Tag Archives: HFCS

How to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup

Traditional Eatinga sign that reads "our ingredients" with healthy food behind it

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a highly processed chemical used in a lot (too many) of commercial products as a cheap substitute for regular sugar.

If sugar is bad for your health then HFCS is HORRIBLE!

Not only does it contribute far more to obesity than sugar (1) it produces (in animal studies):

  • Impaired glucose tolerance
  • High insulin levels
  • Insulin resistance
  • High triglycerides
  • High blood pressure

HFCS also contributes to fatty liver and the buildup of dangerous deposits in your blood vessel walls. (2) This leads to plaque buildup, causing increased susceptibility to both strokes and heart attacks, and accelerated aging. (3)

As if that weren’t bad enough, HFCS has now been found to contain mercury. In January 2009, the journal Environmental Health reported that mercury had been found in nearly half of all tested samples of commercial HFCS.

How can you avoid HFCS?

That’s simple, merely read food labels. Other processed sugars to avoid are:

  • inulin
  • iso glucose
  • glucose-fructose syrup
  • dahlia syrup
  • tapioca syrup
  • glucose syrup
  • corn syrup
  • crystalline fructose
  • fruit fructose
  • agave

Which foods have it?

Most sodas are loaded with HFCS as are many fruit juices, ketchup, salad dressings, sauces, baked goods, crackers, cornflake crumbs, chicken broth, stuffing mixes, cereals and more.

NOTE: this weekend it was mentioned on the weekend talk shows that Americans are now buying more WATER than soda…YES!!


  1. Limiting fructose may boost weight loss, Southwestern researcher reports. Published: July 28, 2008.http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/07/24/limiting.fructose.may.boost.weight.loss.ut.southwestern.researcher.reports Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  2. Gaby AR. Adverse effects of dietary fructose. Altern Med Rev.2005;10(4):294-306.
  3. Flavin D. Metabolic danger of high-fructose corn syrup. Life Extension. December 2008.