High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks. As use of high-fructose corn syrup has increased, so have levels of obesity and related health problems, leading some to wonder if there’s a connection.
In the United States, HFCS is among the sweeteners that have primarily replaced sucrose (table sugar) in the food industry. Factors for this include governmental production quotas of domestic sugar, subsidies of U.S. corn, and an import tariff on foreign sugar, all of which combine to raise the price of sucrose to levels above those of the rest of the world, making HFCS cheapest for many sweetener applications
Good And Bad News Of High Fructose Corn Syrup
What Is High Fructose Corn Syrup?High fructose corn syrup is an ingredient that’s used to sweeten many drinks and foods. As the name implies, high fructose corn syrup is part of the corn syrup family. However, high fructose corn syrup is completely different from regular corn syrup. Although both start out with the same ingredients – cornstarch and enzymes – high fructose corn syrup is made through a more complex process in which glucose must be turned into fructose via another enzyme. Once high fructose corn syrup is made, it’s added to many processed foods:
Soft drinks
Juices
Cereal
Ketchup
Bread
Cakes, cookies and ice cream
Salad dressing
Crackers
Yogurt
Applesauce
Sweetened pickles
Yogurt
Processed meat
Being that high fructose corn syrup is a sweetener, it’s not surprising that it’s found in cakes, ice cream and other desserts. But what is surprising is that it can be found in bread, salad dressing and even pickles. Well, high fructose corn syrup provides a softer, chewier texture to baked goods and produces an even browning on breads, cakes and cookies. The sugars act as a preservative and provide stability to meats, yogurt and other foods that have a short shelf life.
The Good News
High-fructose corn syrup, also known as HFCS is a sweetener obtained from corn.HFCS is shrouded in myths about its negative health impact; some say it causes obesity, diabetes, genetically modified and so on. Let us debunk these myths and prove once for all that indeed high fructose corn syrup is healthy and that what others say is just hype bereft of any scientific evidence:
Does not cause Obesity and Weight Gain. Contrary to common belief, high fructose corn syrup does not contribute to obesity and weight gain. At least there is not yet any scientific evidence to co-relate consumption of HFCS and these two conditions. In fact there are increasing cases of obesity and weight gain with decline in the use of HFCS.
It’s Natural. Critics of high fructose corn syrup say that it has synthetic sweeteners as well as additives. The truth of the matter is that HFCS is a natural sweetener, certified by various organizations such as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Bad News
Some studies have linked high fructose corn syrup to all kinds of health problems such as obesity, diabetes and ADHD. Let’s look at each of these claims individually:
Obesity – Researchers at Princeton University conducted a study on lab rats who consumed both sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. The rats that consumed the high fructose corn syrup gained much more weight than the rats that consumed sucrose. This led the researchers to believe that high fructose corn syrup has played a role in the obesity epidemic in America. However, experts have claimed that this study was flawed for a number of reasons, including the fact that the researchers failed to report on the rats’ change in weight or comparisons to control groups.
High dietary intake of fructose is problematic because fructose is metabolized differently from glucose. Like fructose, glucose is a simple sugar. Derived from the breakdown of carbohydrates, glucose is a primary source of ready energy. Fructose, on the other hand, is more rapidly metabolized in the liver, flooding metabolic pathways and leading to increased triglyceride synthesis and fat storage in the liver. This can cause a rise in serum triglycerides, promoting an atherogenic lipid profile and elevating cardiovascular risk. Increased fat storage in the liver may lead to an increased incidence in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and this is one of several links between HFCS consumption and obesity as well as the metabolic syndrome.
So the jury is still out as to whether high fructose corn syrup itself causes obesity or weight gain. However, it has been shown that high fructose corn syrup disrupts the feeling of fullness, and if you don’t feel full, you’re likely to eat more, which does indeed lead to weight gain and even obesity.
Let’s discuss how the sweetness of high-fructose corn syrup comes with a dear price to your health, possibly worsening the illnesses you’re already experiencing! Without knowing it, the HFCS in your body may be setting the stage for health problems including:
Diabetes. Know how HFCS worsens diabetes, which is mainly rooted in insulin problems.
Metabolic syndrome. Learn why you should say no to HFCS-containing soft drinks and other foods that may cause this condition.
Damage to your immune system. Acquaint yourself with how asthma, food allergies, multiple sclerosis and other immune system problems are triggered by use of sugars such as HFCS!
Speed-up aging process. Know through this report how HFCS and other sugars and grains accelerate the aging process.
A load of dangerous mercury poisons. Find out how mercury is found in samples of commercial HFCS, and get the shock of your life with the many life-threatening conditions mercury poisoning entails!
The Bottom Line High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a caloric sweetener derived from corn. It is suitable for use in a wide range of beverages and foods, including ready-to-eat cereals, meat products, sauces, condiments, soft drinks and other beverages. Although HFCS has replaced sucrose in many prepared foods and beverages in the U.S., sucrose remains the primary sweetener used in the U.S. and around the world.
High fructose corn syrup may not be as bad as what some of the naysayers would like you to believe, but it’s also not as harmless as what the Corn Refiners Association would like you to believe, either. Keep in mind that, at the end of the day, high fructose corn syrup is still a sweetener and no sugar, artificial or natural, is good for you in excess.
In the United States, HFCS is among the sweeteners that have primarily replaced sucrose (table sugar) in the food industry. Factors for this include governmental production quotas of domestic sugar, subsidies of U.S. corn, and an import tariff on foreign sugar, all of which combine to raise the price of sucrose to levels above those of the rest of the world, making HFCS cheapest for many sweetener applications
Good And Bad News Of High Fructose Corn Syrup
What Is High Fructose Corn Syrup?High fructose corn syrup is an ingredient that’s used to sweeten many drinks and foods. As the name implies, high fructose corn syrup is part of the corn syrup family. However, high fructose corn syrup is completely different from regular corn syrup. Although both start out with the same ingredients – cornstarch and enzymes – high fructose corn syrup is made through a more complex process in which glucose must be turned into fructose via another enzyme. Once high fructose corn syrup is made, it’s added to many processed foods:
Juices
Cereal
Ketchup
Bread
Cakes, cookies and ice cream
Salad dressing
Crackers
Yogurt
Applesauce
Sweetened pickles
Yogurt
Processed meat
Being that high fructose corn syrup is a sweetener, it’s not surprising that it’s found in cakes, ice cream and other desserts. But what is surprising is that it can be found in bread, salad dressing and even pickles. Well, high fructose corn syrup provides a softer, chewier texture to baked goods and produces an even browning on breads, cakes and cookies. The sugars act as a preservative and provide stability to meats, yogurt and other foods that have a short shelf life.
The Good News
High-fructose corn syrup, also known as HFCS is a sweetener obtained from corn.HFCS is shrouded in myths about its negative health impact; some say it causes obesity, diabetes, genetically modified and so on. Let us debunk these myths and prove once for all that indeed high fructose corn syrup is healthy and that what others say is just hype bereft of any scientific evidence:
It’s Natural. Critics of high fructose corn syrup say that it has synthetic sweeteners as well as additives. The truth of the matter is that HFCS is a natural sweetener, certified by various organizations such as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Bad News
Some studies have linked high fructose corn syrup to all kinds of health problems such as obesity, diabetes and ADHD. Let’s look at each of these claims individually:
Obesity – Researchers at Princeton University conducted a study on lab rats who consumed both sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. The rats that consumed the high fructose corn syrup gained much more weight than the rats that consumed sucrose. This led the researchers to believe that high fructose corn syrup has played a role in the obesity epidemic in America. However, experts have claimed that this study was flawed for a number of reasons, including the fact that the researchers failed to report on the rats’ change in weight or comparisons to control groups.
High dietary intake of fructose is problematic because fructose is metabolized differently from glucose. Like fructose, glucose is a simple sugar. Derived from the breakdown of carbohydrates, glucose is a primary source of ready energy. Fructose, on the other hand, is more rapidly metabolized in the liver, flooding metabolic pathways and leading to increased triglyceride synthesis and fat storage in the liver. This can cause a rise in serum triglycerides, promoting an atherogenic lipid profile and elevating cardiovascular risk. Increased fat storage in the liver may lead to an increased incidence in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and this is one of several links between HFCS consumption and obesity as well as the metabolic syndrome.
So the jury is still out as to whether high fructose corn syrup itself causes obesity or weight gain. However, it has been shown that high fructose corn syrup disrupts the feeling of fullness, and if you don’t feel full, you’re likely to eat more, which does indeed lead to weight gain and even obesity.
Let’s discuss how the sweetness of high-fructose corn syrup comes with a dear price to your health, possibly worsening the illnesses you’re already experiencing! Without knowing it, the HFCS in your body may be setting the stage for health problems including:
Metabolic syndrome. Learn why you should say no to HFCS-containing soft drinks and other foods that may cause this condition.
Damage to your immune system. Acquaint yourself with how asthma, food allergies, multiple sclerosis and other immune system problems are triggered by use of sugars such as HFCS!
Speed-up aging process. Know through this report how HFCS and other sugars and grains accelerate the aging process.
A load of dangerous mercury poisons. Find out how mercury is found in samples of commercial HFCS, and get the shock of your life with the many life-threatening conditions mercury poisoning entails!
The Bottom Line High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a caloric sweetener derived from corn. It is suitable for use in a wide range of beverages and foods, including ready-to-eat cereals, meat products, sauces, condiments, soft drinks and other beverages. Although HFCS has replaced sucrose in many prepared foods and beverages in the U.S., sucrose remains the primary sweetener used in the U.S. and around the world.
High fructose corn syrup may not be as bad as what some of the naysayers would like you to believe, but it’s also not as harmless as what the Corn Refiners Association would like you to believe, either. Keep in mind that, at the end of the day, high fructose corn syrup is still a sweetener and no sugar, artificial or natural, is good for you in excess.
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