First, here is a reality check.

The average American has increased his or her consumption of HFCS from zero to more than 60 pounds per person per year.  That is an ENORMOUS amount, and the numbers are growing.  More and more of us are among those ingesting more and more HCFS because it is found in more and more convenience foods, fast foods, junk foods, on-the-go foods, and secretively slipped into foods some consider healthy due to use of another name.  More about that later.

The research is not controversial, and it is very clear that the consumption of HFCS (among children and adults):

  • Increases the risk of developing diabetes
  • Is directly linked to obesity
  • Will raise levels of unhealthy blood fats like triglycerides and LDL (bad cholesterol). Elevations of these blood markers can cause arterial plaque build-up and lead to heart problems including hypertension, heart disease, and even stroke.
  • Will increase fatty build-up inside the liver which greatly diminishes the organ’s ability to process out toxins and can potentially lead to an expansive range of other negative health concerns. There is a form of hepatitis and scarring of the liver connected to fatty infiltration. This is all because the liver converts fructose directly into fat.
  • Causes increased desire for sweeter and sweeter foods to satiate that ultra sweet taste of HFCS. Additionally, the more HFCS we eat, the greater the impairment of a hormone known as  leptin which tells our brains ” we are now full so reduce our appetite and start burning fat.” No wonder that the more HFCS we consume, the more we seem to have increased appetites not just for sweet foods but for lots of other foods.  Obesity rates rise for a reason.  We put ourselves steps closer to diabetes, heart disease, fatty infiltration of their livers, and mercury toxicity. Read further.
  • Increases the potential for mercury deposition in our brains because mercury is found inmanufacturing processing of HFCS and because mercury is lipophilic (loves fatty tissue like the brain and nervous system).  So products which containing HFCS raise the risk of mercury exposure.

Know this, there is no safe level of mercury exposure!  None!

Here is where it scares me to think of what may be happending to our brains.

When mercury enters the body, it is stored in the kidneys, blood, spleen, brain, liver, bones and fatty tissues. Fatty tissues are especially abundant in the nervous system, and most especially so in the brain.

Signs and symptoms of mercury toxicity include, but are not limited to: weakness; fatigue; difficulty with focus and concentration; muscle pain; twitching; impaired hearing; headaches; encephalopathy (non-specific brain malfunction); nerve damage; Parkinsonian symptoms;  ataxia (loss of balance); impaired hearing; tunnel vision; dysarthria (slurred speech); impaired sexual function; anxiety; depression;  ADHD, and conditions on the autistic spectrum; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; allergic dermatitis; stomatitis (sores in the mucous membranes of the mouth) and excessive salivation.

One more thing: mercury can also displace very important minerals by attaching to the receptors that would otherwise hold these essential minerals. Many of the minerals mercury displaces are those we find diminished in children with ADHD.

Just as a side note but still a matter of importance: Blood tests are relatively worthless for analyzing mercury toxicity, unless you have had a significant recent exposure or eat a lot of sushi or tuna. So, if you or your child has been tested and your physician used blood as the only means of assessment, you may not know the whole story.  The good news is that there are functional lab tests that are a more reliable way to assess your body’s mercury burden.

So, what can you do to reduce (and hopefully choose to completely eliminate HFCS and the accompanying mercury toxicity)?

Here are just a few tips:

  • Know your sources of HFCS (even some of the hidden sources) and eliminate them. You can find a complete list of name brands and their specific products containing HFCS at the following
  • Choose Foods That Come From Nature:

Let’s face it, there’s nothing more natural than an apple or an orange. No added ingredients there.  Whole foods taste delicious and don’t contain any HFCS. Simple is better when it comes to food choices.

  • Become an Avid Label Reader

You will be shocked at how many everyday foods that are touted as “healthy” actually contain HFCS. For example, Wonder Bread is marketed as a healthy choice for kids. Yet, the 4th ingredient in it is HFCS! That’s why label reading is so important. This chemical sweetening agent hides in very unsuspecting places, like yogurt, juice, and many other things you might feel are healthy for your family. Just make it a practice to read labels before you put groceries in your grocery cart, so you know exactly what you’re buying.

Watch for commercial foods that have a few organic products.  Some brands pass themselves off as organic, but they’re anything but. Major companies like Kelloggs own small organic brands. If an “organic brand” is less than forthcoming with the ingredients, avoid it. You’d rather be safe than sorry.

  • Cut Down or Eliminate Fast Food

Yes, it may sound like an incredibly difficult task but the best way to remove HFCS from your diet is to reduce, with the goal of eliminating, all processed foods you eat.

Obviously if you’re pursuing a healthier lifestyle, cutting out unhealthy foods should be a given, right?  Yet, sometimes we cheat and think a salad or fruit smoothie are “healthy” choices from fast food places. But those are prime hiding places for HFCS! The only way to know for sure you are avoiding HFCS is to cook food or do you research and find where HFCS is hiding in prepared foods, foods from fast food restaurants, and “healthy foods” sold in “healthy” stores or “healthy” sections of those stores.

  • Shop food stores systematically. Since you’re there to buy items that you may have never had before, you must start at one end of the store and work your way to the other. Give yourself plenty of time to find what you need. If you have problems, ask someone for help. Also, vote with your pocket book.  After you have done some research and discovered some foods that you would prefer your children to eat that are not stocked by the stores in which you currently shop, see the store manager and ask that the brands and particular products you have found be stocked on the shelves.  Big movements start with single requests.  Much of the change you see in stores now began with individuals in one or two or three places around the country making small, single requests.  Now, we have BPA free products, GMO and hormone free foods, and even Whole Foods and stores like it would not exist if demand was not there.  And, how did demand grow?   It grew slowly at first.  Now look at how the world has changed. 

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