Quick Facts: Since its introduction in 1970, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has replaced sugar in various processed foods in the U.S.  Such a rapid change in the American diet raises some important questions.  Reports show the sweetener may lead to obesity, as well as contain mercury.  The best strategy is to replace HFCS-containing foods with nutrient-dense foods.  While research continues, moderation remains important.

The American diet has changed dramatically over the last generation.  In particular, the prevalence of artificial or mechanically manipulated additives to foods has skyrocketed, as has the quantity of such foods we consume.  One example of this change is the substitution of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for table sugar.  It is a sweetener commonly used in many processed foods in the United States.  It is also used as a preservative.  It acts to preserve color and texture of processed foods and to promote freshness or to inhibit microbial spoilage and extend shelf life.  Since its introduction in 1970, HFCS has replaced sugar in various processed foods in the U.S.  Such a rapid change in the American diet raises some important questions:  What are the potential health impacts of HFCS?  Exactly what is HFCS and where does it come from?

What is it?
HFCS is extremely soluble and mixes well in many foods.  It is cheap to produce, sweet and easy to store.  It is used in everything — from bread to pasta sauces, to bacon to beer.  HFCS has been used in “health products” like protein/energy bars and “natural” sodas.  HFCS is made by changing the sugar (glucose) in cornstarch to fructose – another form of sugar.  The end product is a combination of fructose and glucose.  Table sugar is sucrose (which breaks down into fructose and glucose).

The HFCS industry initially was just a “side” business for the corn industry (which took off when we began feeding grain to livestock).  However, once food manufacturers discovered that HFCS is a cheap substitute for sugar, it became a major industry.  HFCS is somewhat cheaper in the United States perhaps as a result of a combination of corn subsidies and sugar tariffs and quotas.  Some speculate this is why it is so prolifically used as an additive in such a wide variety of foods.

So what is the controversy?
Research is producing conflicting results regarding the effects of HFCS on health.  According to the Corn Refiners Association, the average American consumes approximately 42 pounds of HFCS per year, or approximately 12 teaspoons worth each day.   The obesity epidemic has been blamed partially on the increased consumption of HFCS.  What scientists find especially intriguing is the spike in obesity levels that occurred simultaneously with HFCS market debut in 1970.  In children, roughly 4.2 percent were classified as obese in 1970.  By 2000, the share exceeded 15 percent.  Those are staggering numbers!  They also suggest that the body metabolizes fructose differently from glucose, and that the differences in the way the body metabolizes fructose may predispose the body to turn fructose into fat.  Another angle on the obesity epidemic and HFCS is that HFCS increases appetite, therefore, causing over-consumption of calories.  Studies are still ongoing.

What else is in it?
Another controversy is whether mercury is found in HFCS.  Recently, a study was conducted indicating that HFCS contained toxic amounts of mercury.  A pilot study reported that some HFCS manufactured in the U.S. in 2005 contained trace amounts of mercury.  The mercury appeared to come from sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid, two chemicals used in the manufacture of HFCS.  This mixture used to produce HFCS may have come from plants which use a specific process leading to traceable amounts of mercury in HFCS.  Nine of the twenty samples tested did contain measurable amounts of mercury.   The argument is thousands of food items contain measurable amounts of mercury.

However, Woodhall Stopford, MD, MSPH, of Duke University Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading experts in mercury contamination, reviewed the results of total mercury testing of samples of HFCS.  He reports, “the introduction of high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener has not been associated with any noticeable difference in mercury levels in foods and beverages containing high fructose corn syrup.  Levels of mercury found in such foods and beverages are what would be expected from mercury found normally in such foods and beverages and are at background levels.”  Again, studies are ongoing.

Another controversial health claim is that pancreatic cancer cells use the fructose in HFCS to proliferate.  Research from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center takes aim at refined fructose, a major source of which in the American diet is HFCS.  The study found that pancreatic cancers use fructose to fuel their growth, and that, contrary to conventional wisdom, cancers processed fructose differently than glucose.  Studies continue.

Just another name?
In an effort to help clarify the labeling of food products for consumers, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) recently petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow manufacturers the option of using “corn sugar” as an alternative name for HFCS.  “Consumers need to know what is in their foods and where their foods come from and we want to be clear with them,” said CRA president Audrae Erickson. “The term ‘corn sugar’ succinctly and accurately describes what this natural ingredient is and where it comes from – corn.”  Popular campaigns by food activists and a negative perception by consumers in the United States that high-fructose corn syrup has harmful health effects continues to result in increasing reformulation of popular processed foods and reduced sales of HFCS.  Would a name change to ‘corn sugar’ slow the transition back to the use of regular sugar?

The Bottom Line:
HFCS is mostly found in foods with empty calories.  Empty calorie foods generally refer to foods with high calories but low nutritional values.  In the opinion of many consumers, high fructose corn syrup is a big, bad boogeyman that must be avoided at all costs.   The distrust has reached such heights that food and beverage manufacturers have been busily reformulating products to replace HFCS with beet sugar or cane sugar in order to keep their products competitive.  Even The Corn Refiners Association has tried to salvage the ingredient’s reputation proposing that it be renamed “corn sugar”.   What most don’t understand is that soft drinks and other processed foods sweetened with sugar are just as likely to cause weight gain as those sweetened with HFCS.  Regularly including these high calorie low nutrient content products in your diet has the potential to promote obesity – which, in turn promotes conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.  The best strategy is to replace these foods with nutrient-dense foods.  While research continues, moderation remains important.

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:

“Corn refiners petition FDA for use of “corn sugar” as alternative name for high fructose corn syrup” http://www.corn.org/corn-sugar-fda-petition.html

Environmental Health News http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/

American Journal of Clinical Nutritionhttp://www.ajcn.org/

Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/

US Food & Drug Administration http://fda.gov/

Center for Science in the Public Interest http://www.cspinet.org/

Quick facts: Despite approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, artificial sweeteners have been suspected to cause everything from mood and behavioral disorders to headaches, multiple sclerosis, obesity, heart disease and cancer. The National Cancer Institute denounces any connection that these sweeteners may have with cancer and the American Dietetic Association gives them a pass, at least for adults. But, just because researchers have yet to document a specific harm from artificial sweeteners, does not mean these products are fit for our children. Read on to learn more about artificial sweeteners so that you can make an informed decision for your family.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country and our increased sugar consumption is partly to blame. We as Americans consume as much as 2-3 pounds of sugar per week or almost half our body weight in sugar yearly. This love affair with sugar can lead to numerous health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Many consumers are turning to artificial sweeteners to curb that sweet tooth and limit the calorie intake. Is this a safe alternative? Are they safe for kids?

Despite approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), artificial sweeteners have been suspected to cause everything from mood and behavioral disorders to headaches, multiple sclerosis, obesity, heart disease and cancer. Some individuals may attribute these various symptoms to artificial sweeteners; however, there are no published, peer-reviewed, controlled scientific studies in humans to support these accusations. As a matter of fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, there is no scientific evidence that any artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States cause cancer. The American Dietetic Association says that adults can safely enjoy a range of non-nutritive sweeteners when consumed in a diet that is guided by federal nutrition recommendations such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. So why is there still controversy surrounding artificial sweeteners? And if there are possible negative effects on adults, what about our kids and their developing bodies?

The Scoop on Sweeteners
Although several government agencies report no evidence to support negative effects of artificial sweeteners on human health, there continues to be serious debate in the scientific community about three sweeteners in particular: saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame-K.

Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K, manufactured by Hoechst, a giant German chemical company, is widely used around the world. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. In the United States, for several years acesulfame-K (the K is the chemical symbol for potassium) was permitted only in such foods as sugar-free baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts. In July 1998, the FDA allowed this chemical to be used in soft drinks, thereby greatly increasing consumer exposure.

The safety tests of acesulfame-K were conducted in the 1970s and were of mediocre quality. Two studies of its impacts on rats suggested that the additive might cause cancer. In 1996, the FDA was urged to require better testing before permitting acesulfame-K in soft drinks. Another issue of concern is one of the breakdown products of acesulfame-K, acetoacetamide. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, acetoacetamide has been shown to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits and dogs.

Saccharin
Saccharin, also known as Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sween’N Low, and Necta Sweet, does not contain any calories, does not raise blood sugar levels and is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Starting in 1907, the USDA began investigating saccharin’s safety. Those early studies proved inconclusive. Studies beginning in 1977 showed bladder tumors in male rats with the ingestion of saccharin. The FDA proposed a ban on saccharin based on the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, enacted in 1958. This clause prohibits the addition to the human food supply of any chemical that had caused cancer in humans or animals. Congress intervened after public opposition to the ban and allowed saccharin to remain in the food supply as long as the label carried this warning: “Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals.” Further research was required to confirm the tumor findings.

Since then, more than 30 human studies have been completed and found that the results found in rats did not translate to humans, apparently making saccharin safe for human consumption. The original study published in 1977 has been criticized for the very high dosages given to the rats; the doses were hundreds of times higher than “normal” ingestion for humans. In May 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services removed saccharin from its list of cancer-causing chemicals. Later that year, Congress passed a law removing the warning notice.

Aspartame
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), a chemical combination of two amino acids and methanol, was initially thought to be the perfect artificial sweetener, but now may be linked to cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations.

A 1970s study suggested that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. However, the FDA persuaded an independent review panel to reverse its conclusion that aspartame was unsafe. The California Environmental Protection Agency and others have urged that independent scientists conduct new animal studies to resolve the cancer question. In 2005, Italian researchers conducted the first such study. It indicated that rats first exposed to aspartame at eight weeks of age developed lymphomas and leukemias. However, the European Food Safety Authority reviewed the study and concluded that the tumors probably occurred just by chance.

In 2007, the same Italian researchers published a follow-up study that began exposing rats to aspartame in utero. This study found that aspartame caused leukemias, lymphomas and breast cancer. It is proposed that the new studies found problems that earlier company-sponsored studies did not because the Italian researchers monitored the rats for three years instead of two. The recent Italian tests remain controversial, with the industry contending that they were flawed in several ways, and the FDA stating its scientists could not evaluate the studies because the researchers refused to provide their original data.

Further, in a 2006 study, researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute studied a large number of adults between 50 and 69 years of age over a five-year period. There was no evidence that aspartame posed any risk. However, the study was limited: the subjects had not consumed aspartame as children and it was not a controlled study (the subjects provided only a rough estimate of their aspartame consumption, and people who consumed aspartame might have had other dietary or lifestyle differences that obscured the chemical’s effects).

Another controversial ingredient in aspartame is methanol. This ingredient is known to be poisonous even when consumed in relatively modest amounts. Disorders caused by toxic levels of methanol include blindness, brain swelling, and inflammation of the pancreas and heart muscle. Although the FDA states that exposure to methanol through aspartame consumption is not of “sufficient quantity to be of toxicological concern,” the cumulative effects of high doses of aspartame are unknown.

You Decide
The controversy remains – are artificial sweeteners safe for adults and/or our kids? Granted, no studies have confirmed negative effects in humans, but numerous studies have found impacts in animals. Reactions to chemical sweeteners may vary among people, especially among children. Children who drink diet colas and eat foods with artificial sweeteners may be reacting to the chemicals in their foods when they complain of a tummy ache, headache, “down in the dumps” or various other ailments. Overall physical fitness and a balanced diet with moderate sugar intake are crucial to maintaining weight and achieving overall health. Artificial sweeteners may or may not affect your health, but why take the chance, especially when it comes to your children? Perhaps as long as the safety of factory-made sweeteners remains in question, following the safest route makes the most sense: when in doubt, leave it out!

To help you reduce sweetener consumption, here are some common food items containing artificial sweeteners:

• Diet soda
• Yogurt
• Hot cocoa mix
• Chewing gum
• Syrups
• Sauces
• Toothpaste
• Salad dressing
• Jelly
• Baked goods
• Medicines

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:
www.cancer.gov — National Cancer Institute website. Includes results of studies on aspartame
www.fda.gov — Food and Drug Administration website. Site with study results on several artificial sweeteners
www.usda.gov — US Department of Agriculture website. Information on saccharin studies
www.eatright.org — American Dietetic Association website. Indicates the position of the association and artificial sweeteners.

Erika Niedernhofer is a Registered Dietitian. She lives in Solana Beach, California with her husband and two children, daughter 8 years and son 6 years and their beloved Corgi. An east coast native, Erika relocated to California in 2000. She enjoys spending time with family, running and reading.

Quickfacts: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a federally classified food additive that enhances flavor. While the Food and Drug Administration has generally regarded MSG as safe, they do recognize that sensitive individuals may experience many side effects that are linked to ingesting MSG. Additionally, when MSG is added to a processed food item, it must be clearly displayed on the product’s ingredients label. Read on to learn about the noted side effects and how to recognize the addition of MSG on product labels.

We’ve all heard of MSG but do you really know what it is and if it posses a potential risk to you or your family?

The ABCs of MSG
According to the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), MSG is classified as a flavor enhancer (or additive) by federal regulation. As a flavor enhancer it must be identified as “monosodium glutamate” on the label. Monosodium glutamate originated in Japan. It was first isolated from a Japanese sea vegetable called Kombu in 1908 where it’s ability to stimulate the “savory” taste buds was discovered.

Because only glutamate in its “free” form can stimulate the taste buds, a fermentation process is used to free the glutamate from the protein it is bound to. While in past times, this was done by extracting glutamate from sources such as seaweed; today it is produced industrially from starches such as cane sugar and sugar beets. MSG gave food manufacturers the chance to make otherwise unpalatable food acceptable.

When U.S. food manufacturers acquired the additive after WWII and found a way to synthetically produce the product, its potential as a multi-billion dollar industry was sealed. MSG has grown in popularity with manufacturers as a flavor enhancer due to its cheap price and easy availability.

Despite how commonly it is found as a food additive, many people are convinced that it is harmful and should be avoided or even banned. Although the FDA has received numerous reports of adverse reactions to MSG, it continues to emphasize its general safety. In the 1970s food manufacturers agreed to remove it from baby foods, yet MSG continues to be listed on the FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) List.

MSG in your Brain and Everywhere
Glutamate is a neurotransmitter. It causes nerves to fire, carrying nerve impulses throughout the nervous system. If too much glutamate is consumed, the body normally pumps the excess glutamate out of the neurons. However, if MSG is consumed and levels of glutamate are too high, the body cannot pump out the excess and the neurons become over-stimulated and can cause a variety of reactions. Therefore, MSG can act as an excitotoxin. Although most experts don’t believe that high enough levels of the excitotoxins are reached in humans to cause any serious neurological damage, some believe enough of this excitotoxin reaches the nerves causing them to die. Additionally, some believe this excitotoxin effect is particularly noted in the hypothalamus and temporal lobes of the brain. These are the parts of the brain, which control such body functions as: behavior, emotions, immunity, the sleep cycle, hormones, puberty and short-term memory to name a few.

Recognized Links to Adverse Reactions
Ingestion of glutamic acid (MSG) may produce a variety of adverse reactions in people. It is not known why some people experience reactions and others do not. It is also not known whether MSG causes the condition underlying the reaction, or whether the underlying condition is simply aggravated by the ingestion of MSG. What is known is that enough reactions have been reported after ingesting the additive MSG to warrant comment and studies from the Food and Drug Administration. According to the FDA, MSG Symptom Complex or MSG side effects can result in: numbness, burning sensation, tingling, facial pressure or tightness, chest pain, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, weakness or difficulty breathing for asthmatics.

Apparent long-term effects of MSG are under scrutiny as well. These include (but not limited to): obesity, increased Body Mass Index (BMI), short stature and sexual reproduction problems. To date, these claims have not been scientifically proven but they are being studied.

MSG Detective Work
Now that we know the issues, where do we find MSG? MSG is typically found in soups, broths, junk foods, fast foods, soy sauce and a great deal of all processed foods. Monosodium glutamate also has several aliases you should know about, including hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein, autolyzed yeast, and hydrolyzed oat flour. MSG sensitive consumers should to read labels and educate themselves.

The Bottom Line: Education and Moderation
Most research suggests that MSG is safe if consumed in limited quantities. Certain groups of people who are particularly sensitive to the health effect of MSG may experience the disturbing symptoms described above with young children and infants being more prone to adverse reactions. For this reason, if you’ve ever experienced a known reaction to MSG, it’s best to avoid it whenever possible. It may also be wise to avoid exposing children to MSG until more is known about its safety.

The following websites were used in gathering information for this article. Please visit them yourself to learn more information about healthy eating choices.

www.smartfoodshealthykids.com

www.fda.gov

www.cspinet.org

www.healthdangers.com

www.usda.gov

www.foodfacts.com

Erika Niedernhofer is a Registered Dietitian. She lives in Solana Beach with her husband and two children, daughter 8 years and son 6 years and their beloved Corgi. An east coast native, Erika relocated to California in 2000. She enjoys spending time with family, running and reading.