Why should I avoid high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils?
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a corn-based sweetener that was developed in the 1970’s as a way to utilize the corn surplus in the US (Are you seeing a theme here?). HCFS is an entirely man-made substance with no nutritional value that the human body does not know how to process – thus it gets stored as fat. It’s found not only in baked goods, sweets and sodas but also in the vast majority of processed “supermarket” foods, including, but in no way limited to, bread, ketchup, mustard, cereal, pasta sauce and even some packaged meats like bacon and ham. Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHO) are also nutritionally corrupt. PHOs are fats (mainly corn or soybean oil) that have been heated, which changes their chemical composition for the worse – it produces trans fats, which are, quite literally, metabolic poisons. Trans fats interfere with fundamental cellular functions and prevent the human body from acquiring essential nutrients. Like HFCS, PHOs are in most processed foods. When shopping
