Mercury in Corn Syrup?

What about that mercury thing, though? The corn corporations say there’s no mercury. Fact or fiction? Fact. High-fructose corn syrup: everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. Researchers looked at 50 different brands, from soda pop to Pop-Tarts. There’s that yogurt again. The results? 30% of these foods with high-fructose corn syrup were contaminated with mercury, and it was 60% for the dairy foods.

Here’s how much mercury, on average, a woman of childbearing age could get eating these products every day. This is the EPA’s safe upper limit. So, we probably shouldn’t let our kids become children of the corn. Of course, a can of tuna may have as much mercury as an entire gallon of high-fructose corn syrup. But still, taking the mercury content into account, high-fructose corn syrup is worse than sugar. But neither is good for you. They are both just empty calories—calories, with no nutrition.

When I gave testimony before the federal 2010 Dietary Guidelines Committee this year, I actually sat right next to the representative from The Sugar Association. Of course, the pork producers were there, the Dairy Council, the Salt Institute; but I got to chat with big sugar.  

Check out this classic sugar industry ad: “If sugar is so fattening, how come so many kids are thin?” They can’t say that anymore. The tagline? “Sugar: it’s not just good flavor; sugar is good food.” As unbelievable as that one was, this is my favorite: “Mary is a busy girl. She needs sugar in her life. For energy. She needs energyless, artificial sweeteners like a turtle needs a seatbelt.” “18 calories per teaspoon—and it’s all energy.” That’s the problem! Only the sugar industry could take their greatest weakness—empty calories—and try to spin it into something good.

“Note to Mothers: Play [it] safe with your young ones—make sure they get sugar every day.” I couldn’t make this up. I mean, can you imagine even the meat industry coming out and saying something like “Eat lard?” Yes, I imagine you can. Another actual ad, though dated, and of course: a message brought to you “in conjunction with the Department of Health.” They are, in fact, happy because “They eat LARD.”

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

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• J. S. White. Straight talk about high-fructose corn syrup: What it is and what it ain't. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 88(6):1716-1721, 2008.

Images thanks to daddytypes.com and unbreaded.blogspot.com

• animal fat
• children
• dairy
• dietary guidelines
• fish
• high fructose corn syrup
• industrial pollutants
• junk food
• lard
• mercury
• neurotoxins
• processed foods
• safety limits
• seafood
• soda
• sugar
• sweeteners
• tuna
• women's health
• yogurt