Hi everyone! I am not sure that many of you are keeping up to date with my blog, especially since my site has been down for so long, but I assure you, it will be up by my birthday in May! Something wonderful to look forward to, eh?

I figured I would simply ease back into this by giving you some "short and sweet" information on High Fructose Corn Syrup. Each of you need to look at food labels more closely so you can refrain from this additive.

As most of you probably know, many food companies are in the process of eliminating HFCS from their entire inventory. Most of the products that have been introduced over the last couple of years have been developed with cane sugar instead of HFCS.

First of all, it has not been scientifically proven that HFCS is more detrimental to your health than cane sugar. HFCS does have about 5% more fructose than cane sugar and in some laboratory studies fructose has had a more negative affect on health than its counterpart glucose. Many food processors switched from sugar to HFCS in the ‘70s because it was easier to transport, not susceptible to freezer burn, and gave food a longer shelf life. It’s always been cheaper than sugar until just recently due to the sharp rise in the price of corn. From 1995 to 2003 federal corn subsidies totaled $37.3 billion; more than twice that of wheat; and are currently about $11 billion a year. These subsidies have played a huge role in enabling the drink companies, convenience stores and fast food services to offer larger portions at moderate prices, resulting in a variety of health problems over the years.

HFCS is produced by processing corn starch to yield glucose; then processing the glucose to produce a high percentage of fructose. Three different enzymes are needed to break down the cornstarch – alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, and glucose-isomerase. A liquid chromatography step takes the mixture to 90% fructose which is then back-blended with the original mixture to yield a final concentration of about 55% fructose.

Cane sugar, by comparison, is produced by crushing the cane, and heating, clarifying, and evaporating the juice. The product is then crystallized in vacuum pans, separated in a centrifuge, and then dried.

My philosophy and that of Preventative Health Sciences (www.phsglobal.com) is simple-- the further a food product gets away from its original state (due mostly to processing and reformulation), the worse the quality.