This food thing is getting more complicated by the minute.

Thirty five years ago most of the sugar we consumed was sucrose derived from sugar beets or sugar cane. Then sugar from corn, especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) began to gain popularity as a sweetener because it was 20% less expensive to produce than traditional sources. High fructose corn syrup is extremely soluble and mixes well in many foods. It’s used in everything from soda, pasta sauces, cereal, meat products, chips, beer as well as in “health products” like protein bars.

In 1980 the average American consumed 39 pounds of fructose. By 1994, this increased to 83 pounds representing 19 percent of total caloric energy. Today approximately 25 percent of our average caloric intake comes from sugars, with the largest fraction coming as fructose.

Pure fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and robs the body of other micronutrients. Some research suggests that HFCS interferes with the heart’s use of key minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium. Among other consequences, HFCS has been implicated in elevated blood cholesterol levels and has been found to inhibit the action of white blood cells.

Because it is metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the pancreas to release insulin. Fructose also converts to fat more than any other sugar. This may be one of the reasons Americans continue to get fatter.

During your next trip to the market – read the labels – you may be surprised just how many products contain HFCS.

Tomorrow: What can I eat?

You’ve seen the billboards and magazine ads. Models and athletes sporting those sexy milky mustaches. Got Milk may be the most effective ad campaign of my generation. But what exactly is the science behind this clever and influential public relations coup?

Now things get murkier than chocolate chip cookie debris suspended in a creamy white glass of chilled dairy beverage. I am reading a book entitled The China Study, written by T. Colin Campbell, a retired NIH-sponsored researcher. If Campbell is to be believed, dairy product consumption is related to a variety of health maladies. I am approaching the age where PSA results in my annual blood test mean more to me than a passing interest. According to a Harvard University review, 12 of 14 case-control studies and seven of nine cohort studies observed a positive association between dairy consumption and prostate cancer. Campbell goes on to make a compelling case that milk consumption in babies is also related to the risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes. Campbell completes his dairy coups d’état by suggesting that cows milk consumption is associated with Multiple Sclerosis.

I am not a nutritionist; can someone assist me with this Campbell conundrum? Is he a charlatan or have we been hoodwinked by the dairy industry?

Tomorrow: Four weeks of vegetarianism.

I did not anticipate feeling the way I did today. The roughly 15 or so regulars at the weekly support group were for the last time treated to a cooking class and subsequently led by Dr. Ask, through our final recovery session. Oddly enough, it felt more like a beginning than an ending.

While some individuals conveyed their intent to return to carnivorous habits after our month officially ends on the 7th, others had influenced their families sufficiently to turn their respective households into plant munching vegetarians. I was moved by the thoughtful insights we collectively shared about our experiences. I usually lead discussions about public health in the classroom environment. Today there were no leaders. It did not matter who held what degree or title, we shared our struggles, successes, and failures as equals.

Perhaps it was the vulnerability associated with public risk taking. Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush of a new adventure. Or just maybe it was the camaraderie I felt with our challenge participants, as we indulged in the delightful fruits of living the University’s motto –to make man whole. For my part, the Challenge has been a professional highlight that has revitalized my sense of purpose and commitment to public health.

Tomorrow: Does milk do a body good?

I sense the nature of the last few entries have achieved a level of morbidness that some find distasteful. While the cold facts are indeed gruesome, options abound to remove your support from the unsavory aspects of large scale agri-business. There are many farms throughout the world where animals, fruits and vegetables are raised or grown in a semi-natural and sustainable condition. These farmers sell their products largely to a local market.

One of our blog visitors early in the challenge posted the website of her local farm. Please visit the site: www.chestnutfarms.org. This is a good example of food grown and consumed locally. Another example of this in southern California is the Inland Empire orange co-op.

I encourage you to search out and support these farmers, and enjoy the taste and textures of fresh, naturally grown foods (including eggs).