If It Has Fructose, Put It Back On the Shelf [VIDEO]

Why are so many things made with fructose, formerly called high fructose corn syrup?

Because it it profitable. It can be made into any shape, color and flavor. Cheaply. And, with the right packaging, marketing and shelf placement, has become a staple of the American diet.

Too much sugar makes our bodies a petri dish for the growth of disease--from heart disease to cancer. Sugar intake in the United States started to drop in the 1970's. However, the intake of fructose corn syrup, essentially the same as sugar, has made up for it.

Plus, back then, we all thought fat was the culprit that was causing poor health in so many people. As Guy Fieri says and any good cook knows, fat is flavor. So, take out the fat, the food tastes bad. What did they do? Replace it with sugar, or high fructose corn syrup.

The result? The most prosperous country in the world also has the sickest inhabitants.

The  main worry with fat and sugar have been the increase of heart disease. However, cancers feed on sugar. At 7:10 in the video at top, they explain how tumors use sugar to grow. That is echoed in Dr. Mark Hyman's video.

Another aspect to the problem? Sugar and it's imitators (high fructose corn syrup) are addictive, and the addictive effects are similar to those found in cocaine. The more we eat, the more of a tolerance we can build, and therefore need more to satisfy us.

Overall, the recommendation is that men consume no more than 150 calories from added sugars per day. For women, that number is at about 100 calories.