Changes

High fructose corn syrup would not be in this list, except for the fact that its sugar content is increased through chemical modification, thereby rendering it semi-artificial.  High fructose corn syrup has been implicated in causing diabetes and obesity, and it is found in virtually all sugar-added drinks, as well as many baked goods and other food products.  Similar in nature to high fructose corn syrup is most modern vegetable oil.  This oil is acquired not through natural cold pressing, but rather is extracted through the use of heat and a chemical bath of hexane.  The hexane leaves poisonous traces in the oil, the heat strips it of natural nutrients and flavors, and there you go: another American food item.

High fructose corn syrup would not be in this list, except for the fact that its sugar content is increased through chemical modification, thereby rendering it semi-artificial.  High fructose corn syrup has been implicated in causing diabetes and obesity, and it is found in virtually all sugar-added drinks, as well as many baked goods and other food products.  Similar in nature to high fructose corn syrup is most modern vegetable oil.  This oil is acquired not through natural cold pressing, but rather is extracted through the use of heat and a chemical bath of hexane.  The hexane leaves poisonous traces in the oil, the heat strips it of natural nutrients and flavors, and there you go: another American food item.

Saving one of the best for last, we come to [[trans-fat]].  Trans-fat is a chemically-modified fat, formed by thickening regular oil through the process of hydrogenation.  Though trans-fat is relatively uncommon today, it was ubiquitous only a few years ago.  Trans-fat almost certainly raises bad cholesterol levels and raises the risk of heart attack.  Worst of all, however, is the fact that trans-fat is actually not recognized by the human body as an edible substance!  As such, it cannot be metabolized, and remains in the blood stream or causes weight gain.  For comparison, another substance not recognized as food by the body is ''wood''.

Saving one of the best for last, we come to [[trans fat]].  Trans fat is a chemically-modified fat, formed by thickening regular oil through the process of hydrogenation.  Though trans fat is relatively uncommon today, it was ubiquitous only a few years ago.  Trans fat almost certainly raises bad cholesterol levels and raises the risk of heart attack.  Worst of all, however, is the fact that trans fat is actually not recognized by the human body as an edible substance!  As such, it cannot be metabolized, and remains in the blood stream or causes weight gain.  For comparison, another substance not recognized as food by the body is ''wood''.

As the wealthiest nation in the world, we can surely afford to eat a healthier, more natural diet than we do.  We have the money, the land, and the farms to raise this food.  We just allow the middleman of the food processor to pry his way between us and real, natural food.  Why settle for meat slurry when there is an abundance of real chicken?  Why drink down high fructose corn syrup when ordinary cane sugar is plentiful?  Most of all, why ingest an artificial diet when we have better access to real, natural foods than any other nation in the world?

As the wealthiest nation in the world, we can surely afford to eat a healthier, more natural diet than we do.  We have the money, the land, and the farms to raise this food.  We just allow the middleman of the food processor to pry his way between us and real, natural food.  Why settle for meat slurry when there is an abundance of real chicken?  Why drink down high fructose corn syrup when ordinary cane sugar is plentiful?  Most of all, why ingest an artificial diet when we have better access to real, natural foods than any other nation in the world?

[[Category:Essays]]

[[Category:Essays]]