High Fructose Corn Syrup Makes You Stupid, Says New Study

Susanne Posel
Occupy Corporatism
May 19, 2012

 

 

 

 

A study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) dramatically effects the brain’s ability to cognitively function; i.e. it makes you stupid .

UCLA scientists studied rats that were trained to run a specific maze. They were made to remember the course and were successful at recalling how to enter and exit the maze without difficulty.

The rats were separated into two groups; one being given water with HFCS added, and the other given water with omega-3s added.

This observational test lasted 6 weeks.

The scientists concluded:

• Rats given omega-3s displayed improved cognitive abilities
• Rats given HFCS had extreme difficulty navigating the maze

Based on further research into the brains of the rats tested, scientists found that HFCS was actually blocking the rat’s ability to regulate insulin, effecting how their brain cells stored sugar for future use as energy stores. This problem was found within the brain’s areas for processing thoughts.

Study researcher Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, of the University of California, Los Angeles, said, “The brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rat’s 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 consumption of omega-3s aided in shielding the rat’s brains from the effects of HFCS.

The damage to our bodies from exposure to HFCS has been reported on ever since the product was introduced to the public. The importance of this study is how HFCS compares with omega-3s.

Gomez-Pinilla said, “Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think. Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage.”

Omega-3s assist in building memory.

HFCS negatively affects the brain’s ability to recall information.

In a similar study conducted by Princeton University, rats who were given HFCS displayed excessive weight gain even when their caloric intake was not elevated. Simply consuming HFCS caused the rats to become obese.

The rats gained weight around their abdomen, which directly affected a rise in circulating blood fats (triglycerides).

Professor of psychology Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, said: “Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests. When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

While HFCS is in abundance because of its “cost-effective” production, the health risks are too great for this substance to be consumed on a regular basis.

HFCS can cause:

• Weight gain
• Dental cavities
• Increased triglycerides

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that on a daily basis women should consume no more than 100 calories from added sugar, and men should consume no more than 150 calories from added sugar.

Regarding the findings of their study, Gomez-Pinilla said: ‘It’s like saving money in the bank. You want to build a reserve for your brain to tap when it requires extra fuel to fight off future diseases.’

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