June 16, 2011

Is Corn the Culprit for the Rise of Diabetes?

Corn not only is part of the rise of diabetes, but the dramatic increase in obesity. Corn is in just about every food we consume. Whether it is corn sugar, corn solids, corn alcohol, cornstarch, corn oil, or just plain ole high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), we are exposed to corn based foods every day. Consider the corn that the beef, the pigs, the lamb, the chickens, or the turkey consumed. We just can't get away from corn.

Most of us would use a lot less sugar if it was cane sugar or beet sugar, but the corn industry has convinced food manufacturers that people will not consume their product unless HFCS or corn sugar sweetens the product. Even the USDA promotes corn-based products. This is as bad as the promotion of “healthy whole grains”. If the farmers produce it, it has to be good for us. Phooey, and double phooey! It is harmful to our health and healthy well-being.

People are beginning to worry about all this packaged concealed sugar. This has given the corn industry cause for worry as HFCS has taken to blame, and now they have petitioned the USDA for renaming HFCS as “corn sugar”. If it is true that HFCS is just sugar and ours bodies cannot tell the difference, as their advertising proclaims, we as consumers need to be as concerned and careful about it as we are of sugar.

Since corn is present in most packaged foods and fast foods, we should attempt to avoid these foods when possible. It may not be possible to avoid all corn products, but most products should not be on our grocery lists. The products like HFCS sweetened soda drinks and most packaged foods should not be on the menu if you are trying to lose weight.

If you doubt what others and I are writing about, do some earnest label study for a few months. Take some of the foods you have on hand at home and read the labels. Many will have HFCS, corn solids, corn oil, or other corn products listed as an ingredient on the label.

Read the following articles for discussions even more definitive that mine. Read this one, and this article. To read what the corn industry is saying and view some of their video ads here.

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