Everyone knows the role that sodium and fat plays in contributing to high blood pressure and the market place has responded with all sorts of "healthy" fat free, reduced fat, low sodium and no sodium food products. Just one little problem. Most of those foods include high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an additive.
A recent University of Colorado study revealed that HFCS can increase blood pressure by up to 32%. This common food additive tends to inflame blood vessels causing them to stiffen and making them less elastic. This loss of elasticity causes a higher blood pressure particularly systolic pressure. Healthy blood vessels expand when the heart pumps and then contract after the blood surge passes. By stiffening the vessels, the aperture of the blood vessels is narrower causing an increase of systolic pressure.
And the bad news gets worse
The bad news is that HFCS is found in almost all processed foods. The really bad news is that it is found in higher doses in low fat and no fat products. Food processors add the extra HFCS to compensate for the taste lost by removing the fat.
And it gets worse. High-fructose corn syrup can go by a number of different names. If the label on your food says it has corn syrup, fructose, high fructose sweetener or natural sweetener as an additive it's really HFCS.
Sweetener is everywhere
So how do you avoid this harmful additive? Realistically it's nearly impossible. What you can do is cut down on your consumption by adding more fresh food or food that is labeled 100% organic to your family's diet.
The HFCS issue is just the latest in a continuing line of questionable business practices by the food processing and packaging industry. Knowing that there are big bucks in eating healthy led to the introduction of a myriad of no salt and no fat products along with the zero calorie sodas. Yes, fat and sodium are decreased and in its place is a substance that is potentially just as dangerous.
