Have you seen the new ad campaign about high fructose corn syrup? Let's defer the obvious by first noting that the girl in the commercial linked here was really cute in both a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode and in Desperate Housewives as the nurse who failed to see Carlos' mom waken from her coma and run around the hospital trying to narc on Gabrielle for her hot affair with the gardener. I'm so glad she's got a national ad campaign. Maybe the dairy industry can hire her next to talk about how eating more dairy can make you lose weight.
Because we all recognize this PR campaign as total bullshit, right? I mean, everybody and their grandma knows that high fructose corn syrup has been linked to increased diabetes, lowered insulin sensitivity, obesity, and, combined with a high fat diet and a sedentary life style, liver damage. The corn industry had to hire really good actors for these commercials because who else would be able to say those lines without rolling their eyes? And I LO-OVE that the commercial specifically talks about feeding that red food dye #40 and high fructose corn syrup cocktail to kids. Why wouldn't you feed that shit to kids? Hmm.
The Mayo Clinic recommends limiting consumption because "animal studies have shown a link between increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and adverse health effects, such as diabetes and high cholesterol." The article goes on to say that there isn't a definitive link between human consumption and these health risks because not enough studies have been done. Perhaps our government could spend fewer dollars subsidizing the Corn Refining industry and more dollars protecting its citizens with studies analyzing the health consequences of consumer products. Perhaps if we had universal health coverage, interest in keeping citizens healthy would be higher. But not only is the government subsidizing unstudied refined sugar, they also recently allowed high fructose corn syrup to be labeled "natural". That's right, check your products with the tag 'natural' on the front because you may be getting more than you think.
But let's say high fructose corn syrup is fine. No worse than consuming table sugar hidden in everything from ketchup to spaghetti sauce to bread to yogurt to toothpaste to fruit juice. What about the environmental damage caused by corn refining? Corn, according to a recent Washington Post article, requires more pesticides and fertilizers than any other crops and the runoff has long term effects.
Maybe if the Corn Refinery Association has $30 million for an ad campaign to tell consumers that we're stupid for not wanting their product, maybe they can afford to have their subsidies and governmental sponsorship slashed. In the meantime, we'll be checking our 'natural' products and continuing to keep the refined corn out of our kitchen.
One last thought: If you can't live without Coke, try getting it from a mexican market. Apparently imported coke, particularly from Mexico, is made with cane sugar. I haven't checked it out myself, yet, but that's the rumor. I hear the cane sugar really enhances the other chemicals in the soda.
Musings of Motherhood
About Me
- Kellie Bonifield
- Supporting characters: Kent, husband extraordinaire with, thankfully, a wonderful set of genes including strong cheekbones and the ability to eat anything and stay slim and muscle-y which has been inherited by... Tallulah, a blond curled, angelic looking four and a half year old with a huge smile and penchant for action. She often, to my dismay, demands to be called a princess-- but only if princesses run, jump, climb trees, defend friends from bullies, and are always right. Moxie, the baby. Organized and schedule oriented, Moxie will be recieving a drool-impervious day planner for her first birthday. She is bemused by her sister's antics and often hums herself to sleep.
