The use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has long been shown unsafe for human consumption. Let’s get one thing straight right from the start: HFCS is not naturally occurring. Although derived from corn, it is a manufactured, processed product! However on account of the numerous studies that have been suggesting how high fructose corn syrup contributes to a myriad of illnesses, the marketing teams of HFCS products have attempted to counter negative public opinions using marketing campaigns describing HFCS as “natural”. The Corn Refiners Association reports that HFCS-90, or a sweetener with 90 percent fructose is now being listed simply as “fructose” on ingredient lists and product labels. This industrially-manufactured sweetener has zero nutrients and provides no health benefits at all to the body.
In a 2015 study by Stanhope, et. al., the results revealed a positive association between the intake of beverages sweetened by HFCS and the risk for cardiovascular illness in young adults. The higher the percentage of HFCS in a drink, the bigger the increase in the following heart disease risk factors – (1) low density lipoprotein (or bad cholesterol), (2) total cholesterol, and (3) uric acid. In the same study, HFCS disturbed the ability to the body to lower blood glucose levels after eating, causing prolonged elevated levels in the blood stream which causes damaged to the body’s organs and tissues. Results of a 2015 study published revealed HFCS intake damaged a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for long-term memory and mood regulation, and caused inflammation in the body’s nerves, particularly in the brain. Intake of HFCS beverages contributes to childhood obesity.