King Corn

I watched a documentary this weekend called King Corn. It was an eye opening expose about our corn manufacturing industry. In the film two young men have their hair samples tested to determine where the carbon in their bodies has come from. The test revealed that their carbon (which is as the basis for many molecules in the body) had come from corn. They were astounded. They were thinking of corn as depicted in warm pictures of the south, like meals filled with corn on the cob, corn bread, corn casseroles, creamed corn etc. How wrong they were, the corn they were built of came from consumption of high fructose corn syrup in candy, cookies, breads, grain bars, almost all sweetened beverages (think soda and popular sports drinks), corn that has been fed to livestock as feed and had been passed down the chain to them. Corn was silently slipped into their food as "scientific", mysterious ingredients in processed food products like : Hydrolyzed corn extract and corn syrups, solids extracts, and oils. Many fried foods are friend in what, folks? You guessed it Corn OIL! Corn has become an has become a silent pervasive part of our diet. During the film they open the concept of an insidious nature of corn in our diet.

Did you know that consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has increased by a a whopping 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005 as reported by the USDA Dietary Assessment of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption report.

High fructose corn syrup has long been associated with increased diabetes and obesity. Recent studies suggest that this is not true -- WARNING-- the studies suggesting toxic High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is warm and fuzzy and not toxic and dangerous were funded by the soda companies that utilize HFCS more than any other food manufacturer. That is like letting the criminals police themselves (we don't believe in honor among thieves why should we allow the industry that relies on HFCS the most determine how safe it is.) That is a level of insanity.

Have you seen the ads defending HFCS? In the history of the world when have you seen an individual "ingredient" have to come out to defend it self. You've never seen Red food dye #40 come out with an add. "Why are you giving your kids red dye #40? Why wouldn't you it's shown to be as safe as yellow dye #5 and is part of a healthy diet if eaten in moderation...." But there is High Fructose Corn Syrup putting out adds trying to spin that it is not toxic and killing Americans hand over fist. What's more, are you aware that in the past decade, as people's consumption of HFCS has soared unabated, diabetes has increased by a staggering 90 percent and 8 percent or 24 million Americans now have diabetes? Coincidence I think not.

Dr. Mercola, renowned nutritional expert states. "To add insult to injury, the corn that the high fructose corn syrup is metabolized from nearly all comes from genetically modified corn which is fraught with its own well documented side effects and health concerns.High fructose corn syrup is is not something that should be in your diet at all."

Find out how corn is killing you with E.Coli next time.

Yours in Health,
Dr. Brian