Dietary Consequences of Farm Subsidies

Soybeans are heavily subsidized by the U.S. government, as is corn. If you read labels, you will notice that corn and soybean products are in everything. Why? Since they are subsidized, they are very inexpensive and hence are used more often than other, more expensive raw materials. For example, compare the price of olive oil, which is not subsidized, with the price of corn or soybean oil, which are subsidized. If we are what we eat, then, according to Michael Pollan, we are corn and soybeans.

Read the ingredients label on any processed food in your pantry; chances are, they will contain soy or corn. Some estimates suggest that 40% of the calories in the standard American diet come directly from either soy (a cheap source of protein and fat) or corn (a cheap source of carbohydrates). And even more is consumed indirectly, since much of the diet of cattle and chicken is also comprised of soy and corn.

So what's the problem? Isn't saving families money a good thing? Saving money is a good thing, but what if, in the attempt to save money, you are eating foods that are a direct cause of the national obesity and diabetes crises?

Is consuming so many products made from corn and soy even healthy? Some people have suggested that eating soy products is dangerous and entire books have been written about the negative aspects of soy consumption. Others suggest that the fear of soy is overblown but suggest caution and limited quantities anyway. High fructose corn syrup has taken a beating in the popular press lately, so much so that the Corn Refiner's Association has petitioned the FDA to rebrand high fructose corn syrup as "corn sugar." And carbohydrates in general, such as those provided by corn products, are increasingly being fingered as a cause of dietary harm, even in the mainstream media, in such publications as the New York Times and the Los AngelesTimes.

Vegetable and seed oils, such as corn and soybean oils, have replaced fats from animal sources in the standard American diet, with a lot of unexpected, negative consequences.

Here's the problem: real food (fresh fruits, vegetables, non-grain fed meats, eggs, dairy products from pastured cows, animal sources of fats, etc.), food that is healthy and that will nourish you, is not subsidized and is much more expensive. In other words, the type of food we low carbers eat. Cheap, subsidized, and processed foods, dense in carbohydrates, are very fattening. Is this an appropriate use of our tax dollars?

A New Name for High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Diabetics and label readers, beware.  After all of the bad press that HFCS has received lately, the Corn Refiner's Association has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug administration to change the name from HFCS to "corn sugar."  Don't be fooled!  It hasn't happened yet, but if it is changed, I will let everyone know.

So what is wrong with HFCS?  In addition to being a highly processed industrial product that is nothing but empty calories that leaves you feeling hungry after you eat, there is some concern that it is a major cause of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

In his book, Why We Get Fat, Gary Taubes discusses the uniquely fattening properties of sugars, especially high fructose corn syrup.  I am discovering that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is in a lot of products: regular soda pop, bread, ketchup, Nyquil (and other cough medicines), doggie treats for my carnivore buddy, Titan (I have stopped buying these for him), Slim Jim beef sticks, not to mention pretty much anything that is sweet.  It is so ubiquitous that it is actually rather hard to avoid.  I have started reading labels very closely.  It even pops up in places I totally don't expect.  Just the other day, I was reading the label on diet Sunkist orange soda, and there it was (the "diet" Sunkist Orange Soda is actually quite caloric).  And I was quite surprised to see it in medicines and cough syrups.  If you are going to cut out carbs from your diet, HFCS should be one of the first to go.

Why is HFCS a problem?  It has been linked to obesity, it fuels the growth of cancerous cells, and it exacerbates type II diabetes by aiding fat deposition and preventing you from feeling full, among other things.