Will you boycott products with High Fructose Syrup?

Christi - posted on 01/28/2009

Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! I tried to avoid hfcs as much as possible before just because I knew it wasn't very healthy. Now that I know it has mercury in it, I will try even harder. Thank you, thank you!



Christi

www.SaferAlternatives.info

Mysti - posted on 01/28/2009

It has mercury in it!?!? Yes, I think I will be even more of a health freak after ready that. Thanks!

Stephanie - posted on 01/28/2009

I just read an article my husband gave me on foxnew.com this morning that said hfcs has mercury in it! Regarding mercury, someone told me yesterday that even though we're told they took the mercury out of vaccines, it's not completely true. There is still some in vaccines? Is that what any of you have found? I'm opening up a new can of worms now. Maybe this should be a new post, but really need to go to bed. I'm for vaccines, but think I will verify at my doctors office if they are sure there is no mercury/thimerosol (sp?) in them. I had a flu shot this year too through work and wonder if I got mercury. I will ask next time.

Malinda - posted on 01/28/2009

You know, now that I've read the articles about the mercury found (where it was found, how much, etc) I do think that we'll be extra dilligent and change our own eating habits for the benefit of our child.



Keep in mind that many common fish products (including some canned tuna) also contain mercury.

Amy - posted on 01/28/2009

Sugar in the raw or cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup are COMPLETELY different things and have comletely different compounds and sources. In most processed food HFCS is the first or second ingredient.

In his recent book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, journalist Michael Pollan claims that the way that the body processes HFCS is different from the way it processes the glucose and fructose found in other sugars. Digesting sucrose requires the production of an enzyme called sucrase, which breaks the bond between the glucose molecule and the fructose molecule. Because the body regulates its production of sucrase, it can only digest sucrose at a certain rate. Because digesting HFCS does not require sucrase to be digested, the rate at which it is digested is not similarly regulated by the body.

Simply it is not meant to be dealt with in EVERY thing we eat. Our bodies get overload with it and it affects our physical and mental health.

Yes, moderation is great and LORD KNOWS I am not the healthiest person ever! But especially for our children it is very important to give them things that help them thrive. It is not fair for these ingredients to be in the food our children are fed.

HFCS IS NOT USED IN MODERATION! All of these commercials in this aggresive campaign by the corn industry is SICK AND TWISTED!! HFCS IS SERVED IN ALMOST EVERY SINGLE  PROCESSED FOOD WETHER FOR SWEETENING OR PRESERVATION.

CORN IS BIG BUISNESS AND THE FDA OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT MONITOR OR IMPLICATE SAFE PROCEDURES. MERCURY!???! really MERCURY?!

from wikipedia:

In 2009, according to a peer-reviewed report published by Environmental Health In the United States the FDA has an action level for methylmercury in commercial marine and freshwater fish that is 1.0 parts per million (ppm), and in Canada the limit for the total of mercury content is 0.5 ppm. A 50-pound child eating just one 6-ounce serving of tuna with a mercury concentration of 0.385 ppm each week would exceed EPA’s reference dose by more than four times; a 140-pound woman eating the same amount would exceed EPA’s reference dose by 40%.

THIS IS ALL SO CRAZY TO ME! I mean we all freak out a couple of years ago about toys from china being poisoned and we make this big change to buy AMERICAN toys or from countries other then China. WE ARE POINSONING OUR CHILDREN INTERNALLY EVERYDAY IN EVERYTHING THEY EAT! I understand that not all parents (especially this group!:0) give their children processed foods ALL THE TIME. However, there are parents that dont have the time or money to buy and prepare fresh or unprocessed foods as often as theyd like. Please lets all give this our BEST effort and try to use other options besides HFCS!  THEY ARE POINSONING US. Mercury causes learning disabilies and heart disease when humans are in contact with it. I am not willing to see if my child will get lucky and stay healthy!

MUCH LOVE MAMAS! TAKE CARE OF THOSE BEBES!

in love and light,

Amy

Malinda - posted on 01/28/2009

We certainly limit it, just as we do anything with Trans Fat (which is another one of those things that is in *everything*) and artificial coloring. We also cloth diaper, use BPA-free products, and offer organic products whenever we can. That said, we're not fanatics and realize that children are exposed to many things we can't control (just as we were as children). Everyone has to do what is right for them, but a purely organic living is not yet fully accessable nor cost-effective, so we have to fight our battles where we can.

Diane - posted on 01/28/2009

My feeling on the whole subject is we survived on it,and many worse things ,may I add.Its a touchy subject I think for everyone and we all have our own opinions.We all try to do whats best for our families,even if it includes hfcs.

Caylie - posted on 01/28/2009

i try and keep as much hfcs out of bubbers diet as i can. i buy unsweetened fruits and jellies and i limit his intake of other 'processed' junk. my family was giving me a hard time cause i said i won't feed that to bubbers, they are like hfcs is made from corn so it isn't as bad as reg sugar. so i made a comment like oh so then it is a vegetable and he can eat as much as he likes. i think each parent has the say as to what their child eats and should not be chastized for their choice.

Amber - posted on 01/28/2009

www.fightingautism.org/clock/us.jpg.php - Check this clock out.

She was diagnosed in VA.  It actually took many years to get a diagnosis.  My niece is on sprays from www.maxamlabs.com   She is more on the high-functioning end of autism and also diagnosed with Aspergers.  Signs of concern showed up after her shots when she was 2 and we thought she may be hard of hearing.  Within the first week, of being on the sprays she was speaking clearer and putting words into sentence form.  You can tell in her speech when she hasn't used them.  She is older now and can tell you that her brain works better on the sprays.  The frustrating part is that the medical industry knew the effects of mercury and put a stop to creating more vaccines with mercury, BUT didn't recall the vaccines that were already on the market allowing other children to be poisoned.

I know we all have our own research, experiences, thought and opinions.  Just sharing mine in love hoping it helps others.  ;)

Blessings!

Joan - posted on 01/28/2009

I will spend five minutes in the bread aisle making sure the bread I buy doesn't have high fructose corn syrup. The few that don't have caught on and are starting to advertise it on the package. I already make a conscious effort not to buy things with it as an ingredient. I am tired of all the crap being put in our food!

Amanda - posted on 01/28/2009

Interesting topic...

I work in Special Ed (have so for over 10 years) and have never heard the term "mercury induced autism" - I am curious abou who made that diagnosis?  and where your niece lives?

as for the HFCS, I have not been boycotting it necessarily, but I do not allow anything in our house that is edible to have it...so I guess I am boycotting it!  :P  I just read labels and make sure that I like what I see...if I buy any "treat" types of food (which are few and far between), I make sure that I know what all the ingredients are - I buy mostly all natural or organic for Conor - and for my DH and I...but I really make sure that all of Conor's snacks are of a healthy variety...plenty of normal day to day grocery items like wheat bread, pretzels, yogurt, can be bought with minimal processing and natural ingredients...you just have to take the time to look...I do alot of my shopping at Trader Joes (I am in the Boston area) and can often find the organic and/or natural alternatives that are WAY more expensive at Whole Foods at TraderJoes for much less (for example:  uncured natural turkey hot dogs by ApplegateFarms are $1.50 more expensive at WholeFoods) - I also try to make sure that the majority of my fruits/veggies (even frozen) are a product of the USA or Canada...and have my "dirty" list - things that I will only by organic vs. not...once you get into a groove and do the research, the choices become easy!

Lisa - posted on 01/28/2009

My son (3-1/2) has an intolerance to HFCS & Corn Syrup. It's like he has a chemical reaction in his brain when he eats it. Within 20 minutes he is very difficult and displays ADD type symptoms for almost 2 days! So we have completely banned it from our household. Even when we go to Bday parties, I now pack him his own "safe" cupcake. I've purchased YummyEarth Suckers (no HFCS) in bulk for his sunday school teachers and have to pack his own snack for preschool. We just don't want to risk having to deal with his reaction so we are very careful. I had not even heard about the Mercury in it. That would maybe make sense. I also know another family who all 3 of their boys react to it. So we've been able to team up to try to change the way the other adults & teachers in their lives think about ingredients in the snacks they give the kids. We've also gone back to basics, making our own bread and most meals froms scratch. Freezer Cooking has been a lifesaver to have "quick" meals on hand. Thanks for the post, I'm definately going to look more into the mercury thing.

Amber - posted on 01/28/2009

My niece was diagnosed with mercury induced autism because of a double dose of a vaccine. The billing code read "toxic effects of mercury and infantile autism".

I pray that you make the right decisions regarding your child's mercury intake & vaccines. I pray that your baby is protected. I pray that if your child has already shown signs of autism that the Lord will work a miracle in your baby's life and in yours. In Jesus's Almighty name we pray, Amen!

Roanne - posted on 01/28/2009

It is obvious enough people and moms are boycotting corn syrup by the fact the corn industry feels the need to advertise it's 'safety' in moderation! The problem is high fructose corn syrup is in EVERYTHING! I know because my son cannot digest it and I have to read labels every time I go shopping. Use honey or crystalline fructose (even regular fructose is made from corn syrup, so beware)-- I use the Aunt Patty's brand and can get it online or at the co-op. It's all about making money to the food industry, so we need to continue to boycott it until they stop putting it in everything we eat. There are pleny of other uses for corn, and our kids don't need the extra sweets anyway.

Shannon - posted on 01/28/2009

Franz bakery which supplies A LOT of bread varieties to local stores, has taken HFCS out of many of their products. I commend them! By reading labels, we can keep HFCS out of our house without much trouble. Yogurt can be sweetened with fruit juice or sugar and we always buy ice cream with sugar, it tastes much better!

Kerry - posted on 01/28/2009

I too try to buy as much food without HFCS as I can.  I buy organic milk (this means you wont get the hormones or anibiotics used in 'regular' cows).  I try to buy as much organic natural stuff as I can.  Not only is it better for your body & mind, but for our world in general.  Anything genetically modified is going to have bad effects sometime.   All the chemicals in our food have certianly contributed to adhd, cancer, obesity, and any number of medical conditions.  SPlenda gives me panic attacks, high blood pressure, acne, horrible mood swings. 

I use REAL SUGAR, in moderation as with anything.  I buy the sugar in the raw or the organic unbleached kind.  It even tastes better!  When i use the bleached sugar now I can taste the difference.

Jennifer - posted on 01/28/2009

I don't completely boycott HFCS, as I do occasionally allow her to have treats that contain it. But I refuse to buy 'non-treat' foods that contain it -- tomato sauce, bread, beverages, vegetables, frozen foods, etc. And surprisingly enough, most of the treats that my daughter is allowed, do NOT contain HFCS, they use regular sugar!
Also, do you have sources for the mercury thing? I've not heard that one before.

Jenny - posted on 01/28/2009

I boycotted HFCS in my home about a year ago.  I was giving my daughter yogurt, wheat bread (for her sandwich’s) etc thinking it was healthy and was shocked to find out that there was even HFCS in wheat bread!!  We shop at Safeway where there are a lot of Organic products.  We now look on the back of every label. We even now give her Organic milk.  However I cannot say that we completely boycotted it altogether because we do let her have cookies and candy once in a while.  You cannot deprive your child of everything or they will binge.

Anna - posted on 01/28/2009

I have already stopped buying products with High Fructose Corn syrup . My son has ADHD and they make him even more out of sorts. It is awesome to know someone else cares about how bad it is for you.

Leslie - posted on 01/28/2009

high Fructose syrup and sugar are not the same. only the liver can digest HFCS whereas sugar is digested by the whole body. plus ya know therea MERCURY in it.

Michelle - posted on 01/28/2009

I love that you are taking a stand I wish more mothers would do so.  My daughter is three and rarely does she injest these types of foods.  Only on occasions at birthday parties and holidays.  There are two great parts to these.  One, this has never been a part of her diet so she doesnt even like to eat it, just doesnt taste good to her.  Two, our whole family does not eat it in our home because it is not available in our refirgerator or cabinets.  Let's spread the word go back to cooking from scratch.  What is better eating in 15 minutes or ensurig that your family is the healthiest you think it can be!!

Alana - posted on 01/28/2009

I'd only boycott if you plan on boycotting sugar all together. My rule of thumb--everything in quantity. I want my little girl to eat veggies, but I'm not giving only veggies to her. Everything we do/eat has some sort of risk to it. That is the day and age we live in. You have to decide what is most important to you and your family. Do you use cloth diapers? Glass bottles? Organic clothing? Etc. What about riding in a car? Plane? They all carry risks. Whatever you decide to do will be right for you and yours. Who cares what others say?