The Sandspur

Issue date: 2/26/07 Section: Life & Times

It all starts in the grocery store; the foods you choose to stock your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer form the foundation of your diet. However, grocery shopping can be a daunting task, as it can be overwhelming trying to choose the healthiest options from the hundreds of choices that line every isle.

The last time I was in the grocery store I spent half of my time reading the labels and looking for things like low saturated fat, 100 percent whole grains, organically grown, pesticide free, percentage of dietary fiber, etcetera. Yet, food labels are not always easy to decipher and we might not be looking at that ingredient list in as much detail as need be.

As an overweight society most Americans are fixated on fat and carbohydrates, but nutritionists warn us that the problem may be a little sweeter - we are drowning ourselves in sugar. Not just any sugar but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

From sports drinks to condiments many of the things we consume on a daily basis are laced with this byproduct of corn processing. When you think of sugar you most likely think of sugar cane fields in South America, most people do not visualize a field of corn in Nebraska. However, the majority of Americans do not know that the larger percent of sweeteners used in processed food comes from corn, not sugar cane.

The process behind making HFCS was developed in the 1970's and over the years its use has been steadily increasing. Today, Americans consume more HFCS than sugar. To make it a little more comprehendible here is the 411 of HFCS. It is produced by processing corn starch to yield glucose. And then the glucose is processed to produce a high percentage of fructose. After much experimentation scientists landed on a formula that was 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. This was the perfect combination, just sweet enough and just cheap enough.

A local dietician, Dr. Shanbhag, puts it in simple terms "high fructose corn syrup is a bi-product of corn processing, basically a cheap filler, but our body doesn't have the enzyme system to break it down so it cannot get properly utilized. High fructose corn syrup was never meant to be eaten by our bodies."

So if we were never meant to be eating high fructose corn syrup then why does it appear in virtually all of the food in my pantry and my fridge? The answer to this is that HFCS mixes easily, extends many foods shelf life, and is as much as 20 percent cheaper than many other sources of sugar. The inexpensive and versatile sweetener has crept into many foods where you would never expect it. It is in my English muffins and hamburger buns to keep them soft and fluffy, and in many frozen foods to prevent freezer burn.

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