I saw it last year and was horrified, then it disappeared for months and I was able to move on with my life. But then, this morning, I saw it again and the old feelings returned. I’m shocked, appalled, disappointed, infuriated.

What could possibly have this effect on me? You’re going to think I’m being silly, but stick with me and I’ll explain it to you. It’s those commercials telling us that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is fine for us, in moderation.

What?!!!! How could HFCS be fine for our bodies? It’s a man-made sugar. It is highly concentrated fructose made from corn. I think humans benefit greatly by reducing all sugar intake (including foods that act like sugar such as pasta and white rice), but I’ll keep this discussion to HFCS.

First, let’s address the commercial’s comment “…in moderation.” This, to me, implies that we have complete control over our HFCS intake. That we’re only eating it when we choose to pick up a popsicle or ice cream made with it. This isn’t the case at all. If you are eating foods purchased from a grocery store aisle, you are most likely eating HFCS. It is in everything, and I mean everything. That whole-grain bread you bought to start off your new year right? Read the ingredients list. Yep, there’s HFCS. What about that dollop of mayo or mustard you put on your turkey sandwich? Yep, HFCS is there, too. The heart-healthy high fiber breakfast cereal? Yep. HFCS is everywhere, in everything, and I’m disgusted by our food manufacturers for doing that to us. I’m also disgusted with our government for not doing something to control the manufacturers and I’m disgusted with our medical profession who throws drugs at the problems of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease rather than addressing the actual cause of the problem in the first place – the food we’re eating!

So why is HFCS so bad? Let me give you some highlights (research notes can be found in the books “You On A Diet” by Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz and “Sugar Shock” by Connie Bennett):

• Foods and beverages sweetened with HFCS don’t raise our blood glucose levels like regular sugar does, which means our insulin production (what removes the glucose from the blood, turning it into energy for our bodies) is not stimulated.

• HFCS-containing foods and beverages don’t trigger the body’s satiety signals and thus, we eat/drink more than we normally would have which equals extra calories consumed.

• Fructose fails to trigger the usual hormone responses that turn down appetite and increase metabolic rate (= we eat more and gain weight).

• When fructose is ingested it goes directly to the liver where it is more prone than glucose to being metabolized and converted into fat and, therefore, raises triglyceride levels for many hours after consumption.

• Studies have found that long-term fructose consumption can raise LDL (the bad cholesterol) levels, which could lead to cardiovascular disease.

• HFCS may trick the body’s metabolism due to its ability to raise uric acid. High levels of uric acid causes lower levels of nitric oxide, which leads to poor glucose metabolism, which, in turn, increases one’s risk of metabolic syndrome.

• In one study, mice were given fructose-sweetened water and soft drinks. They found that the mice ate less food, and thus consumed less overall calories, and yet they gained significantly more body fat (90 percent!) than mice consuming plain water.

• How is fructose (corn-derived sweetener) different from regular sucrose (sugar-derived)? First of all, HFCS is 40% sweeter than sugar. HFCS is not from fruit but is a starch; it does not exist in nature (it is chemically refined to an artificial hydrocarbon) and therefore is not recognized by the body like sucrose is (thus, it is not converted to blood glucose).

Why is HFCS in everything? Money. Pure and simple. Sugar costs 30 cents a pound (and remember, it’s not as sweet so more is needed) while HFCS costs about 10 cents a pound.

Why am I so worked up over all of this? It’s simple. Two members of my family have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in the last year and I just found out I am Insulin Resistant. I have no doubt the HFCS prevalent in the American diet is to blame.

If you’re interested in learning even more about how the Corn industry (among others) is ruining our health, I encourage you to watch the documentary “FOOD, INC.” It will open your eyes, as it has mine.

We aren’t helpless, though. Every time we put food into our mouths and every time we purchase food at a market, we are voting on the kind of food we want our manufacturers to provide for us. There are plenty of alternatives, if you look for them, to foods with HFCS. Choose foods made without high fructose corn syrup and make your vote heard.

And, just in case you haven’t figured it out by now, high-fructose corn syrup is NOT okay, in moderation or otherwise.