Fact #1: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
raises uric acid levels within minutes of ingestion.
Fact #2: Elevated uric acid levels are the primary risk factor for gout attacks.
Conclusion: To minimize gout attacks, avoid HFCS like the plague!
Why Exactly Is HFCS Bad for Gout?
When high fructose corn syrup is broken down in the liver, it creates uric acid, which is bad for gout and foods containing HFCS should not be any part of a gout diet. But did you know about its relationship to other health problems?
- Heart Disease — HFCS Is converted to fat stored in the abdomen region, which leads to heart disease.
- Insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes – can be related to fructose consumption.
- Obesity — HFCS doesn’t trigger the body’s hormonal signals that make you feel full and tell your brain that it’s time to stop eating. This leads to overeating and weight gain.
Each of the above health conditions is also a risk factor for gout. So, not only does HFCS lead directly to hyperuricemia — it also leads to other diseases that increase your risk of gout.
Primary Sources of HFCS
- Sodas like Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, etc.
- Energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, Rock Star, etc.
- Fruit punches and “juice drinks” – they’re not 100% real fruit juice.
- Breakfast cereals, bread, and pastries.
- Condiments like ketchup, salad dressing, and steak sauce.
- Yogurt, both “fruit-flavored” and “with fruit.”
- Canned soups, lunch meats, frozen pizza, and mac-n-cheese.
Hidden Sources of HFCS
- Cereal bars, energy bars, power bars, protein bars, meal replacement bars — in short, all the “bars.”
- Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts, Oscar Mayer Lunchables, and similar snacks.
- Seagram’s Tonic Water.
- Canned fruit in heavy syrup and applesauce.
- Cough syrups, like Robitussin®, Vicks, Dimetapp®, and Delsym.
Sneaky Names for HFCS
Because HFCS has such a bad reputation, the Corn Refiners Association has been hiding it on ingredient labels under cleverly distracting names, like:
* Corn syrup, maize syrup, tapioca syrup, and dahlia syrup.
* Glucose/fructose syrup, glucose syrup, Inulin, and isoglucose.
* Fruit fructose and crystalline fructose.
. . .
Milestone
Today has been a milestone for me. I have completed a full week, 7 days without a single pain killer. I am not saying that I’m completely pain free, its just now more of a dull ache rather than a throbbing red hot pain that nothing can touch other than the strongest of painkillers.
A week may not seem much, but trust me, after living with this for the best part of twenty years and hardly passing a day without some kind of pain relief this is a massive step forward for me.All of this is down to changing my diet and cutting out a lot of crap. I haven’t had soft drinks for nearly three weeks, only two drinks a day containing caffeine, increase water intake by 2L a day and cutting out processed foods.
My sleep has also improved. I have gone from 3-4 hours per night to 7-8 and I don’t half feel better for it..Also having advice and support from Bert Middleton aka The Gout Killer has been a massive help.
Lets see what the rest of the week brings as the colder weather is on its way again if we believe what the weather men say and that can sometimes make it worse.
See you at the weekend.
Pete.
. . .
How to Avoid HFCS
Chances are, the number-one source of the HFCS you ingest is the food at restaurants, both fast-food joints and sit-down restaurants.
Your best option for avoiding HFCS is to learn to cook your own meals, using real foods that are not processed.
☆ Bottom Line: If you have gout, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is Public Enemy Number One. Stop eating out, and start reading food labels!