I am reviewing 3 science papers on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). All 3 say HFCS raises triglycerides. They just don't agree about the differences between sucrose and HFCS. This means no regulation on HFCS. And what is PepsiCo doing funding two of these studies? What is worse? Coke has a relationship with the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. Why is Coke having a relationship with the arm of the National Institute of Health investigating heart disease when HFCS raises triglycerides? What is a candy company doing (like Cadbury/Schweppes) doing underwriting childhood obesity conferences like the one I attended in August 2006 in Des Moines? I think is called astro-turfing? Astro-turfing is when corporations make corporation interests look grassroots. If these companies are protecting their corporate interests then competition not collusion should be the name of the game. Together Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Cadbury make a formidable group called the America Beverage Association. It could even be call a racket. It seems though I have uncovered a great public health bait and switch on the part America's beverage producers and the Bush Administration. Gary Taubes in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories wrote there are only 5 studies on HFCS being done. WHY? Coke?
Is a conflict of interest for the NHBLI?
And it was right in front of everyone’s nose so no conspiracy is necessary and worse it is perfectly legal under the Data Quality Act of 2001. Corporations and government tell us what buy, think and we listen and consume. And hence we are consumed.
Look in any grocery or convenient store in America; pick up most any product and the most common ingredient one would find is high fructose corn syrup. Corn and HFCS are why two reasons we have cheap food. Ask any public health expert like Adam Drewnowski why America has an obesity epidemic and the most common answer will be cheap food. Cheap food and the stress of poverty are high correlated with obesity. The science papers I was reviewing shed some light on the beverage commandeering of science.
The papers are:
- Dietary Fructose Reduces Circulating Insulin and Leptin, Attenuates Postprandial Suppression of Ghrelin, and Increases Triglycerides in Women J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 2004, 89(6):2963–2972, TEFF, K.L., ELLIOTT,S.,TSCHOP, M. TIMOTHY J. KIEFFER,T.J. RADER, D. MARK HEIMAN, RAYMOND R. TOWNSEND, NANCY L. KEIM, DAVID D’ALESSIO and PETER J. HAVEL,
- Twenty-four-hour endocrine and metabolic profiles following consumption of high-fructose corn syrup-, sucrose-, fructose-, and glucose-sweetened beverages with meals. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:1194 –203 Kimber L Stanhope, Steven C Griffen, Brandi R Bair, Michael M Swarbrick, Nancy L Keim, and Peter J Havel
- Effects of high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose consumption on circulating glucose, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin and on appetite in normal-weight women, Nutrition, 23 (2007) 103–112 Kathleen J. Melanson, Linda Zukley, Joshua Lowndes, Von Nguyen, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, and James M. Rippe.
And there is a 4th paper describing how food and beverage money influences nutritional science "Relationship between Funding Source and Conclusion among Nutrition-Related Scientific Articles" PLoS January 2007 4 (1) e5 p.41-46 Lenard I. Lesser, Cara B. Ebbeling, Merrill Goozner, David Wypij, David S. Ludwig.
I will save tackling the issue of obesity for my next Kos blog. I will do so in detail.