HFCS by a different name may be even more hazardous to your health

It’s being called “America’s silent epidemic.”

Something that was once so rare in the U.S. most doctors had never seen a single patient with it.

But now cases of this liver disease are skyrocketing.

And the longer you have it, the more likely it is you’ll advance to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis…making a liver transplant you’re only chance.

The “cure” isn’t to stop having that glass of wine or beer, either. This kind of deadly liver damage doesn’t have anything to do with drinking.

The chief suspect – one that all the warning signs are pointing to — is a common food additive.

One that’s being put in thousands of foods. Even ones that may appear healthy.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing

“Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is becoming the next big epidemic to hit America.”

That’s what Dr. Anurag Maheshwari, who’s a specialist in liver disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore is saying.

And he’s not the only one who’s calling it an epidemic.

There are two kinds of this scary illness. One is called NAFLD, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and then there’s the much more serious kind called, NASH, or nonalcoholic steatohepatits.

In its early stages, most people are totally unaware that anything’s wrong. In fact, it’s next to impossible for your doctor to even know which kind you have without a liver biopsy.

But by the time it progresses to NASH, that means that a buildup of fat in your liver has caused damage and even scarring.

And as I said – and as the names indicate – this is not caused by drinking.

No, the studies point to a different culprit: fructose — as in high fructose corn syrup.

Study after study has confirmed that fructose is deadly for your liver. And that damage can happen without any weight gain.

But even if you read every single food label and never buy anything with HFCS, food manufacturers are using another trick to try and fool us.

They tried to change the name of this dangerous additive a few years ago to “corn sugar.” And, believe it or not, the FDA said no.

But Big Food doesn’t take no for an answer.

So it went ahead and sneakily changed the name on its own…to just “fructose.”

Now you’ll still find HFCS listed in plenty of foods and drinks – especially sodas. But fructose is more tricky.

Because that’s what food companies are calling HFCS in so-called healthy foods. Ones like cereals, granola bars and even yogurt. And many companies will describe it as “fruit sugar,” as if it came from an apple or pear.

But it doesn’t. It comes from corn. And not just regular corn, either, but that Frankenfood corn.

And this version of HFCS is even more damaging to your liver…because it’s a super-concentrated kind.

Think of it as HFCS on steroids.

It used to be called HFCS 90 (as in 90 percent fructose), but I guess the corn refiners realized consumers would boycott that, too.

So to make this HFCS 90 seem like a natural ingredient that’s good for us, they sweetened up its name.

That means we have to be even more diligent. Because this liver disease is becoming so widespread – and it’s attacking our kids, too. Millions of kids in the U.S. have already been diagnosed with fatty liver disease, including ones as young as 3!

Along with avoiding foods that contain HFCS and fructose, here are some other things that can lower your risk of getting this liver-destroying disease:

Eat more fruits and vegetables. The natural fructose in fruit is bound with fiber and other nutrients and metabolized in a different way than a shot of 90% fructose made in a corn refining plant.
Drink more coffee. Studies have found that coffee drinkers have lower rates of NASH.
Have a glass of wine. Researchers are saying that a small amount of wine daily can significantly lower your risk.
Take vitamin E. Studies have found that 800 IU of vitamin E a day can be beneficial to your liver.

We’ve known for years that HFCS was a dangerous part of the American diet. And the evidence keeps mounting and mounting. Changing the name doesn’t change that one bit.

Sources:

“Fatty liver disease: America’s silent epidemic” Charlotte Libov, January 4, 2015, Newsmax Health, newsmaxhealth.com

“Corporations have renamed ‘high fructose corn syrup’” Barbara Minton, January 3, 2015, WRC, wearechange.org