Sugar

The Fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup generated some good comments and questions, which I knew it would because of its controversial nature and all the conflicting research that is out about these two nutrients.

It reminded me to reinforce something that I try to teach everyone, but it is sometimes hard to do because of all the mass media stories that for some reason seem to be believed before something I say or any other health professional for that matter.

When you hear about these studies that say fructose causes weight gain or high fructose corn syrup has fructose in its formula they are many times unique studies on just one nutrient by itself or it was researched in a specific environment.

Generally neither of these forms of studies actually relate to how we live and eat on a day to day basis.

http://getridofmygut.com/main/fructose/

Another good article from SparkPeople about the efferts of corn syrup on the body…

They also specifically mention that you should still continue to eat fruit, but just avoid processed foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. The reason being is fruit also contains fiber which effects how the sugars get into the blood stream in the first place. This is a whole other area of research that one could delve into.

Take home message for today…

Avoid processed foods that contain high fructose corn syrup, continue to eat your whole fruits and most importantly be careful what you read from mainstream media. Research it further before coming to a conclusion.

- Jayson Hunter, http://getridofmygut.com

White refined sugar has become the most common form of sugar in North America as well as in Europe. Refined sugar can be made by dissolving raw sugar and purifying it with a phosphoric acid method similar to that used for blanco directo, a carbonatation process involving calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide, or by various filtration strategies. It is then further purified by filtration through a bed of activated carbon or bone char depending on where the processing takes place. Beet sugar refineries produce refined white sugar directly without an intermediate raw stage. White refined sugar is typically sold as granulated sugar, which has been dried to prevent clumping.

¹ Sugar, Wikipedia, English Edition

This is a great article (from a fitness organization that I belong too) about how processed foods have been linked to weight gain. Here’s a few introductory sentences here:

People who want to lose weight may need to pour that diet soda down the drain. Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight.

Please note: All credit for the article goes to IDEA and the articles’ author.