High Fructose Corn Syrup: The New Scapegoat to Obesity

Recently, the majority of the United States population has been increasingly concerned with the affect of the controversial issue surrounding high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in their diet. Today, about 55 percent of Americans list the infamous sweetener among their food-safety worries, right behind mad cow disease and mercury in seafood, according to the consumer research firm NPD Group (Parker-Pope, 2010). It has caused a major stir in the media, nutritionist and dietitians, food manufacturers, corn refiners and above all, consumers. As a result, there have been opposing conclusions amongst researchers. Of course, there are always two sides of the story. Hence, researchers have conducted numerous and time-consuming lab experiments on rats and human subjects alike to contradict each other’s studies and conclusions. It is a matter of which side to believe and how reliable the information presented.
For starter, research claims that HFCS is linked to obesity. However, on the other side of the spectrum, researchers claim that HFCS is nothing less than a table sugar in a liquid form and it actually provides many benefits to processed foods. Although they are in strong opposition, both seem to agree on one thing: Consumption of HFCS moderately may reduce obesity. In doing my research, I learned that high fructose corn syrup is not as dreadful as many inadequately informed consumers make it out to be. The key to avoiding obesity is to maintain a healthy diet, which includes either avoiding food high in sugar, or have it in moderation, and include a regular exercise in your lifestyle. Obesity has been a rising concern in the United States over the past few decades, but no one is able to pinpoint a single factor to the cause of this major epidemic. Some researchers continue to put forth the theory that HFCS causes obesity. One particular report on several experiments published by Princeton University states that, “the experiments suggest that high-fructose corn syrup prompts more weight gain than sucrose, at least in rats, even when the animals eat the same number of calories over all” (Parker-Pope, 2010). They speculate that the body metabolizes the calories in high-fructose corn syrup differently than the same amount of calories in regular sugar, prompting the body to pad on extra pounds. The experiments done by Princeton University, however, failed to provide adequate scientific research. This particular experiment performed experiments on rodents, which by nature, have differentiating anatomies with humans. Therefore, how could one conclude a disparaging statement against the effect of high fructose corn syrup in humans based solely on experimental results from rodents? Critics of the Princeton study say the findings are inconsistent - some of the rat groups, after all, showed no differences in weight gain.
However, according to an article by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2004), based on US Department of Agriculture food consumption table from 1967 to 2000, our intake in sweetened beverages has dramatically increased. The consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group. HFCS now represents > 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the United States. Our most conservative estimate of the consumption of HFCS indicates a daily average of 132 kcal for all Americans aged 2 y, and the top 20% of consumers of caloric sweeteners ingest 316 kcal from HFCS/d. The increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity… Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric overconsumption. Thus, the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. George A Bray, Samara Joy Nielsen, and Barry M Popkin,
The American Journal of Nutrition (AJN), 2004

Clearly, the above-referenced research indicates that overconsumption of beverages that are high in HFCS, just like any other form of sugar, is detrimental to your waistline. According to the conclusion of Bray et al. (2004), when HFCS is present in solid foods, they suspect that it should not pose the same problem as it would in a liquid form. They also concluded that it is becoming increasingly clear that soft drink consumption may be an important contributor to the epidemic of obesity, in part through the larger portion sizes of these beverages and through the increased intake of fructose from HFCS and sucrose. If HFCS acts as an agent in the disease, then reducing exposure to this agent may help to reduce the epidemic. We, of course, fail to recognize that environmental factors play into the equation of this ever-growing epidemic. Such environmental factors are “reduced levels of physical activity, a decrease in smoking, increased portion size, eating outside the home and at fast-food restaurants, and changes in the types of food that are ingested” (Bray et al, 2004). Taking the previous experiment into consideration, my own research on the subject has lead me to firmly believe that high fructose corn syrup is otherwise not a malicious ingredient as it is portrayed on the media and a few inconclusive experiments. Generally, when people watch news and obtain new information, they tend to believe that everything they hear and see via other’s perceptions is true. They fail to gather additional information based on the subject. It then becomes a word of mouth from here on out, omitting important facts and details. There have been times when I have been guilty of this biased thinking as well. Having children and aware of the fact that HFCS could be damaging to their health and mine, I became more intrigued with this controversial ingredient. Therefore, I have decided to do an extensive research through numerous websites, articles, and periodicals. What I found in most of my search results was that HFCS is virtually close to sugar and honey---that they have the same chemical compound---about half fructose and half glucose. The human body processes HFCS, sucrose (found in table sugar), and milk just about the same as well. There were no significant differences in satiety or feeling fuller (AJCN, 2004).
I also learned that corn is considered “natural because it’s made from corn, a natural grain product. It contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets the Food and Drug Administration’s requirements for use of the term “natural.” Besides its versatility and value, it plays a key role in the integrity of food and beverage products and has little to do with sweetening” (http://www.sweetsurprise.com).
High fructose corn syrup offers numerous benefits. It keeps food fresh, enhances fruit and spice flavors, retains moisture in bran cereals, helps keep breakfast and energy bars moist, maintains consistent flavors in beverages and keeps ingredients evenly dispersed in condiments. The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) Despite the fact that there are more published prestigious peer-reviewed journals to validate that HFCS is safe and nutritionally equal to sugar, the public remains misinformed about the relationship of sweeteners and the complexity of obesity. “Contrary to its name, high fructose corn syrup is not high in fructose at all. Instead, it has half fructose corn syrup and half glucose, which is similar to sugar (http://www.sweetsurprise.com). To eliminate the public misconception of this ingredient, The Corn Refiners Association petitioned the FDA to use “corn sugar” as an alternate name for high fructose corn syrup. As an added measure to eliminate public confusion, the company is asking help from consumers to help rename the ingredient (Parker-Pope, 2010). They hope to put an end to the misconception of the controversial HFCS. In conclusion, I think that a few oversimplified and inconsistent research of high fructose corn syrup yielded in a bad reputation of the mentioned ingredient among concerned consumers. The complexity of obesity requires further study to understand its causes. We simply cannot zone in on a single ingredient to say the least. My research concluded that the benefits of high fructose corn syrup and the many positive comments by nutritionists and professionals outweigh the “negative” side of it. After all, “fructose is the primary sugar found in fruits, which provide valuable nutrients. In this case, a little fructose is fine. It becomes a problem only when someone consumes high levels of fructose or HFCS (Mohr, 2008). The key to staying healthy is to eat right, exercise regularly, and consume sweets in moderation, or try to eliminate it all together.

References

Bray, G. A., Joy, N. S., & Popkin, B. M. (2004, April). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 4, 537-543,. Retrieved September 24, 2010, from American Society for Clinical Nutrition: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/4/537

The Corn Refiners Association. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2010, from SweetSurprise.com: http://www.SweetSurprise.com/myths-and-facts/top-hfcs-myths

Mohr, C. R. (2008, August 20). The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup. Retrieved September 25, 2010 , from Diabetes Health: http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/08/20/4274/the-dangers-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup/

Parker-Pope, T. (2010, September 21). In Worries About Sweeteners, Think of All Sugars. New York Times, p. 5. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database, Devry University Libraries.

Parker-Pope, T. (2010, September 15). Makers Seek New Name For a Syrup. New York TImes, p.1. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database, Devry University Libraries.