Nothing is more maddening to me then watching a commercial of a woman walking through fields of corn and saying “Sugar is sugar- it’s all the same.” High Fructose Corn Syrup is NOT biochemically the same as Sugar, nor is it processed by the body in the same way. In his important book, The Blood Sugar Solution, Dr. Hyman explains that HFCS goes through a chemical process that makes it sweeter than Cane Sugar. There is no digestion required for HFCS, which makes it more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. As HFCS goes right to the liver, it triggers the production of cholesterol and fats like triglycerides which then leads to fatty liver. Fatty liver is affecting 70 million people in this country! Furthermore, the rapid absorption of glucose creates big spikes in insulin. According to Dr. Hyman, “Both these features of HFCS lead to increased metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more.” Yikes!
Sugar is no angel and can cause weight gain, energy loss, and a host of other ailments as well. That said, if you are going to have something sweet, reach for something made with real, pure cane sugar, and not highly processed, Mercury laden, Genetically Modified, High Fructose Corn Syrup.
To check out Dr. Mark Hyman’s book, the Blood Sugar Solution, click here.
Photo from Fit Sugar.
I think the more interesting question is to look deeply in to the process (and resulting syrup) for both agave nectar and HFCS. It’s always amused me how similar both the process (and the result) is, but how differently they’re perceived, at least based on what I see when I go to “health food” stores.
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“In spite of manufacturers’ claims, agave “nectar” is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like, root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules.Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.
The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into “nectar” is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS. The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrup-anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites. 36 (One agave manufacturer claims that his product is made with “natural” enzymes.) The refined fructose in agave nectar is much more concentrated than the fructose in HFCS. For comparison, the high fructose corn syrup used in sodas is 55 percent refined fructose. (A natural agave product does exist in Mexico, a molasses type of syrup from concentrated plant nectar, but availability is limited and it is expensive to produce.)
According to Bianchi, agave “nectar” and HFCS “are indeed made the same way, using a highly chemical process with genetically modified enzymes. They are also using caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches.” The result is a high level of highly refined fructose in the remaining syrup, along with some remaining inulin.
In a confidential FDA letter, Dr. Martin Stutsman of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Labeling Enforcement, explains the FDA’s food labeling laws related to agave nectar: “Corn syrup treated with enzymes to enhance the fructose levels is to be labeled ‘High Fructose Corn Syrup.’” According to Mr. Stutsman, agave requires the label “hydrolyzed inulin syrup.”37 Even though, like corn, agave is a starch and fiber food processed with enzymes, it does not require the label “High Fructose Agave Syrup.” Agave “nectar” is a misnomer; at the very least, it should be labeled “agave syrup.”
Agave syrup comes in two colors: clear or light, and amber. What is this difference? Mr. Bianchi explains: “Due to poor quality control in the agave processing plants in Mexico, sometimes the fructose gets burned after being heated above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, thus creating a darker, or amber color.” However, the labels create the impression of an artisan product-like light or amber beer.”
Wow- really interesting information. I’ve heard some suspect things about Agave (including that there’s a hormone in it that can cause infertility in women!), but this article best explains the negative info that I’ve been hearing. What about organic or “raw” Agave “nectar’? Surely they cannot use a genetically modified enzyme….?
I completely agree. I was sakneipg with my husband about this during dinner the other night. He was telling me about a commercial he saw, a party scene, mom’s talking about how much HFCS is in the juice and how the one mother is being SILLY and it’s OK if it’s in moderation. Way to go, make people feel crazy again for not wanting to eat corn. It is all ready a stigma for the corn allergic because people who are not aware have absolutely NO idea how much corn is in their daily intake even if they avoid HFCS. Large corporations that may be lesser in size then Monsanto are still funding these commercials along with them, the articles, and the attempt at mind control’ The good news is that they are being forced to spend some of their Money on print and commercial adds. So we made some sort of pain for them. We just need to keep going. Any company you find that is completely CORN FREE, write them a thank you note. Put a note in the local paper . something to give them KUDOS and gain awareness.
Nice post. Thanks for sharing. Keep it up!
How to lower blood sugar without medications is the beginning of a new way of living. Most diet programs available today could be adapted to keeping your blood sugar in control. However, you must plan your calorie intake each day to match what your caregiver has prescribed for you whether it is 1200 calories or even 2000 calories depending on your body size, gender and activity level. So to get started let’s discuss implementing your sugar control diet.Meal plan or meal planning is necessary to successfully control blood sugar while becoming healthy from what you eat. The first step is to plan your schedule for Meals. Optimal results are obtained by eating: Breakfast, a mid-morning snack, Lunch, an afternoon snack, Dinner and a “just before bedtime snack”. In other words 6 “meals” each day.*
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