First, let’s get clear on definitions for sugar and high fructose corn syrup (or HFCS). Table sugar, which is technically known as “sucrose,” is made from a recipe that’s 50% glucose and 50% fructose. High Fructose Corn Syrup, on the other hand, is made from a recipe of 45% glucose and 55% fructose. The other difference is that table sugar/sucrose typically comes from beets and HFCS comes from corn. HFCS was developed to taste like sugar, and it does. It was introduced to the U.S. food market in 1978, and in less than 10 years half of all calorically sweetened food and drink products in the U.S. were made with HFCS.
This is especially true for so-called low-fat, healthy foods like yogurts, juice drinks, snack bars, and cereals. If you take the time to look at the ingredients list of foods that come in a package, it’s highly likely you’ll see corn syrup or HFCS listed as one of the first three foods in the recipe. The ingredients list is always on the back of the food package. It’s always in the smallest print, and it’s sometimes hidden under a flap. Nonetheless, this is the most important information on the package because it’s the one and only way you can figure out what you’re putting in your mouth.
Because of the word “fructose,” people aren’t exactly sure what to think of HFCS. Fructose is a natural sweetening substance found in fruits, and everyone knows we’re supposed to eat lots of fruits to be healthy. Keep in mind this article is focused on the unnatural, excessive amount of fructose that’s added to our food supply by food manufacturers and is not concerned with the fructose that occurs naturally in fruits.
Of course, food manufacturers take advantage of the healthy association with fruit and do their best to convince consumers that fructose is a good, smart choice as a sweetening agent. Perhaps you’ve seen the current TV ad campaign where two young, attractive people come to the conclusion that HFCS is okay. It is, after all, “natural.” It has the same calories as sugar, and it’s marketed as being processed by the body the same way as sugar.
Another confusing factor that makes it hard to get a handle on HFCS is the concept of the glycemic index, which is a measure of how fast some carbohydrates break down into blood sugar and prompt an insulin response. The higher the concentration of blood sugar, the bigger the glycemic index.
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Article comments
1 - Cynthia1770
Great summary of the tyranny of HFCS.
Here's more fuel for your fire. Go to ADM's
website. They make Cornsweet90 which is 90% fructose:10% glucose. It's used in low cal
products so manufacturers can provide the same sweeteness with fewer calories. I pity the poor slob who, trying to shed a few ounds, reaches for a bottle of low-fat, low-cal, low-sugar something not knowing that
he will receive a bolus of free fructose which will only contriubute to interruption
of the hunger-satiety hormones, more fat production, and thus added weight.
2 - Cindy
Fructose is the problem because it is metabolized by the liver, whereas all cells can metabolize glucose. Fructose is sweeter than glucose. Table sugar is 50% fructose. HFCS is 55%--but it is sweeter! HFCS will require a smaller amount to sweeten to the same sweetness as table sugar.
Conclusion: 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other. Whatever claims you are making regarding HFCS will be essentially the same with table sugar--since less HFCS = more table sugar. I recommend sweetening your coffee with glucose. Until then, why not cut down on all processed sugars and when you do enjoy them, don't worry about HFCS vs sugar.
3 - Therese (CRA)
Karen,
Our campaign efforts are to clear up the misinformation that surrounds high-fructose corn syrup; in our efforts to present the facts to consumers, we believe our messages have also been misinterpreted.
For example, our goal is not to present high fructose corn syrup as a health food, nor is our goal to increase consumption of high fructose corn syrup. Our goal is to clear up confusion about its role in the food and beverages Americans consume.
As you note, the Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking of foods, beverages and ingredients based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels. The GI measures how much blood sugar increases over a period of two or three hours after a meal. Some scientists believe that selecting foods with a low GI helps in diabetes management.
Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest GI. The benchmark in many indexes is glucose, with a GI of 100. Compared with glucose, the GI of fructose is very low with a value of 20. Sugar and honey, both with similar compositions to high fructose corn syrup, have moderate GI values that range from 55 to 60. Although it has not yet been specifically measured, high fructose corn syrup would be expected to have a moderate GI because of its similarity in composition to honey and sugar. Foster-Powell K, et al. 2002. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. Am J Clin Nutr 76:5-56
It must be kept in mind that the body does not respond to the GI of individual ingredients, but rather to the GI of the entire meal. Since added sugars (principally sugar and high fructose corn syrup) typically contribute less than 20 percent of calories, it is clear that high fructose corn syrup is a minor contributor to the overall GI in a normal diet. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2009. Calories: average daily per capita calories from the U.S. food supply, adjusted for spoilage and other waste. Loss-Adjusted Food Availability Data
We, as do many dietitians agree that all sugars should be consumed in moderation. The important part to note is that scientists continue to confirm that high fructose corn syrup is no different from other sweeteners. It is essentially the same as table sugar and honey, and has the same number of calories.
Continued...
Therese, Corn Refiners Association
4 - Therese (CRA)
Cont...
In fact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data show that per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup has been declining in recent years, yet the incidence of obesity and diabetes in the United States remains on the rise; moreover, many other parts of the world have rising rates of obesity and diabetes, despite having little or no high fructose corn syrup in their foods and beverages. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2009. Table 52 High fructose corn syrup: estimated number of per capita calories consumed daily, by calendar year. Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2009. U.S. Obesity Trends.
Are there any other concerns that you have? As noted above we understand that moderation is important and we see that you are an expert on sugar-free eating. I think Food and Nutrition Columnist, Jo-Ann Heslin says it best, when she notes: "High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sugar, nothing more, nothing less. If you choose not to eat it, I’m fine with that decision. But your decision should be made because you have decided to eat less sweetened foods and drinks, not because you believe HFCS is some dietary devil to be avoided at all costs."
Therese, Corn Refiners Association
5 - Therese (CRA)
Cynthia1770,
I know this has been a concern that you have listed before.
HFCS-90 is used to blend with HFCS-42 to make the 55% fructose syrup, HFCS-55. HFCS-90 is also used in a small number of specialty applications, where it’s added sweetness can be used to reduce calories in a product as you mention, or its higher fructose content can be used to control the freezing point of frozen confections or reduce freezer damage in frozen fruits. These commercial applications use very little HFCS-90, accounting for less than 0.1% of the sales volume of all HFCS combined.
HFCS-55 is used primarily in carbonated beverages and accounts for 60% of the US supply. HFCS-42 is used primarily in breads, jams, yogurts, etc.,…accounts for 40%. You can find additional data at Table 30
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Sugar/data.htm
Therese, Social Media Manager, CRA
6 - Daria
This is a great article. Thank you for posting it. It has confirmed many of my suspicions.