High Fructose Corn Syrup
4/26/2021
High fructose corn syrup. It has become a house-hold expression and in some instances, conjures up the health food demons, turning off people from buying any food product that contains this ingredient.
The fact is, corn syrup is made from (can you guess?) corn! Corn is mentioned often in the Bible – for instance, Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream where seven ears of corn, thin and scorched, swallowing up seven good ears of corn. Of course, the actual grain we now call corn, was first “discovered” when European colonies were established in the “New World” where they were introduced to corn by the local indigenous people. Biblical scholars interpret the term, “corn,” as being a generic term for grain and hence, the Pilgrims in New England and the English settlers in Virginia instinctively called this new variety of grain, by its generic name – corn!
However, one looks at the history of corn, this “staple” food has been around a long time and has always been considered a healthy source of human nourishment. So, what happened over the years – or rather, in recent years – to turn this food into something that many criticize as an unhealthful product?
To be a little more specific, corn- that food that grows abundantly in our country’s mid-west – is really not the culprit. It is something called high-fructose corn syrup or HFCS. HFCS is made from corn starch (aka corn flour) and was first marketed in the early 1970s.
The simple sugar, glucose, that is found in corn, is extracted and refined, leaving a thick and gooey light golden syrup that is known as corn syrup and is 100% glucose. In order to create high fructose corn syrup, enzymes must be added to corn syrup to change some of the glucose into another simple sugar called fructose.
As a sweetener, HFCS is often compared to granulated sugar while offering “advantages” over sugar, such as being cheaper to process and easier to handle during manufacturing as well as during shipment. There are various types of HFCS, denoted by their fructose content (based on dry weight content). Thus, HFCS 42 contains 42% fructose and HFCS 55 having 55% fructose. There is also HFCS 90, which contains 90% fructose. The remaining component is the similar sugar, glucose (when these two sugars are combined, the result is sucrose or common table sugar). HFCS 42 is mainly used for processed foods and breakfast cereals, whereas HFCS 55 and HFCS 90 are used in the production of soft drinks and many candies (that includes jelly beans, chocolate bars and other popular confections). In addition, we find HFCS in many “unsuspecting products like peanut butter, crackers, canned fruit, muffins and nutrition bars. And when reading the ingredient labels, the specific type of HFCS; 42, 55, or 90; is not listed. The United States Food and Drug Administration states that HFCS is a safe ingredient consumption.
OK, HFCS is a highly concentrated form of sugar. Are there truly any problems with sugar? After all, there are many fruits, vegetables as well as other foods that are considered healthy that have a considerable sugar content. The big concern is not the consumption of sugar per se, but rather the consumption of so many food products that contain “added sugar.” These products include sugar to either increase flavor or extend the shelf life.
Sugar has calories and if you have diabetes or a diabetes-related condition (i.e. high blood fat levels), then sugar will increase your blood sugar and your triglycerides, which is a risk factor for heart disease. (Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood.)
In a study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, a direct correlation between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease was noted. Over the course of the 15-year study, people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added sugar. So, the higher the intake of added sugar, the higher the risk for heart disease.
How sugar actually affects heart health is not completely understood, but it appears to have several indirect connections. For instance, high amounts of sugar overload the liver. It turns out that the liver metabolizes sugar the same way as alcohol and converts dietary carbohydrates to fat. Over time, this can lead to a greater accumulation of fat, which may turn into fatty liver disease, a contributor to diabetes, which raises your risk for heart disease.
In addition the consumption of too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation: both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease. Excess consumption of sugar, especially in sugary beverages, also contributes to weight gain by tricking your body into turning off its appetite-control system because liquid calories are not as satisfying as calories from solid foods. This is why it is easier for people to add more calories to their regular diet when consuming sugary beverages.
Therefore, the effects of added sugar intake promotes increased blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease: all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
In 1980, the average American ingested 39 pounds of fructose and 84 pounds of sucrose. By 1994, it was up to 66 pounds of sucrose and 83 pounds of fructose. Today, approximately 25 percent of our caloric intake comes from sugars, the larger portion being fructose.
So, why don’t we just refrain from buying products that contain HFCS? The problem is that HFCS is included in so many of our foods. Catsup, breakfast cereals, and fast food items such as hamburgers and even the buns! This means that trying to reduce the intake of sugar – more specifically, HFCS – is not as easy as it sounds. Due to its low production cost and our fondness for sweetness, HFCS is everywhere and in many instances, we prefer the taste over products that do not have this ingredient. Maybe that’s why fast food items (I’ll leave out specific brand names!) and soft drinks are so popular in America (granted these products are very convenient so people don’t even have to think about what they want to eat – we just find ourselves driving to the local fast food restaurant and ordering).
Here are some facts about HFCS in America:
- Americans consume an average of 50 grams of HFCS every day.
- HFCS now represents more than 40 percent of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the U.S.
- HFCS has been shown to increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.
- Consumption of HFCS increased more than 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the intake changes of any other food or food group and is a main factor in our current obesity epidemic.
- HFCS can cause leaky gut syndrome.
- HFCS contains up to 570 micrograms of health-hazardous mercury per gram.
- HFCS has been shown to promote cancer.
- The average 20-ounce soda contains 15 teaspoons of sugar; all of it HFCS.
It’s one thing to enjoy what we’re eating but when we find HFCS in just about everything we eat, it is no wonder many health agencies in the US are providing warnings and even recommending more stringent controls on our daily intake of HFCS.
Your choice of diet can influence your long term health prospects more than any other action you might take.
C. Everett Koop (13th Surgeon General of the United States – 1982-1989)