I feel sure I blogged about high fructose corn syrup at some point, but am not finding it in my searches…
Sweet Confusion
Does high fructose corn syrup deserve such a bad rap?
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/350460/description/Sweet_Confusion
Fructose has got a bad rap lately as a specific nutrient that is bad for you in excess. When I had read on it in the past the evidence that excess fructose was particularly bad for you seemed quite strong, but this article indicates those preliminary reports were premature in condemning it. The problem seems to boil down, though we fat-assed Americans are reluctant to accept it, that excess calorie intact is the problem and ‘high’ fructose (often just 55% of the sugar as opposed to ‘low’ when it is ‘just’ 45% of the sugar) has nothing to do with anything. Of course, the marketers will continue to push their high sugar (but low fructose) products as if they are healthy, yet it is equally as unhealthy to guzzle sugary drinks (or foods, for that matter) in excess no matter what kind of sugar is in it.
Though few people will actually read this article (it is in a magazine called ‘Science’ News after all), I am sure that the marketing people will continue to blitz us with the ‘fructose is bad’ mantra as long as they think it will enable them to pack on excess margins.
Pretty soon Americans will question that the Earth revolves around the sun and begin to fear falling off the edge if they travel outside the country’s boundaries. I think the reason Forrest Gump spoke so well to the American psyche is that is is all too familiar.
