Tuesday, September 17, 2013

High Fructose Corn Syrup


     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.