
High Fructose Corn Syrup Apologist or Shill?
Back in college, I took a took a nutrition class in a stadium-style room with about 199 other students… who would all quickly come to despise me.
Because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. Especially when the professor prattled on about how cholesterol and saturated fat are bad for you.
One fond memory of mine was when she compared two major sports drinks and said their nutritional profiles were essentially the same.
I raised my hand. “Not so. One contains sucrose, and the other contains high fructose corn syrup.”
She shrugged her shoulders and replied, “So?”
Good times in higher education. Believe me, she wasn’t genuinely perplexed. The professor knew exactly what I was getting at. Which meant she was either a high fructose corn syrup apologist or a shill. Either way, I’m betting virtually none of her students ever heard about this little-known study on high fructose corn syrup’s effects on insulin resistance:
Healthy, young men were given an extra 1,000 calories per day of either glucose or fructose to eat (fun experiment to volunteer for), and the effects on their bodies were measured after seven days of this new diet.
The glucose eaters did not experience any change in insulin sensitivity.
The fructose eaters, on the other hand, did. Their insulin resistance shot up, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
Some scientists believe fructose does this by raising your uric acid levels, which inhibits your muscles from absorbing glucose.
Now here’s the scary part: The human study was published in 1980. Eight years later, a sports drink filled with high fructose corn syrup became one of the official drinks of the Olympics.
I guess it could help you win the race to needing insulin injections every day…
Take-home point: Check your labels. If high fructose corn syrup is listed, toss the drink or food and find a substitute. Ideally, a natural drink or food without any added sugar. But if you simply must partake, at least stick to sucrose, which is only half fructose and half glucose. However, in future issues of Living Well Daily, you’ll discover a sugar alternative that could actually improve your health. Keep an eye on your inbox for that.
Until then,
Nate Rifkin
Underground Health Researcher

Written By Nate Rifkin
Nate Rifkin is an obsessed health and mind-power researcher and author. To hear more from Nate, sign up to receive Living Well Daily for free, here.
View More Free Articles
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...
Move Over Yogurt—5 Foods That Pack MORE Probiotics
Let’s talk about your gut. The microbiome is the collection of trillions of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in and on your body—especially in your gut—and help keep you healthy. I’ve written often about how vital it is to maintain a healthy microbiome. And you might have dutifully added yogurt to your shopping...
Is Your Heart Older Than YOU?
Maybe you feel young for your age. Good energy, decent sleep, eating your veggies. But what if I told you your heart might be a decade older than the rest of you? That’s exactly what researchers at Northwestern University found in a new study published in JAMA Cardiology. The average American woman’s heart is about...