Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

[Menegrothx]

Interesting pull from the wiki article:

Global cancer rates have been increasing primarily due to an aging population and lifestyle changes in the developing world.[4] The most significant risk factor for developing cancer is old age.[95] Although it is possible for cancer to strike at any age, most people who are diagnosed with invasive cancer are over the age of 65.[95] According to cancer researcher Robert A. Weinberg, "If we lived long enough, sooner or later we all would get cancer."[96]

Diet is a major part of that lifestyle change. It also states

Rates of childhood cancer have increased by 0.6% per year between 1975 to 2002 in the United States[102] and by 1.1% per year between 1978 and 1997 in Europe.[101]

http://healthhubs.net/cancer/cancer-rat ... -to-japan/
To be honest I'm surprised that the difference isnt even bigger between the two. But I guess stress and mental pressure is a lot higher in Japan then in the US.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... mmies.html
This is also intresting, but I wonder if there is enough of data to make any conclusions. It would certainly be intresting if they could research the bodies of people from 1000-4000 years ago who lived long lives. If I'm not mistaken, Egyptian cosmetics contained mercury and lead among other things, so maybe they're not the best possible research subject.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... HO2004.svg

Not to mention the very definition of the disease Cancer has changed significantly in recent years and can apply to a myriad of conditions considered cancerous in the medical community.

That's an intresting point, as the same thing has atleast happened in psychology. 150 years ago there were a few different variations of ”insane”, nowadays there's a million different syndromes and even the most normal, mentally stable people are labeled as OCD, Asperger, bi polar etc even though they would have been considered perfectly normal 25-35 years ago.

But think of it in a real sense, lots of things have mercury and other known poisons in them that few of us even stop to consider. Things such as nuts, fish, mushrooms, meats, milk, etc... It's not that these things are inherently poisonous, they're all acceptable within tolerable limits.

And why is that? Because there is more environmental pollution these days. Our bodies are absorbing things they arent supposed to aborb because elements like mercury have entered our food chain. First the river or lake gets polluted, then fish and eventually we will eat them.

Now how about diversifying your diets and eating a homemade sandwich every now and then?

If there are no fundamental problems with the processed foods that we consume, then there shouldn't be any need to do that.



For some reason this topic gives me flashbacks to a certain PS1 game

[Zing]

I don't know if HFCS causes cancer or not, but I avoid it regardless. I am fortunate to (now) live in Canada where it is easily avoided. US citizens will find it almost impossible. When I travel to the US, I have to really search for items such as bread and yogurt that do not have it. That image above where the ear of corn is saying "I'm in everything" is true in the US. It is unbelievable just how many products contain it.

[Menegrothx]

I don't know if HFCS causes cancer or not, but I avoid it regardless. I am fortunate to (now) live in Canada where it is easily avoided. US citizens will find it almost impossible. When I travel to the US, I have to really search for items such as bread and yogurt that do not have it. That image above where the ear of corn is saying "I'm in everything" is true in the US. It is unbelievable just how many products contain it.

In the U.S., HFCS is among the sweeteners that have primarily replaced sucrose (table sugar) in the food industry. Factors for this include governmental production quotas of domestic sugar, subsidies of U.S. corn, and an import tariff on foreign sugar; all of which combine to raise the price of sucrose to levels above those of the rest of the world, making HFCS less costly for many sweetener applications.

Is there some particular reason for the production quotas and import tariffs? Or are those consequences of the lobbying power of the corn industry?

[Zing]

It isn't the first time tariffs on a particular food item has a negative impact on the overall health of the citizens. Here in Canada, there are high tariffs on imported milk. This keeps the price of Canadian milk high. So what do food manufacturers do? They buy milk in the USA, separate it into components, add oil and sugar until there is only 49% "milk", then import it as "modified milk ingredients". Since it is no longer "milk", the tariff does not apply. The combination of milk subsidies in the US and milk tariffs in Canada make this processing plus the shipment cheaper than just using local milk.

Modified milk ingredients is Canada's HFCS. They are in everything. Every package of cheese in the dairy section is made from them instead of pure milk. Fortunately, a few stores here have recognized the demand for milk-based cheese and I am able to get real cheese, although for almost twice the price.

[DinnerX]

On a related note, every time I see "modified corn starch" in an ingredient list I am slightly disturbed.

[Hobie-wan]

On a related note, every time I see "modified corn starch" in an ingredient list I am slightly disturbed.

Well you'd better stay away from 'mechanically separated chicken' and 'brominated vegetable oil' then. I hope you're not a Mt. Dew addict.