Fructose sweeteners continue to take it on the chin.

A high-profile debate is taking place over the adverse effect of fructose sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.   On one side, the commercial sweetener industry employs fructose on a massive - and massively profitable  - scale, the best example being the HFCS that’s in just about every supermarket food.  The industry maintains that fructose is, essentially, no worse for you than other sugars, and they’ve enlisted the help of slick high-profile TV ads to advocate for the safety of high fructose corn syrup in a non-technical, feelgood sort of way (it’s ‘natural’, it’s ‘made from corn’, ‘real men’ don’t care, etc). On the other side are  researchers and health professionals.  These scientists  have been searching for a way to explain the explosion in obesity and obesity harbingers like insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.  This explosion more-or-less coincides with the introduction and rapid, widespread adoption of high fructose corn syrup. At this time in  2009, HFCS has already been the subject of many damaging studies, and while these researchers aren’t taking to the airwaves with their findings, the tide seems to be steadily turning against the industry as more consumers and health experts just put two-and-two together and finally steer clear of fructose sweeteners altogether. (more…)

Truvia: The New Stevia Sweetener.......

Recent press releases and news reports (including an AllStarHealth blog post) revealed that the controversial sweetener stevia herb was finally about to go mainstream as major soda manufacturers announced their intention to begin using a newly-approved sweetener called Trvuvia in low calorie drinks.   Truvia’s manufacturer makes a big deal over the fact that it’s an herbal product,  and that it’s stevia, in particular  but when you look at the ingredient label (more…)

Don't believe the hype! Here's a real superfood, unsweetened organic cocoa powder.

Acai is getting a lot of attention as a hot new ‘superfood‘ thanks to endorsements from celebrity dermatologist Dr. Perricone, the multi-level marketing operation behind the over-hyped MonaVie, and other interests.

‘Superfood’ is a term a lot of people hadn’t ever even heard until recently.  But when it started being used to promote acai berries, something clicked in the public’s mind. Maybe it’s the welcome and intuitive change in thinking that whole foods can be just as good for us as supplement capsules and tablets.

But ’superfood’ isn’t a technical or specific term, anyone can call anything a superfood.  To be a legitimate superfood, we think a product or substance has to meet 3 criteria: (more…)

Natural body care products can save you money and perform better than drugstore or supermarket products.

If you regularly buy things like shampoo, conditioner, shaving lotion, and skin care items at your local supermarket, you’ve probably noticed a few things. For one thing, those products aren’t cheap and add a considerable amount to your grocery bill.  Also, if you dare to read their ingredient labels, you’ll see a long list of unpronounceable, unfamiliar chemical ingredients.  Would you like to read about some less expensive, better-performing alternatives, with more natural and fewer synthetic ingredients? Welcome to today’s blog post, all about natural body care alternatives. (more…)

Fructose is a naturally-occurring sugar found in fruits and vegetables. It’s also concentrated in corn syrup and increasingly used as a sweetener for , well, almost every type of mass market processed food or beverage. These commercial foods and drinks - and not fruits and vegetables - are the source of most of the fructose in the average American’s diet, and it turns out there is a lot of fructose in the American diet. (more…)

The supplement industry has enjoyed periods of rapid growth and expansion, not only in terms of sales and market statistics but also in terms of products. There is a constant stream of new supplement products coming onto the market, but for a variety of reasons, some of the most promising supplements fail to attract the attention which their benefits and properties would seem to merit. It can be many years from the time a new supplement is introduced to the time it “catches on” among consumers, doctors, practitioners and the market as a whole. (more…)