According to this article in the Chicago Tribune, the makers of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail have replaced the high-fructose corn syrup in their product with sucrose, or table sugar. Ocean Spray is the latest in a long list of giant corporations which have made the switch, including the makers of Snapple beverages, Log Cabin Syrup, Kraft salad dressings, and certain Pepsi products. Recent controversy has linked high-fructose corn syrup to rising rates of obesity, Type II Diabetes, dental caries, and the crash of the Hindenburg. (Just kidding about that last one – I think.)
The Sugar Association likes to tout its product as “natural.” So is cocaine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea to introduce the stuff into your body in pure form. In fairness, I suppose I should point out that the labels for the reformulated products don’t claim the stuff is any healthier for you – but they don’t say it isn’t, either.
Predictably, the Corn Refiners’ Association has launched a public relations counter-offensive. I hate to say this, but I think these guys have a point. Even the Center for Science in the Public Interest agrees that there’s no convincing evidence that high-fructose corn syrup is any worse for you than table sugar. Still, I find it amusing that the Corn Refiners Association is acting shocked – yes shocked – that corporations would engage in misleading advertising to promote their wares.
The fact is, our bodies did not evolve to handle large quantities of refined carbohydrates, whether in the form of table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup or for that matter,"organically grown" agave nectar.
We did evolve nervous and endocrine systems which tell us what our bodies need – if only we would listen. Our taste for sweet things evolved for a reason. The sweetest fruit is also the ripest and most nutritious. So if you’re craving something sweet, why not eat some fruit? If you’re thirsty, it means your body needs water. Why not drink water instead of sugary soft drinks? I don’t know why people waste their money on that stuff. After the third sip, you’re not tasting it anyway.
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Dr. Evan Levine
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Comments
Not only is there NO nutritive value in soft drinks, they are damned expensive way to buy something you have NO need for. My son was complaining about gasoline at $4 a gallon, when I pointed out that his Mountain Dew was roughly $16 a gallon. He was not pleased.
Rated.
I heard a nutritionist on tv a few years ago say there is nothing fundamentally wrong with high fructose corn syrup, except that it is incredibly cheap.
On the other hand I have read stuff online (i.e. I have no idea if it's reliable information) that says the problem with it is that it's basically pre-digested sugar, so it goes straight to your blood stream, potentially causing blood sugar surges and messing up your sugar/insulin mechanism.
I've been gradually switching to a low (hopefully soon it will be none) high fructose corn syrup diet and my stomach is pleased. Any simple carbohydrates like sugar should be limited if weight gain or diabetes is an issue. It's about how our bodies handle it. I found this interesting (as far as I can tell based on my biochem memory it's legit) explanation http://www.medbio.info/Horn/Time%201-2/carbohydrate_metabolism.htm
To Somyr Perry: To each his own, but I wonder if your friend could tell the difference in a blind taste test.
To GeeBee: I got a kick out of your Dr. Pepper story. It reminded me of the olden days when I was an undergraduate. Back then, the Coors Brewing Company would not distribute Coors Beer east of the Missisipi River. The stated rationale was that they couldn't, since Coors always had to be refrigerated. (WTF? And they thought we didn't have refrigeration here back east?) Anyway, back in those days, if you had a friend who had occasion to go out west, if he was a really good friend, he would bring you back a six-pack of Coors.
In the eighties they deigned to sell their beer back east here, and soon Coors lost its mystique and became just another brand of beer, just like any other. But I'm sure the increased profits were sufficient consolation for the loss of the mystique.
To everybody: Thanks for reading and commenting.
I think this is the basis of the South Beach Diet, if I'm not mistaken, and several other carb-related approaches to weight loss. Atkins kept all carbs very limited, but South Beach allows complex ones. Simple carbs are tasty but do not satisfy hunger. Protein does a nice job of hunger control, and complex carbs are much more satisfying than simple ones because it takes time and effort to digest them. Whole grains are good. Brown rice rather than white. You get the idea.
I don't drink sugar sodas, but I drink diet ones, and here's some news from my parents' doctor, which I have confirmed on the net from other sources. Carbonation in soft drinks may be responsible for the alarming rates of acid reflux/GERD because the bubbles loosen the valve between the esophagus and stomach over time and the valve allows lots more stomach acid into the esophagus than normal, creating heartburn.
More info at WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/default.htm
Personally, I stay away from diet sodas. Why would I put anything in my mouth that isn't food?
Thanks for your comment.
Surely that makes them good for you, right?
I once saw a can of soda pop that promised, "No cholesterol."
Thanks to everyone for your comments.