If you have any doubt about how I feel about HFCS check out my update on HFCS.

High Fructose Corn Syrup suddenly became a bad word in the food industry. People don’t want to buy anything that has HFCS as an ingredient but what I’ve never been able to understand is why? The Corn Refiners Association has launched a campaign to educate the public about HFCS and to dispel common sugar myths that stem from the misperception that HFCS is high in fructose.To see the sugar content of certain foods, visit: http://www.collectivewizdom.com. I had the opportunity to work with Mom Central and be apart of a HFCS Blog Tour. Those of us that participated were able to listen to experts in nutrition and eating healthy discuss what has everyone riled up about HFCS.

The Experts:

John White, Ph.D. President White Technical Research: Dr. White is one of the foremost experts in high fructose corn syrup, the result of 29 years of research of this sweetener.

James M. Rippe, M.D. Professor of Biomedical Sciences University of Central Florida and Founder and Director Rippe Lifestyle Institute. Sr. Rippe is one of the leading authorities on preventitive cardiology, health and fitness and healthy weight loss in the United States.

Audrae Erickson, President Corn Refiners Association: The Corn refiners association is the national trade association representing manufacturers of sweeteners, starches, oils and other products made from corn.

Kristine Clark, Ph. D, R.D., F.A.C.S.M. Director of Sports Nutrition Penn State University.

Types of Sweetener:

• Agave
• Brown sugar or granulated white sugar
• Cane juice, cane syrup, and cane juice crystals
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Corn sweeteners and corn syrup
• Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Lactose, Maltose, or Sucrose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Invert sugar
• Malt syrup
• Molasses
• Stevia
• Syrup

Here are a few of the questions asked and their answers!

What is the safest sugar for kids?

As we discussed during the webinar, all of the nutritive sweeteners (e.g. the sweeteners that contain calories) are metabolized and absorbed the same way.  Thus, there is no “safer” sugar for kids when you compare sucrose (table sugar), High Fructose Corn Syrup, honey, molasses, or concentrated fruit juices.  All are approximately 50% glucose and 50% fructose.  They all contain the same number of calories, have the same sweetness, and are absorbed and metabolized the same way in human beings.  Of course, all children and adults should consume added sugars in moderation, but there is no safety issue with any of them.
Incidentally, issues of safety are regulated in our country by the Food and Drug Administration.  All of the sugars that I have mentioned have been approved for human consumption by the FDA.

Can you please explain what benefits, if any, there are in using a "natural" sweetener, over regular sugar?

As mentioned earlier in my overview, all of the nutritive (caloric) sweeteners we used are comprised of approximately equal amounts of fructose and glucose.  Though a great deal is made about the "natural" or "not natural" origins of food ingredients, fructose is fructose and glucose is glucose as far as your body is concerned – it can’t tell fructose from one source or another.  And as far as the US Food and Drug Administration is concerned, HFCS and sucrose are both natural sweeteners. So, I don’t think there’s an appreciable difference between natural and regular sweeteners.

My kids love canned fruit, but they seem to be swimming in syrup.  Are there alternatives?

Answer:  Canned fruit is nutritious and can be purchased in it’s own juice.  To avoid extra calories from either juice or syrup, canned fruit can be placed in a collander and drained.  You can purchase canned fruit in lite syrups too and rinse them with water to reduce remaining syrup after draining.  One of the best reasons for buying canned fruit is the fact that you can use it at any time and it never spoils – one of the biggest reasons people tell me they don’t buy fruit is that they forget about it sitting in the refrigerator and it spoils.  Canned and dried fruits are two examples of being able to have fruit at your fingertips with no worries about spoilage.  Canned fruits are usually softer than fresh fruits which can make them easier to chew and swallow for children or anyone with poor dentition.  The key point, canned fruits can be just as nutritious as fresh fruits.

My Question:

My Main concerns is what is everyone so worked up over when it comes to HFCS? People believe that HFCS is making Americans fat. All research and experts agreed that Americans are just eating too much. 85%of diet-conscious women believe being overweight and obese have to do with Americans eating too much and getting too little exercise. It is not the amount of HFCS in food, it is the quantity of the food. I know for a fact that I could not lose any weight after my second pregnancy until I taught myself how to eat the proper serving size for my body and activity level. Try using a smaller plate instead of trying to cut out a certain type of sugar from your diet.

Other  Exercise  Ideas:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Park further away and walk to your destination

10-15 minutes strength training 2-3 times per week.

With HFCS getting such a bad rap, it has been considered that corn sugar become the name of HFCS. Will changing the name of high fructose corn syrup to just corn sugar help?

Would you be more likely to buy Corn Syrup instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup. Since most people believe that high Fructose Corn Syrup is high in Fructose; which isn’t true, would people believe that corn syrup is completely natural?

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the Corn Refiners Association. I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.