Did you know your kids are eating something more addictive than cocaine?

   Recently proven to be more addictive than cocaine! If you where to see that head-line, I am sure you would keep reading just as I did. I started this research for personal reasons. After a few years I had started to notice how after eating certain foods Johns moods seemed to be affected, and also mine. I started to look very closely at ingredients in every thing we eat. Whats was with High Fructose Corn syrup, and why was it the first ingredient in bread, shouldn't that be, oh I don't know WHEAT FLOUR! Lets take a closer look at High Fructose Corn Syrup and it may help to explain America’s rise in obesity and the new focus on food addiction and how it effects our mental health.
  Ironically, when the government ordered cocaine removed from all Coca-Cola beverages no one would have guessed that an even more consequential substance would take its place, or that the government was to blame for this substitution. High Fructose Corn Syrup hit the markets in the 1950s as a wonder product. Cheaper than sugar cane while still packing all the intense sweetness we associate with confectionery delights. High Fructose Corn Syrup is now used to sweeten up tons of candies, juices, colas, cookies, cakes, and creams and has even found its way into less palatable tempting items including bread, soups, and other pre-packaged foods.
   Fallowing the same receptor pathways of other ingested addictive chemicals, including cocaine and opiates, High Fructose Corn Syrup alters the transmission of certain brain chemicals including endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, which, in turn, trigger the pleasure center of our brains, leaving us wanting more. And once it leaves our systems mental health is negatively effected, leaving you with anxiety, fatigue and moodiness.
   "A 2007 study (Lenoir M, Serre F, Cantin L, Ahmed SH ), found that intense sweetness surpasses cocaine even in addicted and drug-sensitized individuals leading to increased aggression upon withdrawal and a disruption of the dopamine/acetylcholine reward balance in the brain. As the alterations on brain function brought on by HFCS produce many of these hallmarks of addiction including intense craving, the inability to control or stop use, a pre-occupation with the substance, and withdrawal symptoms". After reading that the idea of dessert becomes elevated to a whole new level!
   And the culprit for the presence of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in all sweetened foods in the U.S? The US Goverment! The mechanism is the incredibly high tariff on sugar produced in other countries. They would rather see companies use a product that is harmful! But isn't corn grown in the US, aren't we supporting our selves by using it? You may be asking your self. Not with legislation. If HFCS was really better than cane sugar, legislation artificially inflating our price for cane sugar would not be needed. We do not need to artificially protect the market like this
   Our family has dealt with the negative effects of HFCS on a daily bases. The improvement in our lives with out this product is amazing. We are happier and better balanced, our sleeping habits are better. Life is just better!
Sincerly,
Petra

References

[1] Basciano, H., Federico, L., and Adeli, K., “Fructose, insulin resistance, and metabolic dyslipidemia,” Nutrition and Metabolism (Lond). 2005 Feb 21; 2(1):5


[2] Gaby, A.R., “Adverse effects of dietary fructose,” Alternative Medicine Review. 2005. Dec; 1(2):80-6.