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Lying Labels

New Term Disguises High-Fructose Corn Syrup

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has resorted to creating a new label for high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) by calling it “fructose syrup” or just “fructose” because numerous scientific studies have linked it to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and autism.

HFCS is a highly processed chemical sweetener used in many processed foods, including breads, cookies, candy, condiments and soft drinks. It extends the shelf life of products and is often cheaper than sugar, the primary reasons manufacturers use it.

Standard HFCS contains from 42 to 55 percent fructose. The new term is being used when foods contain HFCS-90, which has “just” 90 percent fructose. Identifying HFCS-90 as an ingredient bizarrely gives food makers a green light to use statements such as “Contains no high-fructose corn syrup” or “No HFCS” on the product label, thus misleading buyers.

Bart Hoebel, a psychology professor at Princeton University, reports, “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese; every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

Source: NaturalNews.com

Global Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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