"Sickly Sweet" - High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
What is HFCS?
Sweeter than sugar but with a similar glucose /
fructose composition, HFCS is a cheaply produced, large-scale commercial, highly
refined liquid sweetener that has established a roughly equal share to sugar in the U.S. sweetener market.
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Note: Chart shows HFCS amounts consumed before adjustments for loss at consumer
level (e.g. due to spoilage, uneaten etc)
HFCS is produced by
treating corn syrup (98% glucose) with enzymes to convert glucose into fructose.
From a commercial perspective HFCS has several
advantages over sucrose (table sugar).
• Stable in acidic foods
(sugar can hydrolize in acid environments, changing its sweetness /
flavor)
• Being a syrup, it can be pumped
from delivery vehicle to storage/ mixing containers. Also, it is
easily diluted before use.
• Derived from corn, it is a
dependable, renewable, abundant and cheap raw material in the U.S. Midwest.
Sugar production / price is sometimes affected by global
political / climatic concerns.
• Cost-efficient
production
HFCS comes in two main forms:
• HFCS-55
(the main form used in soft drinks) contains 55%
fructose blended with 41%
glucose;
•
HFCS-42 (the main form used in canned fruit in syrup,
ice cream, desserts, and baked goods) contains
42%
fructose and 52% glucose .
Note: HFCS is not the same as corn syrup, which is
almost 100% glucose. And, even though HFCS and sucrose are comprised of similar
percentages of glucose and fructose, HFCS is also not the same as sucrose . . .
Two important differences between sucrose and HFCS
1. Glucose and fructose in sucrose are linked by a glycosidic bond
(At the intestinal wall, the enzyme sucrase breaks (hydrolizes)
this bond to separate the glucose and fructose).
In HFCS, these monosaccharides are mostly free /
unbound.
2. In sucrose, glucose molecules are paired
one-for-one with fructose, which for currently unknown reasons seems to negate
the deleterious health effects seen when consuming high levels of unpaired,
unbound fructose. HFCS in sugar sweetened beverages is usually
HFCS-55 (55% fructose / 41% glucose). Fructose does not cause an
INSULIN
response and studies have demonstrated that consuming HFCS causes appetite to
rage out of control (with the inevitable fat gain from overeating regular food)
--- an effect which does not occur with table sugar.
Consuming HFCS increases our fructose intake ---
associated with various health problems
Just like sugar . . .
Fructose in HFCS is consumed
in much greater quantities than fructose
in natural foods
The U.S. per capita average intake of HFCS is ~22# / year
in 2018 (down from 36#/year in 2000)
USDA data
• Fructose is found
in, for example, fruit (E.g. ~4g in 1 cup strawberries, ~16g in 1/2 a mango)
and honey (1 teaspoon has ~3g ).
Fructose
intake from food sources is limited by the typical amount that can be
eaten
How
much fructose in fruit?
1. Yogurt
2. Breads
3. Frozen pizza
4. Cereal bars
5. Cocktail peanuts
6. Boxed Mac n Cheese
7. Salad dressing
8. Tomato-based sauces
9. Applesauce
10. Canned fruit
• Commercial
fructose
derived from corn is lacking in bulk, making it easier
to consume large quantities of it. Unfortunately, we do indeed consume large
amounts of fructose, present in
so many food and drink products.
Fructose
consumed to excess
has been shown to have several detrimental effects on health:
•
Makes fat faster than
glucose
•
Burdens liver
•
Increases cellular damage/inflammation
Too much
dietary fructose associated
with INSULIN resistance /T2D / obesity, fatty liver and
CVD
