Rule 4 - Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup.

I've actually blogged on this topic last year: High Fructose Corn Syrup. That information is still good.

Michael Pollan only mentions to avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) because it is highly processed and another hidden source of sugar. But the story is more than to just avoid sugar...

Get ready for some biochemistry...I'm going to try to keep it simple.

Sucrose (AKA table sugar) is a compound composed of glucose and fructose. Back when our ancestors ate sucrose, it was in the form of fruits and vegetables, which also contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber.

Now back to glucose... All cells of our body use glucose for fuel, so when it is absorbed into our body, it is distributed to all cells of the body and processed/metabolized (or stored if there's excess). The only cells that process fructose are hepatic cells (AKA liver cells), affecting all other functions of the liver either by reducing the ability of the liver to do its proper job of detoxification or the byproducts of fructose metabolism causes other reactions.

Some of these include:

• Fructose metabolism produces uric acid (the player in gout). Uric acid blocks the production of nitric oxide, which helps regulate blood pressure by dilating/relaxing blood vessels.
• Fructose becomes pyruvate, which in turn becomes citrate, which is involved in the synthesis of free fatty acids, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
  
• Some free fatty acids stay in the liver and cause fat droplets, eventually manifesting as fatty liver.
• Other free fatty acids travel in the blood to muscle and contribute to insulin resistance (a precursor to type II diabetes).

Hmmm. So HCFS contributes to gout, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and diabetes? Yes.

Should you be concerned with the fructose in fruits and vegetables? No. As mentioned, fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The vitamins and minerals will help the liver process fructose, whereas the fiber slows absorption into the body. Straight-up fructose as found in high-fructose corn syrup is a shot of liver toxin, comparable to alcohol.

Now if you read my blog from February 2009 about HFCS, you know that detectable amounts of mercury have been found in it. Now, not only are you poisoning your liver with it, but your kidneys and brain. Email me for the report from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy on Mercury and HFCS. I'm happy to share.

Bottom line: High fructose corn syrup should be removed from our food supply. Until then, read labels and avoid.