Processed food is perhaps the most damaging aspect of most people’s diet, contributing to poor health and chronic disease. One of the primary culprits is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the dangers of which I touch on in virtually every article on diet I write.
The second culprit is partially hydrogenated soybean oil.
These two ingredients, either alone or in combination, can be found in virtually all processed foods and one can make a compelling argument that the reliance on these two foods is a primary contributing factor for most of the degenerative diseases attacking Americans today.
Part of the problem with partially hydrogenated soybean oil is the trans fat it contains. The other part relates to the health hazards of soy itself. And an added hazard factor is the fact that the majority of both corn and soybeans are genetically engineered.
As the negative health effects from trans fats have been identified and recognized, the agricultural- and food industry have scrambled to come up with new alternatives.
Partially hydrogenated soybean oil has been identified as the main culprit, and for good reason. Unfortunately, saturated fats are still mistakenly considered unhealthy by many health “experts,” so rather than embracing truly healthful tropical fats like coconut oil, which is mostly grown outside the US. The food industry has instead turned to domestic US alternatives offered by companies like Monsanto, which has developed modified soybeans that don’t require hydrogenation.
More here.
2 comments:
The rot set in when high fructose corn syrup appeared everywhere, add to that the goo, sorry can't think of another word to describe some of the stuff you can find in processed food - and people wonder why illnesses that were not seen every day at your doctors surgery or hospital are now at epidemic levels. Although the article cites the US alternatives and the likes of Monsanto, can the Brits remember the recent demonstrations at the
Rothamsted Experimental Station, in Hertfordshire with the work going on with GM crops? Yes, we all need food but at what price - Bring back "the land girls" well not quite, but bring back good honest farming when the soil hadn't been messed about. Quite honestly we can't but can we at least do something other than poison ourselves?
What do other readers think ......
It will take a big effort to get people to see that it is processed food that is the biggest thing that is damaging our health. The last thing that should be wanted is GM crops. It is more expensive but perhaps the way forward is more organic farms, much healthier but of course costlier. In this day and age is there ever an easy solution.
Joe
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