The use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been long associated with
fatty liver disease, diabetes and increases in obesity, but a new study
has investigated its effects on the brain. HFCS is an inexpensive
ingredient added to fast food and fizzy drinks and is 6 times sweeter
than sugar obtained from sugar cane.
The study by UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) studied the effect of HFCS on rats, who have similar brain chemistry to humans. The rats were trained in a maze for five days before the experimental diet began. The maze had only one exit and contained visual clues so as to help the rats remember the way through the maze to the exit. The rats were separated into two groups, both given HFCS solution as drinking water but one had food fortified with omega-3's. The rats were then tested in the maze 6 weeks after the training period.
It was found that the rats that had been given the omega-3's were much better at finding their way through the maze, indicating that they had remembered the way. However, the rats that had been given only the HFCS had a much reduced ability to find the exit. On closer inspection of the rats brain tissue, it was found that insulin had little or no effect on brain cells in those from the HFCS group. The authors of the study suspect that consuming too much HFCS could block the ability of insulin to regulate how brain cells store sugar for energy requires for processing thoughts.
Professor Gomez-Pinilla said, "The brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier. We're concerned about high-fructose corn syrup that is added to manufactured food products as a sweetener and preservative. We're not talking about naturally occurring fructose in fruits, which also contain important antioxidants."
The study by UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) studied the effect of HFCS on rats, who have similar brain chemistry to humans. The rats were trained in a maze for five days before the experimental diet began. The maze had only one exit and contained visual clues so as to help the rats remember the way through the maze to the exit. The rats were separated into two groups, both given HFCS solution as drinking water but one had food fortified with omega-3's. The rats were then tested in the maze 6 weeks after the training period.
It was found that the rats that had been given the omega-3's were much better at finding their way through the maze, indicating that they had remembered the way. However, the rats that had been given only the HFCS had a much reduced ability to find the exit. On closer inspection of the rats brain tissue, it was found that insulin had little or no effect on brain cells in those from the HFCS group. The authors of the study suspect that consuming too much HFCS could block the ability of insulin to regulate how brain cells store sugar for energy requires for processing thoughts.
Professor Gomez-Pinilla said, "The brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier. We're concerned about high-fructose corn syrup that is added to manufactured food products as a sweetener and preservative. We're not talking about naturally occurring fructose in fruits, which also contain important antioxidants."
Protection from HFCS by consuming Omega-3
The Omega 3 fatty acids protected the rat's brains from the effects of the HFCS, meaning a less degraded performance in memory. As rats have a similar brain chemistry to humans, it may be good practice to consume more omega-3's in our diet. Good, natural sources of omega-3's are nuts, seeds and oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Supplements are also available.HFCS has long been reported on various health websites and even in the mainstream media as being unhealthy for your body. But this study also shows it is equally detrimental to your mind as well. Why is it that an ingredient that is known to have so many harmful effects can still be used in such high quantities in some of the most popular drinks and foods? It is because it is cheap to produce and makes more profit for the corporations that use it. Yet again, profit is the most important goal, even at the expense of the health of consumers. Many of these consumers are, as a result, ending up grossly obese and too mentally impaired to know why their health is suffering.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000140000000000000000.html
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588
About the author:
D Holt is currently involved in research in the UK into the mechanisms involved in healing due to meditation, hypnosis and other ''spiritual'' healers and techniques. Previous work has included investigations into effects of meditation on addiction, the effects of sulphites on the digestive system and the use of tartrazine and other additives in the restaurant industry. new blog is now available at http://tinyurl.com/sacredmeditation twitter @sacredmeditate
