| High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), used as a common | | | | The average American will consume about 12 |
| sweetener in soft drinks, sweets, jams, jellies, ketchup, | | | | teaspoons of HFCS daily, with teens and children |
| ice cream, bread, and many, many more prepared | | | | consuming 80 percent more! Mercury has many |
| foods may contain relatively high levels of mercury, | | | | health-damaging consequences. It can cause damage |
| according to a couple of recent studies. In fact, almost | | | | to kidneys and brains, can harm the nervous system in |
| half of all HFCS samples that were studied contained | | | | a developing fetus, and can contribute to |
| mercury. This mercury is then passed along to any | | | | developmental delays and learning disabilities in children. |
| foods which are made with HFCS as an ingredient. | | | | Consumers are cautioned to avoid foods with HFCS |
| HFCS, which is different than regular corn syrup, was | | | | listed in first or second place on packaging ingredient |
| found to have detectable levels of mercury in nine of | | | | lists. |
| 20 foods samples in one study. A second study by | | | | HFCS has many other health-related challenges to |
| the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) | | | | overcome, not least of which is the obesity epidemic in |
| found that of the 55 popular brand-name foods they | | | | children. Here again, the lesson of the importance of |
| examined that three contained mercury. | | | | healthy, natural foods rings loud and clear. We can't |
| The mercury seems to come from a "mercury-cell" | | | | continue to support a food industry that threatens our |
| re-agent technology that is used for several | | | | health at every turn, but should instead turn to foods |
| manufacturing functions, including adjusting pH | | | | made from whole, organic, nontoxic ingredients. |
| balances. Although the Corn Refiners Association is | | | | For more information on raising your child in a natural, |
| refuting the results, the IATP told reporters that there | | | | organic environment visit the web's best eco-friendly |
| are four plants in Georgia, Ohio, West Virginia, and | | | | parenting resource, GrowNaturalBaby. |
| Tennessee still using the mercury-cell technology. | | | | |