I was wondering is High Fructose Corn Syrup used in all your foods in Non US countries as well?I seen an story on the news and they said they think this is a huge contributing factor in Kids gaining weight and adults developing Diabetes and an alarming rate.

I noticed that a lot of restaurants and foods in america are trying to eliminate Trans fats from the diet which is a good thing. If they can do this with trans fats why can't they elimate High Fructose Corn Syrup and go back to regular sugar. I even see that trans fat has been elimated from McDonalds french fries. If McDonalds changed their fry receipe it must be bad.

Also I think we also need to elimate all of this imitation sugars as well such as Sorbitol, etc. People fail to realize that Sorbitol in high doses is used as a laxative. It almost seems like this Sorbitol is in everything as well.

interesting. sand, we eat a LOT of foods with questionable additives. it's hard to find food that is 100% natural out there

They don't need to use HFCS in other countries - unless there, as in the US, their law-making bodies are a friggin' bunch of boneheads using agricultural subsidies and tariffs to prop up a domestic sugar industry.

Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, maltitol, etc.) shouldn't be banned for the simple reason that, if they are, you would have to kiss sugarless gum, no-sugar-added ice cream, and a lot of diabetic-aimed products good-bye. Sugar alcohols have chemical properties that facilitate their use in these types of products.

Besides, sugar alcohols wouldn't really be a problem if people actually took the time to read labels. It states very clearly on the labels of products that have enough sugar alcohol to matter that the products may cause digestive problems.

XxAxX said:

Define "100% natural." HFCS could be considered "100% natural" - since it's made from corn.

Genesia said:

good point. i guess i meant unprocessed, and with no preservatives or additives.

Genesia said:

I think they should ban these fake sugars. I also don't think we should be ingesting Aspartime-like stuff.

Are these sugars really safe for Diabetics? So Diabetics don't have to restrict these fake sugars? Can they have as much as they want? Do any Diabetics on the org know?

I was always told that the body doesn't metabolize HFCS properly?

Genesia said:

yeah alot of crap get thrown in with the 'natural' label. Hell even products derived from petroleum can be labeled under 'natural'. And dont think for a sec your not eating petroleum derived products.

horatio said:

I would venture a guess that many people are not aware of what they are really eating

jaimestarr79 said:

Good lord. Ban fake sugars? Why? Because people are too stupid to educate themselves about what's good for them and what isn't?

Fake sugars aren't any worse for you than the real thing. Should we ban real sugar, too?

This is what is known as "smiley-face fascism." Who gets to decide what's good for us and what isn't? Ya know...a couple decades ago...most food processors quit using tropical and animal fats in favor of transfats because they swallowed a big load of bullshit from the CSPI about the "dangers" of saturated fats. Now, people have come to realize that the "cure" in that instance was far worse than the disease - that transfats have way more health consequences than the coconut oil or beef tallow they replaced.

Banning specific ingredients is a terrible idea.

Genesia said:

wow. your passion for this topic is... outstanding

Genesia said:

they banned coconut oil? I thought that was extremely good for you?

Well they put in in bran flakes in the States and they ALSO put it in them here and in France as well.

horatio said:

oh hell no. It's one of hte worst fats you can eat. It clogs your arteries because it's a palm oil and is really high in saturated fat.

That said, I just had some yesterday because no one can take away my Thai food. It uses a lot of coconut milk.

minneapolisgenius said:

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Coconut oil is one of the best fats you can eat. It's high in lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties and is also rich in medium-chain triglycerides, which help the body to maintain healthy weight.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with coconut oil.

Genesia said:

It's still high in saturated fat though.

I tried to stop drinking soda last year and found it close to impossible to find anything without hfcs in it. "natural" juice products, and bottles labled healthy still had it

minneapolisgenius said:

Saturated fat is not the dietary bogeyman it's made out to be. In fact, saturated fats contain compounds (like palmitic acid, myristic acid, lauric acid, and stearic acid) that are necessary for maintaining proper immune system and other functions.

That's why coconut oil, butter and lard (as long as it isn't partially hydrogenated) are actually good for you.
[Edited 6/6/08 12:16pm]

I say the more corn and soy derivatives the better. I like being employed

Xcalibre said:

Make all you want. I'm sure some fool will eat them. (It won't be me, though.)

Genesia said:

I'm talking about the coconut and palm oil that they put in crackers, cookies, and everything else they use it in so those things have a long shelf-life.

I seriously can't imagine that lard could ever be good for you though. Unless of course you absolutely need it in your diet to survive in the cold, wild tundra or something.

Genesia said:

Jesus, I just came.

minneapolisgenius said:

It doesn't matter which specific fat you're talking about. Saturated fat is saturated fat. Coconut oil, palm oil, lard, beef tallow, butter - they're all beneficial.

And, yes - lard is good for you. Even more so if it's rendered from the fat of pastured pigs - because it'll be an even better source of vitamin D.

INSATIABLE said:

Happy I could help.

I'm sure Jesus is glad to know about it, too.

Another good thing about saturated fats - they're more stable. Which means they don't go rancid as quickly as polyunsaturated fats.

Genesia said:

I'll stick to getting my vitamin D elsewhere thank you very much.

You work for the palm oil industry in Malaysia or the pig farmers of America don't you?

In the end, all we can really believe is what "they" tell us and what we read. And what "they" tell us changes all the time. Just look at eggs. Unless you are somehow personally involved in the ongoing studies that they are doing on this subject or something.

good fats turn bad when they are heated. so, palm oil can be both good and bad. if it is unheated it's good. in cookies, which are baked, it's bad.

minneapolisgenius said:

Where is your vitamin D coming from? A vitamin bottle?

I don't work for any food producer or agricultural interest. I just don't buy into the anti-saturated fat hysteria that has gripped this country for two decades.

Not sure what you're getting at with the egg thing - but they're good for you, too.

XxAxX said:

i swear to god i read that as "good farts turn bad when they are heated."

XxAxX said:

Where did you get that from? It's not true.