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“high fructose corn syrup”

The cranberry juice did it.

The cranberry juice did it.

Remember last year when a group of Princeton scientists told you how awful high-fructose corn syrup was? Rats who consumed HFCS gained significantly more weight than those who consumed sucrose, even when overall caloric intake was the same. The researchers rattled off a list of ailments—high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes—that result from such excess weight problems in humans. If you’ve been avoiding HFCS since then, here’s a handy dining hall tip, which is now listed on Dining Services’ daily menu:

“All of our bulk ice creams and fountain soft drinks such as Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange & Powerade contain high- fructose corn syrup.  From our juice machines – Natural 5, Cranberry Juice & Fruit Punch also contain HFCS, the apple and orange juices do not.”

It seems apples and oranges are more alike than people say. Stick to those juices when you crave some dining hall sugar water, sans HFCS.

Image source: http://mvscience.wikispaces.com/adc-hedgehogs

(from babble.com)

(from babble.com)

Have you seen these really awkward commercials from the Corn Refiners Association? (Here are two more.) The group is trying to fight the bad rap that high fructose corn syrup–which provides almost 7 percent of daily caloric consumption in the US–has been getting from foodies. And now, scientists are getting in on the action.

A group of Princeton scientists recently came out with a study that concluded that consuming high fructose corn syrup led to higher weight gain than consuming regular sugar. According to a news release, rats who consumed high fructose corn syrup over a long period of time became well, obese.

“Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests,” said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

But the study has attracted criticism for its methods.

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