There is a huge debate over whether High Fructose Corn Syrup is less healthy than naturally occurring sucrose found in cane sugar and sugar beets. HFCS has become a very popular less expensive alternative to cane sugar due to the US-imposed tariff on imported sugar, production quotas on domestic sugar, and government corn subsidies and is found in many popular items such as sweetened cereal, jam, ketchup, mayonnaise, bread, soda, and pastries. The media and even the health care industry have been trying to convince us that HFCS is relatively the same as naturally occurring sucrose and is no less healthy. However, while too much sugar in general is not healthy, there is evidence that shows that HFCS may be even more detrimental.
According to a Princeton University study, rats with the same overall caloric intake gained significantly more weight when consuming high-fructose corn syrup than when consuming table sugar. The study didn't really give a definitive explanation for this; however it may be due to the slightly greater proportion of fructose in HFCS. Fructose is much sweeter than glucose, and unlike glucose, which can be used for energy, converted into triglycerides, or stored as fat, fructose seems to turn directly to fat.
While high fructose corn syrup and naturally occurring sucrose both consist of the same two sugar molecules, fructose and glucose, their content ratio and metabolism are different. The molecules in high fructose corn syrup are unbound and come in a ratio of 55-41, fructose to glucose (plus 4% other sugars). Cane sugar or beet sugar is made of a 50-50 ratio of fructose to glucose, which are tightly bound. Because they are tightly bound, the enzymes in your digestive tract must break down the sucrose into fructose and glucose, which are then absorbed into the body. Because the fructose and glucose in high fructose corn syrup are not chemically bound, they are more rapidly absorbed by your blood stream. Fructose goes straight to the liver and causes lipogenesis, the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol. This can cause liver damage and a condition known as fatty liver. Fructose depletes ATP, our body's energy source for important cellular processes. ATP depletion may increase risk for inflammation in the liver, which promotes all kinds of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and premature aging. The liver protects itself by producing Uric Acid, which can lead to grout, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and uric acid stones, a form of kidney stones.
HFCS also has been found to contain contaminants like Mercury because of chlor-alkali products used in its manufacturing. Other strange chemicals have been discovered in testing that are not glucose or fructose.
So the key is moderation. All sugar in excess can be harmful to your health, regardless of whether it’s cane sugar or HFCS. Studies show that HFCS is processed by our bodies differently and with its higher concentration of fructose, it’s better to keep intake at a minimum.
