High Fructose Corn Syrup: Is it really just corn sugar?

Have any of you seen these new "Corn Sugar" commercials that claim High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is the same thing as sugar?  Are any of you falling for this nonsense? 

It makes perfect sense that the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is trying to rebrand HFCS as something- ANYTHING- other than what it really is.  Over the past few years, manufacturers of HFCS have seen their products shunned by savvy consumers everywhere as awareness over the hazards of this chemically produced food product have come into the public consciousness.

The CRA has asked the federal government to allow it to change the name of HFCS to "corn sugar" and launched an enormous multi-million dollar public relations campaign to try to convince American consumers that there are no dangers associated with their product.  They are trying to convince you that sugar is sugar regardless of the source, that your body doesn't know the difference, and that attacks against it by groups like the Weston A. Price Foundation and the Naturopathy Movement are completely unfounded and devoid of scientific research.  All of this despite the fact that in 1997, the CRA openly admitted in an affidavit during court proceedings regarding exportation of HFCS to Mexico that the two products are as vastly different as "the horse and the automobile... in terms of their physical and functional characteristics, as well as in their production process, distribution and commercial application," according to Peter Buzzanell, a corn industry expert.  I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like sugar is sugar to me.  The sugar industry has gone as far as to sue the CRA for making these claims that they say are inaccurate and misleading to consumers.

So if High Fructose Corn Syrup isn't sugar, what IS it?  It is actually corn syrup that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose to fructose.  Okay, so what's the big deal about that?  This is really a question of HOW it is "enzymatically processed".  Caustic soda containing mercury is used to convert the corn starch to corn syrup and studies have repeatedly shown that this toxic heavy metal can contaminate the corn syrup and make its way into the finished food product.  Let me say that again.  Foods containing HFCS may be contaminated with MERCURY!  Mercury, for those of you who aren't aware, is a well known neurotoxin!  On top of mercury contamination, glutaraldehyde, a toxic embalming chemical, is also used to manufacture HFCS.  This isn't sounding too much like table sugar to me.  Check out the clip below from the documentary "King Corn" where the filmmakers attempt to whip up a batch of HFCS in their kitchen. 

So is HFCS really just corn sugar?  Plain and simple, NO!   HFCS initiates a metabolic nightmare in the human body.  Derrell Jones of NaturalNews.com does an excellent job of breaking down the differences in how the body handles HFCS vs. other sugars here:  http://www.naturalnews.com/030858_corn_sugar_HFCS.html

We'll discuss these issues and some of the other health risks associated with High Fructose Corn Syrup next time.  Until then, don't be fooled by a slick marketing campaign; HFCS is most certainly not sugar!
Sources:
http://naturalsociety.com/study-finds-high-fructose-corn-syrup-contains-m...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012...