High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a chemically engineered
sweetener that can be found in most processed food products in America. Due to its commonality and presence in modern
foods and beverages, HFCS is not viewed as dangerous or harmful by many
consumers. The reality of the matter is
that high fructose corn syrup is detrimental to the body due to its chemical
structure and lack of nutritional value.
A common, yet deceiving, claim is that your body cannot tell
the difference between sucrose and corn sugar.
In
an article by Ruby Schuler, it is argued that the structural difference
between high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar is unrecognizable by the
body. This means that both types of
sugar have identical effects on the digestive system and human body as a whole,
which is not the case.
High
fructose corn syrup is structurally different than cane sugar due to the
chemical extraction of the sweetener from the corn stalks. Corn syrup is retrieved from the stalks
through a series of enzymatic reactions.
During extraction, these enzymes catalyze the conversion of about half
of the glucose molecules into fructose. The
result is a sweet syrup comprised of a 55-45 ratio of two separate molecules, fructose and glucose. The free molecules lack any bond between
them, making them adept for immediate absorption into the blood stream.
When fructose is absorbed into the blood stream, it is
immediately shipped off to the liver. In
the liver it triggers lipogenesis, the production of fats such as triglycerides
and cholesterol. Fructose is
metabolized by your body to produce fat, whereas glucose is mostly used for
energy. The chemically altered ratio
of fructose to glucose in HFCS enhances the amount of ‘fatty sugar’ while
simultaneously lowering the amount of ‘energy sugar’.
Cane
sugar is composed of the same two molecules as high fructose corn syrup, except
in equal parts of each. Along with a
one to one ratio of fructose to glucose, molecules of sucrose are
disaccharides, meaning they consist of two simple sugars connected by a
bond. In order for
the sugars to be utilized by the body this bond must be broken by digestive
enzymes, creating an extra metabolic step in the digestion of the sugars.
In a study done by the University of California, two groups of individuals were subjected to a diet consisting of normal food along with three specially prepared drinks per day. Group one was given beverages sweetened with glucose while group two was given beverages sweetened with fructose. All drinks had equal numbers of calories. Within two weeks, the participants consuming beverages sweetened with fructose had developed fat around their abdominal cavity, whereas the glucose subjects did not.
The
Corn Refiners Association claims that high fructose corn syrup is safe and
nutritionally equivalent to sugar.
They misuse select quotes from varying scientists to support this
statement. What they do not explain is
that many of these quotes are taken out of context and are not actually backed
by supportive science at all. David S.
Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School,
is known for his extensive studies and research on the harmful effects and
dangers of sweetened beverages. He was
quoted on www.sweetsurprise.com as
stating “high fructose corn syrup is one of the most misunderstood products in
the food industry.” The Corn Refiners
Association has taken this quote out of the context of his research and placed
it on their website, claiming that it is in support of high fructose corn syrup
when in fact it is quite the opposite. When
asked by Mark Hyman, MD, a personal friend of Professor Ludwig, why Ludwig
was in support of the corn industry his response was that he wasn’t. He explained that his quote was simply
misused and out of context.
HFCS is endorsed by the food industry due to the lack of
nutritional value of the product. High
fructose corn syrup does not trigger the release of leptin, a protein that
sends signals to the brain informing it that the stomach is full. In addition, fructose does not stimulate
insulin secretion. Insulin and leptin
are both crucial in regulating food intake. If the brain does not receive these signals,
food is over consumed. This is a food
and beverage manufacturers dream; HFCS is cheap to produce and causes people to
over consume their product. Overconsumption
of foods containing high fructose corn syrup lead to health risks including increased
appetite, weight gain, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many
more.
Although manufacturers know that corn sugar is detrimental to
health, they support its use in their food and beverage products due to these
properties. With the support of large
scale corporations and manufactures, the corn industry is booming. Public discovery of the dangers of high
fructose corn syrup would be destructive to the food industry. This explains why the corn industry is
spending millions of dollars on misleading campaigns to convince consumers that
HFCS is safe for human consumption.
In
this screenshot of a television commercial promoting high fructose corn syrup,
a father is discussing the safety of HFCS and stating that your body treats it
the same as sugar. He claims that his
own scientific research led him to that conclusion. What the commercial does not want consumers
to know is that it is misleading them. While
the commercial makes claims based on independent research, it is actually a
product of the Corn Refiners Association, making it yet another example of
their false claims and advertisement.
The Corn Refiners Association has gone to great lengths to
project the idea that corn sugar and cane sugar are nutritionally equivalent. They must work to counteract the contrasting
scientific proof to keep their industry alive.
The facts state that high fructose corn syrup is manufactured to be
sweeter than its equivalent in cane sugar due to heightened levels of fructose,
it is cheaper to produce in large quantities, and high fructose corn syrup has
addictive properties. High fructose corn
syrup is a manufacturer’s dream and a consumer’s nightmare.
