According to this Washington Post article printed yesterday, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains trace amounts of mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). In two different studies, they found that between one-third and one-half of foods containing HFCS have trace amounts of Hg, the worst culprits being dairy, dressing, and condiments. Almost everything that is processed and non-organic contains HFCS. Look at any label of most "foods" that aren't just food, basically anything you find in the middle sections of the grocery store, rather than the good stuff found around the egdes (ie fruits, veggies, milk, eggs, meat). The real problem is that you don't really know what HFCS foods have Hg and which do not.
So, you may ask, what's the big deal? Well here is what Wikipedia has to say about mercury and how it damages our bodies.
"Mercury is such a highly reactive toxic agent that it is difficult to identify its specific mechanism of damage, and much remains unknown about the mechanism.[9] It damages the central nervous system, endocrine system, kidneys, and other organs, and adversely affects the mouth, gums, and teeth. Exposure over long periods of time or heavy exposure to mercury vapor can result in brain damage and ultimately death. Mercury and its compounds are particularly toxic to fetuses and infants. Women who have been exposed to mercury in pregnancy have sometimes given birth to children with serious birth defects (see Minamata disease).
Mercury exposure in young children can have severe neurological consequences, preventing nerve sheaths from forming properly. Mercury inhibits the formation of myelin, the building block protein that forms these sheaths.[10]
There is some evidence that mercury poisoning may predispose to Young's syndrome (men with bronchiectasis and low sperm count).[11]
Mercury poisoning's effects partially depend on whether it has been caused by exposure to elemental mercury, inorganic mercury compounds (as salts), or organomercury compounds."
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