Is high fructose corn syrup as harmful as its reputation suggests? Monica revisits the HFCS debate to separate science from misinformation. Learn how HFCS compares to table sugar, why its name might be misleading, and what really matters when it comes to added sugars in your diet.
Is high fructose corn syrup as harmful as its reputation suggests? Monica revisits the HFCS debate to separate science from misinformation. Learn how HFCS compares to table sugar, why its name might be misleading, and what really matters when it comes to added sugars in your diet.
Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast, a show where we take a closer look at nutrition news, research, and trends so that you can make more informed decisions about what you eat. I’m your host, Monica Reinagel, and having now been in the business and on this beat for almost 20 years, one of the things that I’ve noticed is the cyclical nature of certain nutrition concerns and the misinformation that often accompanies them.
For example, early on in my time doing this podcast, I dedicated several episodes to high fructose corn syrup. And then, this particular concern seemed to fade a bit from the public consciousness. But now, recent events have revived the conversation about banning high fructose corn syrup from the food supply. And some of the arguments for this position are not based in scientific fact. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to revisit this topic and clarify some of the most common misperceptions.
When you are cooking or baking at home and the recipe calls for sugar, you will probably use what’s known as table sugar, which is from either sugar cane or beets. Regardless of the source, table sugar is sucrose, a two-sugar molecule (or, disaccharide) made up of one molecule of glucose joined with one molecule of fructose. Food manufacturers, on the other hand, are more likely to use high fructose corn syrup than cane or beet sugar–primarily because it’s cheaper.
High fructose corn syrup has sometimes been blamedsometimes blamed for fueling a dramatic rise in obesity and Type 2 diabetes–largely because the widespread adoption of high fructose corn syrup in food manufacturing largely coincided with a rise in those disease rates. Of course, this is merely a correlation. However, this argument was bolstered by the observation that high intake of fructose can lead to the accumulation of liver fats and other metabolic damage, which could contribute to obesity or Type 2 diabetes.
You see, fructose is metabolized a little differently than other sugars. Unlike glucose, which is converted into energy in the cells, fructose is metabolized in the liver. Overloading the liver with a whole bunch of fructose, therefore, could indeed lead to all kinds of problems.
But the name “high fructose corn syrup” can be misleading. Many people believe, for example, that it is much higher in fructose than regular table sugar. But this is not the case.
Corn syrup is naturally quite low in fructose. The corn syrup you can buy at the grocery store, for example, typically contains less than 1% fructose! The rest is all glucose. And for that reason, unaltered corn syrup would be a very bad substitute for cane sugar. For one thing, corn syrup isn’t nearly as sweet tasting as table sugar, because glucose doesn’t taste as sweet as fructose.
To make corn syrup into an acceptable replacement for cane sugar, manufacturers developed an enzymatic process that converts some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose, making it more similar to cane, or table sugartable, sugar. Table sugar, you’ll remember, is 50% fructose. High fructose corn syrup, on the other hand, ranges from 42 to 55% fructose. It’s essentially equivalent. But that name (high fructose corn syrup) continues to confuse people.
Some have also suggested that the free fructose in HFCS is more rapidly absorbed than the bound fructose in table sugar. But any slight difference in absorption speed is unlikely to matter–the total amount of fructose reaching the liver remains the same.
To the extent that anyone’s liver is being overloaded by excessive fructose, it is likely due to the amount of added sugars we are consuming, and not the form or type of added sugar we are consuming.
In researching this article, I was surprised how much misinformation is out there. For example, an article on one highly regarded outlet stated that “Studies show that high fructose corn syrup increases your appetite and promotes obesity more than regular sugar.” However, the studies that they were referring to were comparing pure fructose to pure glucose–not HFCS to table sugar. Outside of laboratory experiments, you are very unlikely to ever be consuming pure fructose or pure glucose. And consuming them together alters their absorption and metabolism.
Here’s the thing that people don’t seem to get. Replacing all the high fructose corn syrup in the food supply with cane sugar is not going to meaningfully reduce the amount of fructose in the food supply. Both cane sugar and HFCS contain similar amounts of fructose and the body processes them in comparable ways.
Now, replacing HFCS with cane sugar would make sweetened foods and beverages more expensive. And that, I suppose, could theoretically reduce consumption. There is limited evidence that things like “soda taxes,” which attempt to make sugar sweetened beverages less appealing by making them more expensive, do reduce the sale of these products.
On the other hand, when these taxes are imposed, it appears that people often just switch to other types of beverages that are not included in the policy, with little net reduction in sugar or calorie intake or, for that matter, on obesity rates. So, I’m not convinced that this makes sense as a health policy move. (Nor, for that matter, would it seem to be consonant with the “health freedoms” that many advocates of this policy say that they value.)
But the larger point that I want to make here is that HFCS is not a uniquely dangerous form of sugar. It is not meaningfully higher in fructose than table sugar. Agave nectar, on the other hand, which is widely perceived to be a healthier option, is far higher in fructose than either sugar or HFCS, at about 90% fructose.
But if you are concerned about your liver, metabolic health or obesity risks, my best advice is to simply keep your intake of all added sugars (including table sugar and HFCS but also honey, agave, coconut sugar, and maple syrup) to within the recommended limits. And if you are following these guidelines, it makes very little difference whether the added sugars in your diet are coming from cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, agave, honey, or any other source.
What are those guidelines again? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (along with the World Health Organization) recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 10% of daily calories. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this equates to no more than 200 calories, or about 50 grams (12 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.
The American Heart Association, for what it’s worth, recommends stricter limits, suggesting that women should consume no more than 100 calories (about 25 grams or 6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.and men should consume no more than 150 calories (about 38 grams or 9 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.
These recommended limits do not include naturally occurring sugars found in whole fruits, vegetables, and unsweetened dairy products.
You can check nutrition facts labels to see the amount of added sugar in packaged foods. But I can probably save you some time: The biggest source of added sugars in the American diet are sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages. (A single 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 39 grams of added sugar.) The next biggest source are sweets and desserts–you’ll want to enjoy those in moderation and be mindful of portion sizes.
It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on your added sugar consumption. But, in my opinion, spending a lot of time, money, or energy to find (or legislate!) products made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup is unlikely to yield much benefit.
If you have a question you'd like me to answer, you can email me at nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com You can also leave me a message at 443-961-6206
Nutrition Diva is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Our team includes Brannan Goetschius, Nathan Semes, Davina Tomlin, Holly Hutchings, and Morgan Christianson.and Nathaniel Hoopes.
That's all for this episode. Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week.