Negative Effects of over Reliance on Corn in Food Production Essay Example
Corn, beyond doubt, is one of the biggest stories in human history. The “ruler” of the entire American food chain is corn. From farmyards to supermarkets, countless types of food ingredients and even forage are corn-derived. In 2007, the States alone produced 13 billion bushels of corn. Such massive reap is attributed to corn-farm subsidies by the government, a “legacy” of the Great Depression which gives corn an unnatural edge over other kinds of crops. The policy is, in fact, skewed in favor of the large multinationals. Under this context, the glut of corn lowers the price itself, with a matching decrease in food production costs. Notwithstanding the increasing prevalence of corn, controversies were aroused that corn indeed causes harmful effects on human health and the environment.
In the first place, the public egregiously consumes corn in form of high-fructose corn syrup which gives rise to obesity problems. This kind of corn sweeteners largely replaced natural sugar in soft drinks and processed food. In tremendous quantities, such diet of high-fructose corn syrup and refined carbohydrates leads to an augment of insulin secretion. It would result in a wearing down of the metabolic system by catabolism of elevated amount of glucose in blood. On a more sophisticated fact, there is much likelihood that such astonishing intake of high-fructose corn syrup could also bring about diabetes. Diabetes patients have typically higher risk of developing long term complications like retinal damage, kidney damage and heart failure. Worse still, complications like necrosis on feet may even require amputation. Even though diabetes is treatable, it cannot be fully cured. Since the medication cost of diabetes is extremely expensive, patients would suffer from heavy and chronic financial pressure. The prevalence of diabetes has turned epidemic. Recently, it is having an increasing trend to affect not only adult but also children at an epidemic proportion as well.
Alongside the
In the first place, the public egregiously consumes corn in form of high-fructose corn syrup which gives rise to obesity problems. This kind of corn sweeteners largely replaced natural sugar in soft drinks and processed food. In tremendous quantities, such diet of high-fructose corn syrup and refined carbohydrates leads to an augment of insulin secretion. It would result in a wearing down of the metabolic system by catabolism of elevated amount of glucose in blood. On a more sophisticated fact, there is much likelihood that such astonishing intake of high-fructose corn syrup could also bring about diabetes. Diabetes patients have typically higher risk of developing long term complications like retinal damage, kidney damage and heart failure. Worse still, complications like necrosis on feet may even require amputation. Even though diabetes is treatable, it cannot be fully cured. Since the medication cost of diabetes is extremely expensive, patients would suffer from heavy and chronic financial pressure. The prevalence of diabetes has turned epidemic. Recently, it is having an increasing trend to affect not only adult but also children at an epidemic proportion as well.
Alongside the