• HFCS is often the second ingredient listed on non-diet soft drink labels.lata refresco azul image by Miguel Angel P from Fotolia.com
  
  High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an ingredient regularly used in soft drinks, cereal, bread and an array of other food products consumed daily. It is commonly found on food and drink labels under multiple names, such as chicory, inulin, iso-glucose, glucose-fructose syrup and fruit fructose. HFCS is worth learning more about, as is any ingredient included on the labels of foods you normally consume.
  
  

Converts to Fat Quickly

• Increase weight loss by cutting down on soft drink consumption.scale image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
  
  According to OrganicConsumers.org, the body metabolizes corn syrup into fat more quickly than it does any other sugar. Furthermore, since most fructose is consumed in liquid form, the negative impact it has on the body from a metabolic standpoint is magnified significantly. While dietary fat is often synonymous with products containing oils or meats, HFCS is truly unhealthy in terms of its rapid conversion to fat. The substance should not be overlooked when considering items to exclude from a healthy meal plan.
  
  

Not a Natural Food

• The difference between natural and unnatural is often in the wording.corn image by Bosko Martinovic from Fotolia.com
  
  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that HFCS is not classified as "natural" in cases where a "synthetic substance such as a synthetic fixing agent [is] included in or added to it," or in cases where natural or unnaturally derived food coloring has been added. The FDA has declined requests to formally define "natural" foods and leaves the decision up to individual state.
  
  

Danger to Heart Health

• Protect your heart by limiting HFCS intake.heart image by Soja Andrzej from Fotolia.com
  
  Dr. Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. states, "In subjects [with] healthy glucose tolerance and those that had unhealthy glucose tolerance, fructose caused a general increase in both the total serum cholesterol and in the low density lipoproteins (LDL) in most of the subjects. This puts a person at risk for heart disease." While it is also found in fruits, fructose occurs in lower levels in fruit than it does in the form of HFCS.