High-fructose corn syrup is a common added sweetener in many foods and beverages you may consume. While it is similar to sugar, a study by Bart Hoebel and a research team at the Department of Psychology at Princeton University determined that high-fructose corn syrup encourages your body to store fat at a far greater rate than sugar. A significant amount of this fat is on your stomach, over your vital organ. Needless to say, if you are concern about your health, you should avoid foods with high-fructose corn sugar and select foods that do not have this unhealthful sweetener.
Diet Soda
Perhaps the most obvious source of high-fructose corn syrup is regular soda. Most calorie-free diet soda, on the other hand, is not sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. The majority of diet sodas are sweetened with aspartame. According to Health Services at Columbia University, aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and popular among people who want to limit their overall sugar consumption. Despite the many people that justify their regular soda consumption by claiming that "aspartame causes cancer," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regards aspartame to be safe. Other diet sodas are sweetened with sucarlose and stevia, as these sweeteners become more popular, they may replace aspartame in diet sodas. Diet soda is a good alternative to regular soda, but you should still consume it in moderation.
Whole Fruit
Fresh whole fruit does not have high-fructose corn syrup. Whole fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support a balanced diet. Princeton University notes, however, that fruit juice often has high-fructose corn syrup. Check the label to see if your fruit juice is 100 percent fruit juice. If it is not, it will have added sweeteners. Whole fruit is desirable over fruit juice because fruit juice often has a much lower fiber content. Be aware that fruit that is packaged in a bottle or can may have high-fructose corn syrup as well. In these products, fruit is covered in added sugar syrups that can dramatically increase the sugar content.
Vegetables
Vegetables are the epitome of a healthy food and do not have high-fructose corn syrup. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber to support your weight management and wellness goals. Other than carrots, most vegetables have barely any sugar. Although high-fructose corn syrup is made from corn, corn itself does not have any high-fructose corn syrup. The only way that high-fructose corn syrup could find its way to your vegetables dishes is in the form of spreads, dips or salad dressing. Again, check the label to ensure that you're not topping your vegetables or salads with high-fructose corn syrup.
Organic Foods
One way to steer clear of high-fructose corn syrup is to eat organic foods. Organic foods do not have any high-fructose corn syrup according to "The Trail," the student newspaper of the University of Puget Sound. Organic eating can be expensive. One of the reasons "regular" or non-organic food is less expensive is because sweetening foods with added sweeteners, such as high-fructose corn syrup, is inexpensive. If you are concerned about your health but on a budget, it is probably unnecessary to make the total switch to organic eating. Healthful foods with little sugar, such as chicken, fish, egg whites, soy, oatmeal, wheat pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds and whole grains, should be void of high-fructose corn syrup. Read labels on bread, as it sometimes has high-fructose corn syrup.
References
- Princeton University; A Sweet Problem: Princeton Researchers Find That High-Fructose Corn Syrup Prompts Considerably More Weight Gain; Hilary Parker; Mar. 22, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; High-Fructose Corn Syrup: What Are the Health Concerns?; Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D.; Oct. 23, 2010
- Columbia University Health Services; Risks of Aspartame?; Dec. 8, 1995
- "The Puget Sound Trail"; Food Reform Should Be a Priority; Mackenzie Hekper; Dec. 3, 2010
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