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Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia'
BBC ^ | 07004-08 | staff

Posted on 07/04/2008 9:45:48 PM PDT by atomic conspiracy

Eating high levels of some soy products - including tofu - may raise the risk of memory loss, research suggests.

The study focused on 719 elderly Indonesians living in urban and rural regions of Java.

The researchers found high tofu consumption - at least once a day - was associated with worse memory, particularly among the over-68s.

The Loughborough University-led study features in the journal Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders.

Soy products are a major alternative protein source to meat for many people in the developing world. But soy consumption is also on the increase in the west, where it is often promoted as a "superfood".

Soy products are rich in micronutrients called phytoestrogens, which mimic the impact of the female sex hormone oestrogen.

There is some evidence that they may protect the brains of younger and middle-aged people from damage - but their effect on the ageing brain is less clear.

The latest study suggests phytoestrogens - in high quantity - may actually heighten the risk of dementia.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: democrats; freepun; health; hippiefodder; mentalhealth; tofool; tofu; vegan
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Well, there are some pretty demented people eating it.
1 posted on 07/04/2008 9:45:48 PM PDT by atomic conspiracy
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To: atomic conspiracy
Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia'

I usually sprinkle MSG on mine. No problems so far...

2 posted on 07/04/2008 9:49:39 PM PDT by Libloather (July is Liberal Awareness Month.)
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To: atomic conspiracy

Glad I had a MEAT cook out today.


3 posted on 07/04/2008 9:49:44 PM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: atomic conspiracy

Choosing tofu is proof of dementia.


4 posted on 07/04/2008 9:54:20 PM PDT by Petronski (Scripture & Tradition must be accepted & honored w/equal sentiments of devotion & reverence. CCC 82)
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To: atomic conspiracy

I eat lots of um....what’s it called?

Where am I?


5 posted on 07/04/2008 9:54:46 PM PDT by Pylon (Remember boys, flies spread disease, so keep yours closed.)
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To: atomic conspiracy

I knew that stuff had to be bad for you!


6 posted on 07/04/2008 9:58:13 PM PDT by swmobuffalo ("We didn't seek the approval of Code Pink and MoveOn.org before deciding what to do")
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To: atomic conspiracy

Soy is among several foods people with low thyroid cannot eat - it is Goitrogenic.


7 posted on 07/04/2008 9:58:22 PM PDT by Linden1209
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To: atomic conspiracy

Soy is among several foods people with low thyroid cannot eat - it is Goitrogenic.


8 posted on 07/04/2008 9:58:38 PM PDT by Linden1209
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To: atomic conspiracy

University of Hawaii study, 1996, tofu bad for the brain.


9 posted on 07/04/2008 10:00:15 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Linden1209
...people with low thyroid...

Is that like being low on oil?

10 posted on 07/04/2008 10:01:08 PM PDT by Libloather (July is Liberal Awareness Month.)
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To: atomic conspiracy

Anyone that eats tofu is already brain dead!


11 posted on 07/04/2008 10:02:22 PM PDT by dalereed (both)
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To: atomic conspiracy
I need to remember this.

Some dance eat to remember

Some dance eat to forget

12 posted on 07/04/2008 10:03:16 PM PDT by ThomasThomas ( Tagline: (optional, printed after your name on post):)
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To: atomic conspiracy

Soy is among several foods people with low thyroid cannot eat - Goitrogenic.


13 posted on 07/04/2008 10:04:08 PM PDT by Linden1209
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To: atomic conspiracy

What is the causality? Does tofu cause dementia, or do demented people like eating tofu?


14 posted on 07/04/2008 10:04:48 PM PDT by TheWasteLand
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To: atomic conspiracy

Umm, what’s a tofu again?

I know I ate some last week, but I forgot what it’s made of.

Oh, well.


15 posted on 07/04/2008 10:06:15 PM PDT by Ben Reyes
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To: atomic conspiracy

tofu...the ambiguous clot


16 posted on 07/04/2008 10:07:03 PM PDT by wardaddy (these are dark days politically)
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To: atomic conspiracy

But there’s a positive side, as well, from the article.

“The latest study also found that eating tempe, a fermented soy product made from the whole soy bean, was associated with better memory.

Professor Hogervorst said the beneficial effect of tempe might be related to the fact that it contains high levels of the vitamin folate, which is known to reduce dementia risk.

“It may be that that the interaction between high levels of both folate and phytoestrogens protects against cognitive impairment.”

She also stressed that there was no suggestion that eating tofu in moderation posed a problem.

Rebecca Wood, of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, which funded the study, said more research was needed to pin down the potential risks and benefits of so-called superfoods.

However, she said: “This kind of research into the causes of Alzheimer’s could lead scientists to new ways of preventing this devastating disease.”


17 posted on 07/04/2008 10:13:56 PM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: atomic conspiracy

Tofu!

This must be the key to understanding our Democrat friends.

They don’t remember all the Klintoon kerfluffles.

They don’t remember the borking of Federal Judge Robert Bork.

They don’t remember what a joke Jammah Cahtah was.

They don’t remember the daily follies of Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Turban Durbin, etc.

They all eat too much tofu - problem now understood. Ban tofu.


18 posted on 07/04/2008 10:23:49 PM PDT by Rembrandt (We would have won Viet Nam w/o Dim interference.)
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To: atomic conspiracy

19 posted on 07/04/2008 10:25:29 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: atomic conspiracy

****Tofu ‘may raise risk of dementia’****

So that is what is wrong with “them”!


20 posted on 07/04/2008 10:32:18 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Sun
Professor Hogervorst said the beneficial effect of tempe might be related to the fact that it contains high levels of the vitamin folate, which is known to reduce dementia risk.

Click for Tempe, Arizona Forecast

21 posted on 07/04/2008 10:38:07 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Given such dismal choices, I guess I'll vote for the old guy.)
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To: atomic conspiracy
It seems to me that when such studies are carried out in “urban and rural regions of Java,” there might just be too many other factors bearing on the mental health of the elderly.

I'm not a tofu (”doufu” in Mandarin) fan, believe me. I live and work in China where it is eaten all around me every day. I can't get into it. But I seriously doubt that the same results would be found in any such study were it to be conducted in Metro Shanghai. There are just too many other factors.

22 posted on 07/04/2008 10:38:32 PM PDT by John Leland 1789
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To: atomic conspiracy
A third theory is that damage is caused not by the tofu, but by formaldehyde, which is sometimes used in Indonesia as a preservative.

Might be a good idea to do a much larger, better designed study.

23 posted on 07/04/2008 10:50:58 PM PDT by TChad
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To: atomic conspiracy
Dementia? Mimicking female sex hormone?

Maybe there is a clue to understanding tofu eating liberals here ;-)

24 posted on 07/04/2008 10:54:26 PM PDT by AndyTheBear (Disastrous social experimentation is the opiate of elitist snobs.)
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To: swmobuffalo
I knew that stuff had to be bad for you!

It probably isn't. This is a fun study to comment about, but it has the smell of typical junk science.

25 posted on 07/04/2008 10:57:00 PM PDT by AndyTheBear (Disastrous social experimentation is the opiate of elitist snobs.)
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To: AndyTheBear

Stop stereotyping!

I’m sure there are some of us Tofu eaters here too.


26 posted on 07/04/2008 11:11:37 PM PDT by MetaThought
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To: atomic conspiracy; All
Soy products are a major alternative protein source to meat for many people in the developing world.

But until the 20th century, most of it was fermented first (like tempe, miso, etc.)

Why Soy is NOT health food

Soy Alert from Weston A. Price

27 posted on 07/04/2008 11:27:42 PM PDT by Tamar1973 (Catch the Korean Wave, one Bae Yong Joon film at a time!)
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To: atomic conspiracy

HI! Everybody! Where am I? What?


28 posted on 07/04/2008 11:46:25 PM PDT by Coffee200am
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To: atomic conspiracy

Soy is a disgusting trick played on the masses. It’s used as a cheap ingredient in SO many of our products. On top of that, it’s in the top ten of food allergens.


29 posted on 07/05/2008 12:23:16 AM PDT by conservative cat
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To: conservative cat
I think I read somewhere that Soy is among several foods people with low thyroid cannot eat - Goitrogenic.

I can't remember where I read it, though. Perhaps I ate too much Soy.

30 posted on 07/05/2008 12:54:15 AM PDT by tdscpa
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To: AndyTheBear
Dementia?
I always wondered why the call it a “hysterectomy”
barbra ann
31 posted on 07/05/2008 1:06:12 AM PDT by barb-tex ( A prudent man (more so for a woman) foreseeth the evil and hideth him self,)
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To: ThomasThomas

Degrees of seperation between Tofu and Don Henley.

1


32 posted on 07/05/2008 1:09:46 AM PDT by jblair (Air Force Brat)
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To: Sun

I prefer fermented barley and hops. Together, they insure cognitive impairment.


33 posted on 07/05/2008 1:17:34 AM PDT by tdscpa
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To: atomic conspiracy

This would explain why PETA are such a bunch of retards.


34 posted on 07/05/2008 4:54:58 AM PDT by Lamchops
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To: conservative cat
LSoy is a disgusting trick played on the masses. It’s used as a cheap ingredient in SO many of our products.

Disgusting? Soy provides an abundant source of high quality protein to populations that cannot afford expensive proteins. So, thanks to the development of soy, children who would normally not have access to quality protein are now getting the protein they need to properly develop. The fact that it's cheap is the biggest benefit. Lots of children are allergic to milk. Soy is really the only legitimate alternative they have for early development of bones, muscles and organs.

This research is nonsense but will, no doubt, generate all kinds of additional grants to study the nonsense further.

35 posted on 07/05/2008 9:31:17 AM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
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To: John Leland 1789; TChad; AndyTheBear; Mase

Refer to post #9 above.


36 posted on 07/05/2008 12:15:23 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Pylon

lol. Am I logged in?


37 posted on 07/05/2008 12:16:55 PM PDT by commonguymd (Freedom and individual liberty is for everyone, including the odd and weird people like you.)
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To: atomic conspiracy

I guess I’ll have to switch from the soy to the seitan in order to get my protien.


38 posted on 07/05/2008 12:43:28 PM PDT by TypeZoNegative (Barak Obama: An American African, Not An African-American. (There is a Difference.))
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To: atomic conspiracy
Thank you so much for posting this. Years ago, and I mean years, I had read an article from a study, I think, by the University of Hawaii; and, it came to the same conclusion. Although instead of focusing on tofu, they were looking at soy.

I have never been able to find a reference to that study again, and I figured since it didn't fit the "narrative" of the MSM, that it just went down the memory-hole.

39 posted on 07/05/2008 12:50:02 PM PDT by LibertarianLiz
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To: Sun

I agree, anyone who would eat that tasteless crap is definitely demented.


40 posted on 07/05/2008 12:50:38 PM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP (Juan McCain....The lesser of Three Liberals.")
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To: AndyTheBear
but it has the smell of typical junk science.

I'm not sure I agree, since there have been other studies.

However, I remember hearing, recently, that one difference between the intake of soy products in the rest of the world and here in the good ole U.S. of A is the quantity. One Starbuck's drink made with Soy "milk" instead of cow's milk is way more soy than most people in the world have in a full day.

41 posted on 07/05/2008 12:55:11 PM PDT by LibertarianLiz
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To: Mase

How long before the breatharians return?


42 posted on 07/05/2008 12:58:56 PM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: LibertarianLiz

The study is still out there. I just Scroogled to get the year of the study (1996). And it was tofu, not soy.


43 posted on 07/05/2008 7:16:45 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Jeff Chandler

“vitamin folate”

Good idea to eat foods that contain vitamin folate.


44 posted on 07/05/2008 7:42:32 PM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: Mase
Lots of children are allergic to milk. Soy is really the only legitimate alternative they have for early development of bones, muscles and organs.

And lots of those same children are allergic to soy. It is in the top 8 for food allergies.

We do neither milk nor soy in our household due to allergies to both. Our kids breastfeed to a certain age and use rice milk in place of cow milk where appropriate.

Soy is in almost every prepackaged food we eat (that and/or corn syrup.) Go to a traditional grocery store and try to find packaged food without either of those ingredients. Strangely enough, corn and soy are also what are used to make animals fat for slaughter. (And then we wonder why so many people are obese in this country....)

45 posted on 07/05/2008 10:50:20 PM PDT by conservative cat
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To: Cold Heart
Refer to post #9 above.

There are a lot of problems with the study you cite, as there is with so much research these days. Alarming assertions are made all the time. Unfortunately, the majority of experiments are not necessarily put together to find the most important information. They are put together to find financial support. Too many researchers today are more concerned with how to find dollars to conduct research than they are with the results of their research. Add to that the many toxic terrorists who cause alarm then run to the media demanding the government research their alleged condition and all you arrive at where we are today. Now you have a mad rush to fund grants that fit the criterion. It's nothing but a money grab. Think Alar, Saccharine and trans fat to name a few.

The Hawaii study didn't control for enough factors to rule out other causes that could have easily been responsible. As an example, men who ate the most tofu came from poorer immigrant families, so they may have had a poor diet in childhood; this may have somehow affected brain development. Another problem: the amount of tofu consumed was self-reported, and was based on only two interviews, five years apart, decades earlier. There's more but just citing the above places all their conclusions into question.

Soy, on average, makes up a stunning 12% of the total diet of elder Okinawans. The Okinawan Centenarian Study analyzed the diet and health profiles of Okinawan elders over 25 years and compared them to other elder populations throughout the world. These people are some of the healthiest people in the world and enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world along with a dramatically reduced incidence of cancer. The researchers did not find a higher incidence of brain damage or dysfunction in this populations vs. the others over this long period of time even though the consume more soy than any other people on he planet.

Believe what you want but the scare over soy is just that.

46 posted on 07/06/2008 10:13:16 AM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
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To: Old Professer
How long before the breatharians return?

LOL!. I hear there are a lot of them still living (and starving) in California. I'm surprised they haven't made an appearance here yet.

47 posted on 07/06/2008 10:15:27 AM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
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To: conservative cat
And lots of those same children are allergic to soy. It is in the top 8 for food allergies.

If you consider 1 out of 10 to be "lots" then I guess you'd be right.

We do neither milk nor soy in our household due to allergies to both. Our kids breastfeed to a certain age and use rice milk in place of cow milk where appropriate.

That's unfortunate since rice is a poor source of protein. Under the circumstances, of course, you don't have any choice. Fortunately, 70% of children suffering these allergies will grow out of them.

Soy is in almost every prepackaged food we eat (that and/or corn syrup.)

I hear this claim made regularly but it has never been proven. Yes, soy is a commonly used but people suffering from soy allergies have more and more choices. Soy content is also now identified on the package. Corn syrup is a cheap substitute for sugar. So what? If it didn't have corn syrup it would have sugar.

Go to a traditional grocery store and try to find packaged food without either of those ingredients.

Then don't buy packaged foods.

Strangely enough, corn and soy are also what are used to make animals fat for slaughter.

Why is that strange? Do you like your steaks marbled and more affordable? Soy is a major ingredient in chicken feed and provides consumers with quality birds at much more affordable prices. Why you would think this is bad is a mystery.

(And then we wonder why so many people are obese in this country....)

Using corn and soy as a feed ingredient makes people obese? You lost me there. People are obese because they eat more calories than they burn. It's really that simple.

48 posted on 07/06/2008 10:32:01 AM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
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To: Mase
If you consider 1 out of 10 to be "lots" then I guess you'd be right.

This was in response to your post that said "lots" of children suffer from milk allergies. By that definition, then "lots" also suffer from soy. I don't think a significant portion suffer from allergies to either ingredient.

That's unfortunate since rice is a poor source of protein. Under the circumstances, of course, you don't have any choice. Fortunately, 70% of children suffering these allergies will grow out of them.

We are not vegans. We eat plenty of sources of animal protein, as well as legumes. Also, I believe that HUMAN breast milk is the best "milk" for small children. (And I consider neither soy nor rice to really be milks, they just act as substitutes in some cases, like for cereals or cooking.)

I hear this claim made regularly but it has never been proven. Yes, soy is a commonly used but people suffering from soy allergies have more and more choices. Soy content is also now identified on the package. Corn syrup is a cheap substitute for sugar. So what? If it didn't have corn syrup it would have sugar.

It's really not a hard claim to prove. Go to a big-box grocery store. Pick up any food that comes in a box. (You can also throw in breads and most beverages.) Count how many you find that don't have a soy by-product or corn syrup. I'll wait for your answer, although it will be short.

Then don't buy packaged foods.

I don't buy many and those I do buy usually come from Trader Joe's, sometimes (but rarely) Whole Foods, or just the "health food" section of the grocery store. The problem is too many people do buy all of this crap. Now, I am "pro-choice" when it comes to what people eat, but I do also believe in informing people of what they are eating.

Using corn and soy as a feed ingredient makes people obese? You lost me there. People are obese because they eat more calories than they burn. It's really that simple.

It's not strange that animals are given these products, but it gives me pause that the same foods that are given to animals to FATTEN them up are used as fillers in many of our food products. Yes, eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, but adding more wasteful junk to food doesn't help on the calorie intake. There are some scientists who believe that corn syrup makes you fatter than sugar does, as it sends different signals to your brain. I don't know whether true or not, but I have observed that I personally drink less pop when made with sugar instead of corn syrup.

49 posted on 07/06/2008 11:13:07 AM PDT by conservative cat
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To: conservative cat
This was in response to your post that said "lots" of children suffer from milk allergies.

It is estimated that about 2% of young children and infants are allergic to milk. That's a significant amount of children, in my opinion, when you consider just how important milk is in their diet. It is estimated that 5-14% of milk allergic infants will also develop an allergy to soy. Therefore 0.1 - .028% of that population will be allergic to soy. If that's how you define "lots" then so be it.

We eat plenty of sources of animal protein, as well as legumes. Also, I believe that HUMAN breast milk is the best "milk" for small children.

Ok.

It's really not a hard claim to prove. Go to a big-box grocery store. Pick up any food that comes in a box.

So don't buy food that comes in a box. There are plenty of foods that don't contain soy or soy byproducts.

Count how many you find that don't have a soy by-product or corn syrup.

Why should I be concerned about corn syrup? Why is substituting one carbohydrate for another of concern to you?

Now, I am "pro-choice" when it comes to what people eat, but I do also believe in informing people of what they are eating.

The big eight allergens and the rest of the ingredients are clearly indicated on the label. How much more information do you need? Why is soy or corn syrup considered crap? What other ingredients do you consider crap? You may possess an irrational fear of food ingredients based on a misunderstanding of chemistry and nutrition.

Yes, eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, but adding more wasteful junk to food doesn't help on the calorie intake.

I'll wait for you to explain how corn and soy are "junk" or wasteful in any way and how they manage to increase your caloric intake. Unless you mean that making food more affordable and better tasting makes us eat more than we would if it weren't more affordable and tasted bad.

There are some scientists who believe that corn syrup makes you fatter than sugar does, as it sends different signals to your brain.

Yes, and as a food scientist I can tell you they're full of crap. Their alarmism does create fear among those who don't understand the science and this alarm can deliver huge sums of money in the form of research grants. I was there.

I don't know whether true or not, but I have observed that I personally drink less pop when made with sugar instead of corn syrup.

Soda isn't made with corn syrup in most cases. They use high fructose corn syrup instead and they are two very different products. Like I said, lack of knowledge drives fear but there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup.

50 posted on 07/06/2008 12:00:21 PM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
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