The Bitter Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sugar is sugar?  Right?  Wrong!

Too much sugar of any kind can contribute to obesity and metabolic problems, but used in moderation, traditional cane sugar is considered relatively safe.  However, over the past couple of decades, food manufacturers, who are always putting profit ahead of the health of their customers have been replacing it more and more with high fructose corn syrup, which unlike pure cane sugar, is NOT a natural product.  Fructose does not occur naturally in corn, and is only developed through intensive chemical processing.

You may have heard that the term "natural" on labels doesn't mean much, but legislators are starting to change that because products that contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) are no longer allowed to use the word "natural" on their labels.

Since the introduction of HFCS into the American food supply, we are on the verge of an epidemic of lifestyle-induced health issues including obesity, metabolic syndrome and heart disease.  Excess consumption of fructose from HFCS has been associated with other health issues such as elevated triglyceride levels, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gout, and complications of diabetes.

If you drink soda, eat packaged cakes or cookies or use sweet spreads or syrups, you are most likely consuming a very large amount of high fructose corn syrup.   It is found in a surprising array of foods where you might not expect it, like ketchup, mayonnaise, bread, crackers and the snack that's thought to be healthy, but isn't - granola bars.  "Pancake syrup" as opposed to pure maple syrup is close to 100% high fructose corn syrup.  Many "juice drinks" contain HFCS.  Buy pure juice instead.  "Table sugar" may be cut with HFCS.  Look for "pure cane sugar" and make sure your honey is pure as well.

The food industry is always looking for ways to hide information like this from consumers and use ingredients that will increase their profits.  The healthiest foods to eat are fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts.  Low fat meats, poultry, and fish can also be good choices, as can free-range eggs and minimally processed dairy products.  Locally produced and/or organic varieties are best, both for you and the planet.  If you are going to eat packaged food products, please READ LABELS!  Don't assume anything, because HFCS and other harmful ingredients are routinely added to all kinds of processed food.

You may be tempted to substitute non-caloric sweeteners for both sugar and HFCS to save calories.  It's not a bad idea, but if you do, consider stevia or inulin, which are natural alternatives to saccharine, aspartame and the other artificial options.  Better yet, learn to appreciate the natural sweetness in foods like fruits and sweet vegetables, or use a small amount of honey, maple syrup or ground dates to sweeten your food.  You future will be much sweeter.

A carefully planned program of nutritional supplements (vitamins, minerals, etc.) can help protect the body from the negative effects of consuming too much HFCS, and may be used in addition to dietary changes that limit your intake of HFCS.  Beneficial nutrients include benfotiamine, alpha-lipoic acid, carnosine, pyridoxamine, acetyl-L-carnitine, vitamin C, and fish oil.

At Wantagh Woods Chiropractic and Wellness, we help our patients to live healthier lives with nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling in addition to chiropractic adjustments and other means of natural pain relief.  If you are hoping to retain your vitality well into your senior years, give up HFCS and come in to see us.  You'll be glad you did.

 

Flu Vaccine: Is it worth the risk?

Is  getting a flu shot really the single most important thing you can do to protect your health and that of your family?  Here at Wantagh Woods Chiropractic and Health, we respectfully disagree.  Even if there wasn't a list of potential side effects that can be much more serious than the flu, that fact is that this year's flu shot just isn't very effective.  The main strain that is causing problems this year showed up in the sampling after the formula for the vaccine was already set, so this year's biggest threat  is not included in the vaccine. 

The published effectiveness rate for this year's vaccine is about 23%.  However, that figure is only based on people who actually got sick enough to seek medical care.  People who remained healthy were not even considered in the study.  Only about 2% of the population ever develops flu, so a 23% effective rate actually becomes a less than half of one percent improvement in your chances of developing flu.  Would you buy a car whose brakes have been shown to work less than on half of one percent of the time?

So, what is the price you pay for this less than one half of one percent reduction in flu risk?  According to the National Vaccine Information Center, moderate reactions to the flu vaccine may include fever, localized reactions at the injection site, headache, nasal congestion,  fatigue, sore throat, cough, muscle and joint pain, and nausea. Don't those last seven side effects sound a lot like flu symptoms?

More serious complications may include brain inflammation, convulsions, Guillain Barre Syndrome, Bell’s Palsy, limb paralysis, neuropathy, shock,  wheezing/asthma and other breathing problems. Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a severe neurological disorder involving temporary or permanent paralysis that may lead to death.  A closer review of the more serious side effects shows that most or all of them can be attributed to neurotoxicity.  The number of reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following flu vaccines reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) exceeded 93,000 as of November 2013.

Studies suggest that repeated flu vaccines in healthy children may interfere with their immune response, making them more likely to develop influenza.  Current guidelines also recommend routine flu vaccines for pregnant women, despite findings by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that influenza infection is rarely a threat to normal pregnancy.  Instead, they note that  Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, used in many vaccine formulas, has been shown to cause a number of human neurodevelopment disorders.

Chiropractic, nutritional supplements and other natural healing modalities can improve immune function without unwanted side effects.

In short, if you have a choice in taking the flu vaccine and there is no compelling reason to do it, don't.