About a year ago I attended the ARI (Autism Research Institute) conference in Dallas and heard a few speakers discuss how our environment is greatly affecting the health of this generation of kids, especially our kids on the Autism Spectrum. I walked away feeling overwhelmed but also armed with knowledge plus a thirst to learn more and motivation to share what I learn. At that conference I heard for the first time that High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – used in everything from soft drinks to candy bars to white bread loaves and a million other processed foods in between – contains Mercury. I remember thinking Mercury? Really?

A known neurotoxin in our soft drinks? Our candies? Our loaves of bread for heaven’s sake? Seems ridiculous, but there is data out there to support it. With Halloween coming up, I wanted to share this oh-so-spooky information because so much of the candy our kids get from door-to-door trick-or-treating will have HFCF as the primary or only sweetener. But, aside from Halloween, this concern – or threat, if you will - is ongoing, in my opinion.

I will say there is debate about how much Mercury is in HFCS and how it gets into the over-used ultra-cheap sweetener. Over the weekend a friend shared an article entitled "The Debate about High Fructose Corn Syrup" from RealMama.org (in the "Bodies" category). It reminded me of why I chose to kick my Dr Pepper addiction which endured for 20 long years. It also reminded me of the fact that most people have no idea that a known neurotoxin is lurking in so many products on the shelves in every supermarket and convenience store in America (especially right now with Halloween-themed aisles piled to the ceilings with goodies galore).

While some may claim that the Mercury levels in HFCS are minimal, my opinion is that we all need to perk up and take notice! Since our spectrum kiddos often cannot process out toxins as well as their typical peers, we must be super careful about what we allow into their delicate systems. Let’s face it, minimal is highly subjective – it is a term that greatly depends on the health and tolerance levels of each individual. What might be minimal to a robust, healthy 7-year-old boy with no health problems or developmental delays is very different to what is minimal for my 7-year-old son with heavy metal burden, yeast overgrowth, bacterial and viral issues. For these reasons, my son never eats or drinks anything with HFCS. I’ll be honest the kid eats a really “clean” diet, always has, but somehow he still tests high for Mercury, Lead and Arsenic. You can bet soft drinks are never allowed in his diet!

On a personal level, it isn’t so easy. I still tend to crave Dr Pepper on occasion and on a very rare occasion, my cravings get the best of me and I’ll drink one. But overall, just thinking that Mercury will be penetrating my system with every sip makes me turn a different direction. I have my own health concerns to consider.

I’m excited to share that I have found some great juice Spritzers in the marketplace lately. When I have one of those incurable thirsts for a sweet, fizzy drink, I turn to R.W. Knudsen Family Spritzers. With several flavors to choose from, these delicious drinks might be the perfect replacement option for you or your child, too.

When it comes to Halloween, we let our little guy trick-or-treat his happy heart out, but what he gets to eat at the end of the night is strictly limited. We often allow him to trade in his loot for some of our healthier, non-HFCS options or trade it in for cool prizes like new books in a favorite series or coveted LEGO sets. The candy we like to give out for Halloween is from Yummy Earth. Our favorites are the Organic Lollipops, Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms. However, I have been known to give away Halloween-themed pencils, stickers, tattoos, rings and finger puppets, too.

On a final note, last month the HFCS people tried to get permission to change the name of their super-processed sweetener. They petitioned to call it “corn sugar” but were denied as another product already claims this name. What I found interesting was that the HFCS folks noted in their press release that the name “High Fructose Corn Syrup” was confusing to consumers. Really? They think we’re confused? Hmmmmm…on some level I guess their right, this whole thing is certainly baffling! But I do personally believe that the stake holders just wanted to see if they could fool more of us into using this potentially dangerous product without realizing it. Call me a skeptic!

I’d love to hear what you think…did you know that HFCS contains Mercury? Do your kids drink soft drinks or eat other foods made with HFCS? Will this change the way you shop for your family? Will it change the way your “treat” the ghouls and goblins that visit your house this Halloween?

Leigh Attaway Wilcox is a Writer and Editor, Children's Book Author, Literacy Specialist and proud mom to a spunky, smart 7-year-old boy who happens to live with Asperger's Syndrome. In addition to blogging here for AutismSpot each week, Leigh writes for the Dallas Moms Blog about a variety of parenting and special needs topics. For more about Leigh, her writing and her family's journey with Autism, visit her website and blog.