Roberts 1
Kimberly Roberts
June 2, 2015
Professor Campbell
Oral Communications

High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for you

Let me see a show of hands. How many people like soft drinks? I must admit I like Coke and Dr. Pepper too so don’t feel embarrassed. How many people like cookies and cake? The one thing that all of these things have in common is they all contain high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup has been on the market since the 70’s and has had a detrimental effect on public health.
High fructose corn syrup comes in many form HFCS42, HFCS55, and HFCS90. HFCS42 is composed of 42% fructose and 53% glucose, HFCS55 is made of 55% fructose and 42% glucose, and HFCS90 which is mostly fructose at 90% and only 10% glucose. This sweetener is made in a factory where corn products are refined and packaged. It is synthesized by first making corn starch then processing that into corn syrup, then enzymes are added to create HFCS42. Later HFCS90 is added to make HFCS55. (Kierszenbaum) High fructose corn syrup can be made very cheaply from the most widely available crops, acts as an alternative to sugar. Fructose is natural fruit sugar that can be found in strawberries, pineapples, peaches, nectarines, and oranges. Chemically altered high fructose corn syrup tastes much sweeter than table sugar but it costs less to manufacture and is higher in calories. As it turns out, it is currently the leading cause of obesity in the United States of America. This form of sugar has a tendency to suppress the production of insulin and other appetite inhibiting hormones, among other things. High fructose corn syrup reduces the body’s ability to produce insulin and leptin, making it difficult to metabolize food and satisfy appetite. The pancreas is unable to recognize the chemically Roberts 2 altered form of sugar causes the insulin not to secret properly therefore your appetite is not satisfied. Leptin, a hormone that reduces hunger and inhibits fat storage in the body, is directly proportional to his or her amount of body fat but without it a person tends to overeat and gain weight. (Melanie Segala) Sugars are burned as energy for the cells to complete their bodily functions. Because of high fructose corn syrup, sugars are converted into fats and cholesterol, therefore increasing your unhealthy cholesterol levels along with the fat storages in your body. Since high fructose corn syrup is insulin resistant instead of it being burned to keep the body warm as is the case with table sugar it causes the body to become obese. Fats and cholesterol are transported in bloodstream by way of lipoproteins. Three types of lipoprotein exist low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and very low-density lipoprotein. Low- density lipoprotein are the bad lipoproteins which cause atherosclerotic plaques to form on arterial walls and deposits fats in the tissue cells. High-density lipoproteins are the good cholesterol. They move the fat from the cells to the liver where it can be filtered out or processed and stored as sugar. The high-density lipoproteins also recycle the bile. The bile is used to digest fats. Very low-density lipoproteins contribute to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a thick wall of plaque that forms on the inside of the arteries or veins. It carries triglycerides in the blood which is known to cause cardiovascular disease. The low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides clog the arteries and blocks the flow of blood to and from the heart. This change weakens the heart muscles and the ability for new oxygen to circulate throughout the body

Refined sugar and processed grain products, stripped of their coatings or husks, are almost