Mercury in Your Yogurt?

We all know there’s nothing sweet about high-fructose corn syrup, despite ads by the Corn Refiners Association calling the sweetener natural. But two new studies reveal that products sweetened with HFCS may also contain mercury.

The main component of HFCS is fructose, a simple sugar naturally found in high levels in fruit. HFCS is used as a sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, deli meats, soups, condiments and yogurts.

In the first study, researchers found measurable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS.

The second study revealed one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury, which was most common in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered," Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, told HealthDay.com.

"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury," Wallinga said. "The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients."

Wallinga and his team are calling for immediate changes by industry and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help stop preventable mercury contamination in our food supply.

In the meantime, what is a yogurt lover to do?

Yogurt is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin-vitamin B2, iodine, pantothenic acid-vitamin B5, zinc, potassium, protein and molybdenum--nutrients that make it a health-supportive food. High quality yogurt also contains live bacterial cultures, which can help restore your good bacteria levels.

But all yogurts aren’t created equal.

The ingredients in Yoplait Whips! Light & Fluffy Lemon Meringue Yogurt, for example, lists: yogurt low fat [milk reduced fat grade a pasteurized cultured, sugar, milk non-fat, corn syrup high fructose, cornstarch modified, gelatin kosher, lemon(s) juice concentrate, natural flavor(s), potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), turmeric extract (color(s)), vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3], lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, nitrogen.

Dannon’s Fruit on the Bottom Blueberry, meanwhile, contains cultured grade A low fat milk, blueberries, sugar, fructose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, contains less than 1% of modified corn starch, pectin, kosher gelatin, sodium phosphate, malic acid, natural flavor, calcium phosphate.

So ditch HFCS-containing yogurts (Yogurt and HFCS). Choose yogurt brands that have no added sugars. Or better yet, opt for plain Greek yogurt and add your own fruits or nuts.

Why does this matter to you? Because according to HealthDay.com, Americans consume an average of 12 teaspoons of HFCS per day, while teens can take in as much as 80 percent more HFCS than the average person. Avoid products that contain HFCS altogether. Besides, fructose is a type of sugar that can quickly be made into body fat, so it's definitely something you should avoid if you're trying to lose weight (Bounce Fructose from the Fat-Loss Party)!