For
Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Leach
504-715-0277
jeff@worldshealthiestpizza.com
NEW
ORLEANS - Effective January 1, 2008, New
Orleans-based World's Healthiest Pizza (WHP)
will ban all products containing high-fructose
corn syrup (HFCS, HFCS-55). This will include
all soft drinks, such as Coke©, and
any ingredients used to produce our pizza.
According
to Co-founder Jeff Leach, "the banning of
HFCS products from our stores is consistent with
our mission of improving the health and
well-being of all our customers and providing
great tasting and healthy alternatives to what
is being currently offered in the city."
Co-Founder
Randy Crochet adds, "we are not attempting
to limit customer choices but rather trying to
lead a movement in the New Orleans area among
restaurant businesses to take a stand on
healthier alternatives and attempt to make a
difference."
WHP
acknowledges that the current research on HFCS
suggests that HFCS in and of itself does not
cause obesity. It does, however, contribute to
excess caloric intake with few if any beneficial
nutrients and, according to Jeff Leach, "HFCS,
as a substitute for sucrose (table sugar) is
rapidly digested and absorbed and thus elicits
an unnecessary spike in the hormone insulin.
Excess insulin can lead to hyperinsulimia
(elevated levels of insulin in the body) which
may contribute to complications associated with
insulin resistance, diabetes and the body's
inability to metabolize fatty acids stored in
adipose tissue (translation: weight gain)."
Further,
the effects of HFCS-55 on blood sugar is often
misunderstood. HFCS-55 is 55% fructose (often
referred to as "fruit sugar) and 45%
glucose. The glucose portion of the HFCS-55 goes
directly into the bloodstream with only a
fraction of that passing through the liver.
However, the fructose fraction is passed
directly to the liver where it is metabolized
almost exclusively. Unfortunately, the liver
converts the fructose into triglycerides (fat)
and delivers it back into the bloodstream to be
stored as fat. Scientist refer to this as fructose-induced
lipogenesis.
Further,
evidence seems to suggest that fructose
"apparently blocks both the metabolism of
glucose in the liver and the synthesis of
glucose into glycogen" - in a form the
liver stores for later use. This means the
pancreas has to work overtime pumping out
insulin to overcome this glucose load in the
liver - which further induces the muscles to
become insulin resistant (think diabetes).
Overtime, an excess of HFCS-55 can 1) induce
high insulin levels; 2) elevate blood sugar and;
3) promote insulin resistance - all of this,
even though HFCS has little effect on blood
sugar or insulin levels when initially consumed
(ie, HFCS is a low glycemic food). Its adverse
effects are cumulative and a bit down
stream.
WHP
will continue to offer a wide-range of beverages
that do not contain HFCS and will be exploring
additional offerings through the first part of
2008.
*
* * *
*
High
Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) A
corn sweetener derived from the wet milling of
corn. Cornstarch is converted to a syrup that is
nearly all dextrose. Enzymes isomerize the
dextrose to produce a 42 percent fructose syrup
called HFCS-42. By passing HFCS-42 through an
ion-exchange column that retains fructose, corn
refiners draw off 90 percent HFCS and blend it
with HFCS-42 to make a third syrup, HFCS-55.
HFCS is found in numerous foods and beverages on
the grocery store shelves. HFCS-90 is used in
natural and "light" foods in which
very little is needed to provide sweetness.
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