The Fat Truth of Corn
Have you ever considered how much corn we consume and how fattening it is? Did you know that carbon in our body actually originates from corn or that corn is an ingredient in many food and industrial products? In "King Corn", a 2007 documentary, two recent college graduates plant corn and follow it's way through the supply chain right to your dinner plate. Government subsidies, corn crops are genetically modified and glazed with pesticides, resulting in harrowing outcomes for all consumers, including obesity, diabetes and other health related diseases.
Losing any nutritional value corn once had, corn is now harvested for high fructose corn syrup, used in lieu of table sugar and found in breads, spaghetti sauce, cookies, juices, gum, beer, and so much more. Although table sugar consumption has fallen, sweeteners have increased by 30%, largely due to corn syrup. Indeed, cheaper food is also unhealthy food, leading to obesity, diabetes and other health related diseases.
In addition, unlike years past, most cattle eat a corn based diet on huge feedlots, instead of having the freedom and ability to roam land and graze. As a result, the American people now eat corn based meat, a fattening starch alternative to grass based meat.
So what is the fat truth of modern day corn in America? Unfortunately, corporations financially benefit greatly from corn, while the rest of us contend with the pounds around the middle. Is it any wonder why diabetes has become a crisis in America? Let's stop the corporate insanity and boycott all food and drinks made with corn. There is a supply because there is a demand. Let's just stop demanding corn so the cattle and our bodies fare better.
Ready?
“If you’re standing in a field in Iowa, there’s an immense amount of food being grown, none of it edible. The commodity corn, nobody can eat. It must be processed before we can eat it. It’s a raw material—it’s a feedstock for all these other processes. And the irony is that an Iowa farmer can no longer feed himself.” —Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma
Let's take a closer look at every day products made with corn:
Corn Starches
Industrial uses: Adhesives, Cardboard, Construction Materials, Detergents, Paper, Textiles, Plasterboard
Food and drug uses: Antibiotics, Aspirin, Baked Goods, Candies, Condiments, Mixes & Instant Preparations, Processed Meats, Puddings
Corn Syrup
Industrial uses: Adhesives, Animal Feed, Bookbinding, Laminated Building Products, Enzymes, Leather Tanning, Lubricating Agents, Metal Plating
Food and drug uses: Baby Food, Bologna and Hot Dogs, Chewing Gum, Cookies & Crackers, Dessert Mixes, Fruit Drinks, Canned Foods, Cereals, Medicinal Syrups, Pickles, Salad Dressings, Seasoning Mixes
High Fructose Corn Syrup: Carbonated Beverages, Fruit Fillings, Cereals, Frostings, Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts, Pancakes, Pastries, Relishes & Sauces, Syrups & Dessert Toppings
Dextrose
Industrial use: Antibiotics, Enzymes, Coatings, Insecticides, Organic Solvents, Plasticizers, Shampoo
Food and drug uses: Brownies & Baked Goods, Canned Fruits, Cheese Spreads, Cured Meats (such as bacon), Dessert Mixes, Intravenous Solutions, Jams & Jellies, Soda Fountain Preparations, Marshmallows, Soups
Fermentation and other chemical products: Ethanol, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Essential Amino Acids, Sugar Alcohols
Links:
http://www.iowacorn.org/index.html
http://www.corn.org/
http://www.acga.org/
http://www.soyatech.com/corn_facts.htm
http://goefuel.com/cornfacts/index.html