High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), or its rebranded name, corn sugar, gets more bad press than any other sweetener with Aspartame seemingly a close second. The average American consumes roughly sixty pounds of high-fructose corn syrup a year. Princeton University researchers highlighted a significant correlation between the increased use of HFCS and a rise in obesity rates of 33%. The purpose of this article is to explore whether or not HFCS is worse than sugar, and if so, by how much.
The FDA allows HFCS' use in just about everything. It is always found in very poor-quality foods with limited nutrition and can contain high levels of other negative substances, including fat, sodium, and other chemicals, even mercury. High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks as well as salad dressings, breads, and breakfast cereals.
HFCS does not differ significantly from sucrose (table sugar) from a chemical standpoint. It has about 5% more fructose and 5% less glucose. It's sweetness level is about the same as honey, while its glycemic index is a fair amount higher than table sugar (75 vs. 60). In order to make HFCS, it must undergo significant processing as all of the fructose contained within the syrup is artificially added. Fructose does not naturally occur in corn starch.
A 2011 study gave volunteers 25% of their daily calories in glucose, fructose, or high fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages. In just two weeks, researchers indicated that the consumption of fructose and high fructose corn syrup increased cholesterol and subsequently, risk of cardiovascular disease. The participants who received glucose did not register such changes.
The body absorbs table sugar and HFCS differently, but they both digest rapidly, leaving little difference in blood sugar levels. But because fructose is added to the glucose (as is typical in HFCS production) and not naturally bonded, it allows the fructose to mainline directly to the liver, causing a domino effect: lipogenesis, a fatty liver, and ultimately, diabetes. It is also believed by many scientists that HFCS does not stimulate insulin production, meaning your body will not know it's full and can lead to overeating.
Overall, research seems to suggest that HFCS is worse than sugar by a sizable degree, but it is important to note that sugar is not a health food. While it is the lesser of two evils in this case, it still carries a host of risks if used in moderate to high levels. Both can be very damaging to our bodies, causing obesity, liver damage, and heart disease, among other dangerous health conditions.
It is important to note that some people try to avoid all sugar and limit fruit because the majority of the carbs in fruit are sugar, but there appears to be a distinct difference in how the body metabolizes the sugar in fruit versus added sugar in a processed food or drink, like coffee. The sugar that needs to be limited is added sugar through any type of natural or artificial sweetener, not those that are naturally occurring.
The FDA allows HFCS' use in just about everything. It is always found in very poor-quality foods with limited nutrition and can contain high levels of other negative substances, including fat, sodium, and other chemicals, even mercury. High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks as well as salad dressings, breads, and breakfast cereals.
HFCS does not differ significantly from sucrose (table sugar) from a chemical standpoint. It has about 5% more fructose and 5% less glucose. It's sweetness level is about the same as honey, while its glycemic index is a fair amount higher than table sugar (75 vs. 60). In order to make HFCS, it must undergo significant processing as all of the fructose contained within the syrup is artificially added. Fructose does not naturally occur in corn starch.
A 2011 study gave volunteers 25% of their daily calories in glucose, fructose, or high fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages. In just two weeks, researchers indicated that the consumption of fructose and high fructose corn syrup increased cholesterol and subsequently, risk of cardiovascular disease. The participants who received glucose did not register such changes.
The body absorbs table sugar and HFCS differently, but they both digest rapidly, leaving little difference in blood sugar levels. But because fructose is added to the glucose (as is typical in HFCS production) and not naturally bonded, it allows the fructose to mainline directly to the liver, causing a domino effect: lipogenesis, a fatty liver, and ultimately, diabetes. It is also believed by many scientists that HFCS does not stimulate insulin production, meaning your body will not know it's full and can lead to overeating.
Overall, research seems to suggest that HFCS is worse than sugar by a sizable degree, but it is important to note that sugar is not a health food. While it is the lesser of two evils in this case, it still carries a host of risks if used in moderate to high levels. Both can be very damaging to our bodies, causing obesity, liver damage, and heart disease, among other dangerous health conditions.
It is important to note that some people try to avoid all sugar and limit fruit because the majority of the carbs in fruit are sugar, but there appears to be a distinct difference in how the body metabolizes the sugar in fruit versus added sugar in a processed food or drink, like coffee. The sugar that needs to be limited is added sugar through any type of natural or artificial sweetener, not those that are naturally occurring.
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