High fructose corn syrup contaminated with mercury and made using a toxic chemical catalyst that can burn a hole in your stomachHigh-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used as a sweetener in thousands of mainstream packaged foods sold in the United States and around the world, from bread to soda and even breakfast cereal. It has been blamed for increasing the number of empty calories in the U.S. diet, and researchers have linked it to type-2 diabetes and obesity.
Beyond the link to detrimental health effects, another danger from this ubiquitous ingredient comes from the toxic chemicals that are used to turn corn into corn starch and then finally into HFCS. One of these chemicals, glutaraldehyde, is a toxic chemical used in industrial water treatment systems and to sterilize medical equipment by killing living cells. It's also a well-known embalming chemical. It is toxic to the human body and causes eye, nose, throat and lung irritation (asthma, sneezing, wheezing, burning eyes, etc.). It can also cause drowsiness, dizziness and headaches. (
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/glutaraldehyde/)
The chemical is so toxic that it can actually burn a hole in your stomach. As explained on this Material Safety Data Sheet (
http://www.tedpella.com/msds_html/18411msd.htm):
"Due to the severely irritating or corrosive nature of the material, swallowing may lead to ulceration and inflammation of the upper dimentary tract with hemorrhage and fluid loss. Also, perforation of the esophagus or stomach may occur, leading to mediastinitis or peritonitis and the resultant complications. Any material aspirated during vomiting may cause lung injury. Therefore, emesis should not be induced mechanically or pharmacologically. If it is considered necessary to evacuate the stomach contents, this should be done by means least likely to cause aspiration (e.g., gastric lavage after endotracheal intubation)."
Contaminated with mercury
Because two of the chemicals used in HFCS production introduce mercury into the mix, a study published in 2009 found that between one-third and one-half of all HFCS-containing products on the market tested positive for mercury contamination. (
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23266&p=40666).
The presence of mercury in high fructose corn syrup was documented by researchers at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and published in Environmental Health. In some cases, the level of mercury was high enough that a woman eating an average amount of HFCS as represented in the American diet could ingest more than five times the maximum recommended upper limit of mercury.
The bottom line? If you love eating a highly-refined liquid sugar made with the use of hazardous chemicals and often contaminated with brain-damaging mercury, eat more high fructose corn syrup!
You'll find it in thousands of common grocery items, including ones you wouldn't expect such as salad dressings, beef jerky and pizza sauce. Look for it on the label and avoid all foods made with HFCS.
Additional sources for this story include:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutaraldehyde http://www.slate.com/id/2216796/ http://blog.friendseat.com/is-there-mercury-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup/ http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23835
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