Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Hidden Evils In Our Food Supply

Two Hidden Evils in our Food Supply

Two products that are present in huge quantities in our food supply these days are high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and trans fats (hydrogenated oils, margarine, shortening) and they are the two evils that I am talking about . Both of these products are highly modified from their natural state by mass processing .This results in products that are much more harmful to our bodies than the original substance.

The answer to avoiding these products is actually quite simple – don’t buy processed foods!

HFCS

HFCS is mostly found in sodas, breakfast syrups, fruit juices, and any other sweetened beverages. HFCS is also found in ketchup, sweetened cereals, cakes, cookies, pasta sauces, barbeque sauces, salad dressings, and many other products.

The problem with HFCS is that it is not processed by our bodies in the same way as other sugars and tends to be more lipogenic (promotes fat storage). The bottom line is, if you want to be lean and ripped, stay away from the empty calories of HFCS. If you’re need to buy sweetened products, look for products that use natural un-processed sweeteners like raw honey, molasses, or organic maple syrup and use them in moderation.

TRANS FAT

Another of the most evil substances introduced into our food supply has been trans fats in the form of partially and/or fully hydrogenated oils. Some trans fats do exist naturally in some foods and are good for you, but the trans fats created through artificial hydrogenation are the ones to avoid if you care about your health.

The process of hydrogenation essentially chemically alters unsaturated oil, which would be liquid at room temperature, and makes it more closely mimic a saturated fat, which is typically solid at room temperature. Even non-hydrogenated vegetable oils that are mass produced and heavily refined are not healthy choices.

In hydrogenation, the already toxic oils have a metal catalyst added to them and are again treated under high pressure and high temperature, and then steam cleaned and bleached. Now does that sound like something you should put in your body in even small quantities? Well, if you eat processed food, or fried restaurant food, you’re putting it in your body in huge quantities!

In recent years, studies have shown that trans fats are the most harmful fats to our bodies and may be the main reason for the explosion of heart disease over the last 40-50 years. So the next time please try to avoid foods cooked with those fats.

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