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How boomers are at risk from high fructose corn syrup

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When we baby boomers were kids, it was pretty easy to eat. There were few choices, and although already there were preservatives and other additives in some of our foods, they didn’t dominate the food industry. But as BoomerCafé publisher and co-founder David Henderson reports, that was then, this is now. Which poses risks to our generation.

It was the PBS documentary, “King Corn,” that really opened my eyes to the health risks … even dangers … of high fructose corn syrup (or HFCS) in our food, and to its adverse effects particularly on baby boomers. HFCS is linked to many medical maladies we fear.

In “King Corn,” two recent college graduates traveled to Iowa to investigate the role that corn plays in an increasingly complicated and dysfunctional American food industry. After planting their own small crop of hybrid corn and tracing its journey through the industry, they discover with alarm that corn figures into almost everything we eat. It is insidious in our diets, and much of it is not good for us. They also discovered how the high fructose corn syrup is brewed in vats of acid.

I had long been aware of high fructose but had never liked its tart taste. In fact, when soda makers replaced old-fashioned sugar with fructose about 35 years ago, I quit drinking soda drinks. I still miss a mug of old-fashioned root beer but I can do without the chemicals. But even worse, HFCS is used in far more edibles besides soft drinks.

Consider a simple baguette. The taste of a fresh baguette in France, in Germany, in many parts of Europe is more than flavorful. It’s amazing. Seldom can I find a truly delicious baguette in America and why? Because of the HFCS and the other chemicals they add to alter flour and other ingredients. It’s not only bland and doughy, it’s fattening.

Our traditional perception of corn has morphed radically from when we were kids long ago and chomped fresh, tender corn from a cob. Much of today’s corn has been changed in laboratories to become more of a weed, chock full of fat. It was originally concocted in labs as an artificial feed to accelerate the fattening of cattle in feed lots. Now, it fattens Americans. And because of our age, baby boomers are especially vulnerable.

Most countries in the world have banned HFCS as a toxic and dangerous chemical, but not the U.S., where its use is proliferating.

High fructose corn syrup — a so-called “super sweetener” additive — is made by boiling the hybrid corn with acids. It has been found to be a killer. Even when used in moderation, it is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and more. High fructose corn syrup is a particular a risk for those of us over age 55. In other words, baby boomers.

Even so-called “organic” salmon, raised in floating wooden pens, is fattened on hybrid corn. Ever since people in the U.S. unknowingly started consuming it, obesity rates have more than tripled and diabetes incidence has increased more than seven-fold.

The latest development is that the Food and Drug Administration has allowed food manufacturers to change the name of the addictive super sweetener, apparently to trick Americans into thinking they are not consuming HFCS. Its new rebranded name is “Natural Sweetener.” In reality, there is nothing natural or different about it.

How did this rebranding happen? How can corn refiners call HFCS a “natural sweetener?” Easy. Simply by altering the potency of HFCS through complicated and confidential formulas. In other words, corn refiners have gotten permission to create a new version of high fructose corn syrup and call it “natural.” The manufacturers also are not required to reveal all the additives in the food.

For consumers, especially baby boomers, food shopping has become more than “caveat emptor.” We need to be mindful of the legal definitions of the chemicals that are added these days to our foods.

Either that or move to Italy!

Editors note: The above article was originally published on David Henderson website BoomerCafe (www.boomercafe.com) –  Cover Photo Credit: Pexels.

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About the Author /

David is the co-founder and Publisher of BoomerCafé. Together with his business partner and old friend, Greg Dobbs, they defined the vision for the site in 1998 as a unique place for news and information-sharing among baby boomers with active lifestyles and youthful spirits. BoomerCafé went online in the summer of 1999.

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The food industry is coming under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, from greenhouse gas emissions, to excessive and detrimental land and water usage, to chemical pollution. Given the challenge of feeding a growing world population whilst simultaneously needing to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, clearly we need to look at alternatives to “dinner as usual”. The contribution of livestock to global greenhouse emissions is estimated at between 14.5 – 18%. Fortunately, there are companies who are tackling this challenge head on and looking at how emissions from food production can be reduced. With consumer interest increasing in alternatives to meat and other protein sources, we’ve spoken to the founders of three companies. From the seemingly futuristic to the rediscovery of superfood trees, each company tackles this new drive in consumer interest in different ways.

Solar Foods, Finland

Dr Pasi Vainnika is the CEO and co-founder of Solar Foods. The slogan of the company is “Food out of thin air”. Pasi was formerly in charge of the single largest renewable energy program in Finland. However, when he found out that 20-25% of the emissions come from food, he realized that emissions from this sector needed to be addressed, as well as those in the energy sector. But with the growth in affordable and renewable energy – particularly solar energy– it led him and his team to question the possibility of producing food solely from energy, carbon dioxide, and water. It turns out, the answer is yes. Solein is a unique single cell protein. It is produced using a fully natural fermentation process like that of the production of yeast or lactic acid bacteria. The powder, which is produced from the process, is 50% protein, 5-10% fat and 20-25% carbohydrate. Most likely, the first product to reach the consumer market will be a replacement in existing plant-based foods. For example, using Solein in shakes or as an alternative to dairy in milks, yogurts, and even in breads and pasta. In the future, a lasagna could include the protein in all aspects of the recipe: the sauce, in the pasta sheets, and in the filling. Further into the future, there is also the possibility that it could be used as the basis for cultured meat production.
In the Photo: Solein Can be used in smoothies as a protein alternative. Photo Credit: Shawn Fields - Unsplash
To produce a kilo of the protein powder takes 10 liters of water in comparison to the 2500 liters of water for a kilo of soy or 15,500 liters for a kilo of beef. Electricity is the main raw material, and the plan is to source this from renewable energy sources. Additionally, Solein binds carbon dioxide rather than emitting it, easing pressure on land use. The product is currently going through regulatory checks and testing at the moment, with a plan to launch in 2021. NASA and the Soviet Union space programs had started to investigate in similar protein production for their expeditions in the past, but Solar Foods has brought it down to earth.

Higher Steaks, United Kingdom

Whilst some people are switching to plant-based diets and others have reduced their meat consumption, some others still want to keep meat in their diets but are looking for more environmentally friendly options. This is where lab-based meat comes in. Benjamina Bollag, CEO and co-founder of Higher Steaks, a UK-based company, believes that it is important to provide alternatives to meat with a lower carbon footprint, but that taste as close as possible to the real thing. She believes that the change required in human behavior to cut emissions will not happen fast enough otherwise. This approach is confirmed by research they have conducted. 52% of respondents confirmed that they would switch from conventional meat to the Higher Steaks alternative, with 21% saying they would prefer a plant-based diet. There are different ways of producing lab-based meat. The process that Higher Steaks is developing is based on pluripotent stem cells, which are taken from a small skin patch or blood sample. The meat that is grown is then shaped into products. Currently, Higher Steaks is working primarily on pork products.
In Photo: Higher Steaks will eventually release pork as its first lab-cultured meat. Photo Credit: Yvonne Lee Harijanto - Unsplash
The company has yet to conduct a lifecycle assessment of the lab-grown meat, but given the high levels of environmental impact from meat production, it should be safe to say that Higher Steaks products will be more sustainable. In addition, as Benjamina explains, other advantages include the avoidance of antibiotic use, resulting in a product which is better for the consumer as well. The level of fat can also be adjusted, depending on consumer preference. The company is working to have the first products in shops within 3-5 years.

Barukas, Brazil

Barukas proves that you don’t always to have to look to the future for more sustainable food sources. Sometimes it is about rediscovering and making available a food source which has been around for a long time to a wider audience. The baruzeiro tree, native to Brazil, has been a long-time source of nutrition for people living in the Cerrado, the vast savannah at the heart of Brazil. The tree produces a fruit, which contains the baru nut. It was the nutritional profile of the baru nut that initially attracted Seth Tuckerman, who had formerly been the COO of Beachbody, a fitness business. The nuts are high in protein, fiber, minerals, and are lower in fat than typical nuts. The taste is often described as a cross between peanuts and almonds. In fact, Tuckerman’s immediate thought on tasting them was “low calorie almonds”. Tuckerman’s passion is not only about the positive health benefits, but also about the trees and the mutual benefits for the communities where they grew.
In Photo: Baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas
Tuckerman became a co-founder of Barukas Incorporated. They are on a mission to plant 20 million baruzeiro trees – as a start. The trees need little water and – as native trees – they are already ideally suited to the Cerrado conditions. First, Barukas must prove that there is a market for the fruit of the existing trees. As such, the company is encouraging those living in the Cerrado to collect the nuts by guaranteeing to buy them, then creating customer demand for the nuts. Collecting the fruit from existing trees helps to preserve them from being cleared for intensive and invasive agricultural methods such as soy plantations. Likewise, planting new trees helps to reverse the deforestation of Cerrado. A report by the Climate Observatory estimated that the destruction of surface vegetation in the Cerrado released 248 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2016. This is roughly two-and-half times the annual tailpipe emissions from all cars in Brazil.
In Photo: Closer look at the baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas.
From talking with these three pioneers, it is now clearer than ever that we need multiple solutions to address how to sustainably feed a growing population. We need to cut the carbon emissions and reduce other environmental impacts such as water and land use associated with food production. Some of these solutions are a little way off in the future, but others are available now. We are what we eat, but our choices will increasingly determine what kind of future we will live in as well.   EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com.
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