7 min read (1703 words)

I’ve been down a rabbit hole of science understanding the most dangerous ingredient you can eat. All roads are pointing to one ingredient that will make us more vulnerable. It will shut down our immune system and is proven to be the root cause of many diseases. 

One of the best ways to ward away disease of any kind is to have a strong immune system. This can only truly be built through a healthy lifestyle. It’s important that we focus on personal responsibility for our health to ensure we can prevent the onset of disease from the common cold, to arthritis, to heart problems, to cancer.

This article aims to explain the negative effects that one specific ingredient has on your body. Included are the types of food it can be found in, along with suggestions for reversing the damage of this ingredient. I really want to make sure that you understand why this one ingredient is so dangerous and how knowing this could legitimately be life saving.

High fructose corn syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup is a type of sugar that causes both immediate and long term damage to our cells, making way for disease to manifest. It does in this in 3 ways:

Oxidative stress

Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to counteract their damaging effects through neutralisation with antioxidants. Free radicals are unstable atoms that run around the body stealing electrons from other atoms in our cells and tissues. Therefore causing oxidative damage to those cells. It’s well known in the medical and science communities that continued oxidative stress can lead to chronic inflammation. This causes the most chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, neurological dis-eases and more. 

Stops vitamin D from being absorbed

High Fructose Corn Syrup inhibits the enzyme that turns vitamin D into an absorbable form. Vitamin D is important for proper growth and development of bones and teeth, it facilitates normal immune system function and improves resistance to certain diseases. Read my article ‘The Sun Does Not Cause Skin Cancer‘ to learn more about the importance of Vitamin D.

Inhibits glutathione production 

Glutathione is referred to as the ‘master antioxidant’ in our body. It boosts the utilisation and recycling of other antioxidants and plays a role in ageing, antioxidant protection, detoxification and energy production. Glutathione plays a big role in helping to repair the damage of oxidative stress.

3 different types of sugar

Sugar can seem like a tricky thing when we don’t know the differences between them. There are several types of sugar, and not all sugars are equal in their physiological effects. Some types of sugar create nothing but disharmony and disease and other types support the body in its vital processes. There 3 main types of sugar are:

1. Fructose / High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Fructose is naturally found in fruits and vegetables. But when added to processed foods, manufacturers make it from corn starch and it turns into high fructose corn syrup. This is the most damaging of all the sugars and has been proven to cause the onset of many diseases. HFCS can be found in:

• Soft drinks / Sodas / Pop: Almost all soft drinks contain HFCS, often in very large quantities.
• Sweetened juices: Some fruit juices, including those that manufacturers market to children, contain HFCS. Freshly, cold pressed fruit juices do not contain HFCS. 
• Canned fruit: HFCS is often added to preserve shelf life of the fruit. 
• Packaged fruits: Some applesauce, cranberry sauce, dried fruit snacks, and other fruit-based snacks contain HFCS as a sweetener.
• Processed desserts: Packaged sweets, including chocolate, candy, cookies, muffins, and other desserts, often include HFCS.
• Crackers: Some crackers, mixed snack packages, and other cracker-like products use HFCS to increase sweetness.
• Condiments and salad dressings: Many condiments, even salty ones such as ketchup, use HFCS as a sweetener. 
• Prepackaged meals: A variety of prepackaged meals, including some pizzas, contain HFCS.
• Granola and nutrition bars: Granola bars, protein bars, and other ‘healthy’ snacks often use HFCS.
• Peanut and other nut butters: Peanut butter might seem to be a savoury treat, but it is actually very sweet. Many peanut butter manufacturers add sugar, and some add HFCS. The same is true of some other nut butters, such as cashew and almond butter.
• Some bread and wheat: Some sweetened breads and wheats, including some pastas, contain HFCS.

HFCS is the most damaging version of sugar

HFCS is the most damaging version of sugar you can eat. It’s important to completely cut out, or significantly reduce your intake of this if you want to take control of your health. Manufacturers must list ingredients from highest to lowest quantity, which means that the first few ingredients on a label are present in the largest quantities. As well as high fructose corn syrup, other sugars that cause health problems and to look out for on labels are sucrose, barley malt, dextrose, rice syrup and maltose.

2. Sucrose (50% glucose and 50% fructose)

Sucrose naturally occurs in many fruits and vegetables. But it’s also refined into granulated table sugar and is the next damaging of all the sugars. It can be found in:

• Grains
• Cereals
• Processed meat
• Chocolate 
• Coffee shop drinks (Starbucks, Nero etc)

3. Glucose 

Our bodies like to use glucose as its energy source and is the preferred energy source for your muscles and brain. Your body breaks down most carbohydrates into glucose, which is then used for immediate energy or stored in your muscles or in the liver as glycogen. Glucose is also called blood sugar because it circulates in the blood and triggers the release of insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. 

Fruit contains naturally occurring glucose, fructose and sucrose, mixed with fibre and oxygen which supports bodily function, and is a complex carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates have more nutrients and take longer for your body to digest, so they help fill you up and don’t cause the same swings in blood sugars as simple carbs.

Provided the fruit was grown in nutrient dense soil, it should contain a myriad of nutrients and vitamins that support your body, it helps to keep your lymphatic system clear, and clears your bowels. It’s been proven that those with a high intake of fruit and vegetables have less oxidative damage to their cells. Fruit is your friend!

How to prevent / undo oxidative stress

Just because we’ve spent a lifetime eating sugary foods that don’t serve us, doesn’t mean we can’t reverse or heal the damage it may have caused us up until now. There are many things you can do to prevent and reverse oxidative stress:

• Cut out the foods that are causing oxidative stress in the first place!
• Eat more fruits and vegetables as these have detoxifying properties (especially fruit) which can help to clean up your cells. They also contain vitamin D and glutathione which is imperative to a healthy and self-healing body.
• Studies have shown that one of the best and most effective ways to reduce oxidative stress is through intermittent fasting.
• High intensity exercise.
• Get out into the sun for at least 30 minutes a day. The best times of the day are early to mid morning and early to mid afternoon. 

Sugar highs and lows

When you reach for a chocolate bar, a cookie or a croissant, you’re eating a simple carbohydrate which is broken down quickly into glucose in your bloodstream. Your blood sugar levels spike quicker than if you were to eat a piece of fruit, giving you that burst of energy and happiness for half an hour or so. Your body then needs to move the glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells for energy. To do this, your pancreas makes insulin – a hormone – and as a result, your blood sugar level may have a sudden drop. This rapid change in blood sugar may make you feel wiped out and even crave more sugar. 

Humans are designed to eat fruits so we naturally like the taste of sweet foods. This makes it easy for the occasional sweet or a sugary drink to become part of our daily routine without us noticing. We often use sweets, cakes and sugary drinks as a reward/treat, or to pick us up if we’ve had a bad day. Because of this, we can start to feel reliant on sugary foods and drinks to help us through the day. If you feel that you have become reliant on sugar and wish to cut it out, there are a few things you can try:

• Try replacing that midday chocolate bar with a fresh, juicy piece of fruit. It will give you a natural, slow, boost and will fill you up for longer.
• Remove temptation by not having sugary foods in the house. Out of sight, out of mind. In theory!
• If you’re craving sugary food, try meditating or going for a walk to get your mind off it.    

Take control of your health 

In the last 40 years, there has been an unprecedented rise in diseases such as  digestive issues, food allergies, diabetes, heart issues, auto-immune, and cancer. The commodification of food and the rise of processed food and snacks are behind the world’s epidemic of chronic disease. Processed foods are high in unnatural sugar, fat and salt and are a contributing factor as to why there is so much poor health in the world. 

Certain food habits are accelerating ageing and suppressing our immune system, which is making us more vulnerable to developing disease. High fructose corn syrup is the most damaging ingredient we can eat as it has such a detrimental effect on our cells. This is causing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, neurological and pulmonary diseases and more. Please, from the bottom of my heart, stop consuming this one ingredient and reclaim your health.