaps one can of soda if HFCS doesn’t exist in any of your other foods. The average person consumes 60 lbs of HFCS per year!

Scary right? Well it gets worse! While cancer cells will feed on sugar and thrive…HFCS causes the cells to multiply. I’m not saying that it will cause cancer…there is no evidence of that. But who wants to eat something that can make cancer stronger?

Other research has shown levels of mercury in HFCS. I’m sure you have already heard the dangers of consuming mercury!

Now that I am aware of this, I am on the warpath. I am reading labels and avoiding the HFCS. I do not want my family to consume this substance any longer!

Here is a great resource for keeping track of the ingredients in just about any food product: Label Watch

And, here are some links with more information on HFCS:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/search/?keyword=high+fructose+corn+syrup

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/avoid-fructose-corn-syrup.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2008/10/high-fructose-c.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38528161/ns/health-cancer/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588