Healthy eating has had a sizable enemy for quite some time, according to a variety of news sources and public advocacy groups. It's called High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). The onslaught against it has been so great that its producers have been attempting to rebrand it, corn sugar, in an attempt to avoid the bad reputation and increase profitability. Researchers at Princeton University released a paper indicating that Americans consume about sixty pounds per year, per person, of HFCS. They also highlight the concurrent rise in usage of HFCS and the rise in obesity rates. I have studied a wide variety of research from both sides of the argument. I will attempt to answer the question, is HFCS worse than sugar?
High Fructose Corn Syrup usage is rampant. The FD does not restrict its usage at all. HFCS's usage is typically in highly-processed junk food. Common ingredients that are often used with it are fat and salt, as well as a host of other chemicals. Sodas and other flavored/sweetened drinks often contain HFCS. It is also found in sauces, dressings, and breakfast bars and cereals.
High Fructose Corn Syrup has some similarities to common table sugar as well as some differences. From a chemical standpoint, table sugar is half fructose and half glucose while HFCS carries a ratio of 55% to 45%, respectively. It is sweeter than sugar and carries a higher glycemic index (GI). One of the major issues with HFCS is that it is highly processed. None of the fructose in it is naturally occurring. It is added in significant quantities during the processing.
In a study completed three years ago, researchers gave subjects a diet that provided 25% of daily energy needs in sweetened beverages. There were three groups: glucose; fructose, and HFCS. Those volunteers in the latter two groups had notable increases in bad cholesterol in just two weeks while the control group, those receiving glucose, saw no negative changes.
Research indicates that both sucrose and HFCS are digested quickly, meaning a similar impact on blood sugar levels, despite moderate differences in GI. That being said, we digest these two ingredients in different manners. There is one less step needed to absorb HFCS because the fructose does not need to be separated from the glucose as is necessary with table sugar. This causes what is called lipogenesis, which can lead to diabetes. Research also indicates that HFCS is linked to overindulging because it does not trigger the production and release of insulin.
Based on existing research, HFCS looks to be more dangerous than sucrose by a fair amount. That being said, sugar is still dangerous. Added sugar should be avoided or used in very small amounts. It still carries significant risk of diabetes, heart complications, and significant weight gain, which creates a host of additional issues.
Some people believe this evidence should be extrapolated to avoiding naturally-occurring sugars, like fruit. You've probably heard the saying, "fruit makes you fat". It does not appear to be true. Fruit does garner most of its nutrition from sugar, but the body appears to digest natural sugars dramatically differently than added sugar in a soda or other processed food. Naturally-occurring sugar in fruit is healthy and necessary for your body. Added sugar and artificial sweeteners are not.
High Fructose Corn Syrup usage is rampant. The FD does not restrict its usage at all. HFCS's usage is typically in highly-processed junk food. Common ingredients that are often used with it are fat and salt, as well as a host of other chemicals. Sodas and other flavored/sweetened drinks often contain HFCS. It is also found in sauces, dressings, and breakfast bars and cereals.
High Fructose Corn Syrup has some similarities to common table sugar as well as some differences. From a chemical standpoint, table sugar is half fructose and half glucose while HFCS carries a ratio of 55% to 45%, respectively. It is sweeter than sugar and carries a higher glycemic index (GI). One of the major issues with HFCS is that it is highly processed. None of the fructose in it is naturally occurring. It is added in significant quantities during the processing.
In a study completed three years ago, researchers gave subjects a diet that provided 25% of daily energy needs in sweetened beverages. There were three groups: glucose; fructose, and HFCS. Those volunteers in the latter two groups had notable increases in bad cholesterol in just two weeks while the control group, those receiving glucose, saw no negative changes.
Research indicates that both sucrose and HFCS are digested quickly, meaning a similar impact on blood sugar levels, despite moderate differences in GI. That being said, we digest these two ingredients in different manners. There is one less step needed to absorb HFCS because the fructose does not need to be separated from the glucose as is necessary with table sugar. This causes what is called lipogenesis, which can lead to diabetes. Research also indicates that HFCS is linked to overindulging because it does not trigger the production and release of insulin.
Based on existing research, HFCS looks to be more dangerous than sucrose by a fair amount. That being said, sugar is still dangerous. Added sugar should be avoided or used in very small amounts. It still carries significant risk of diabetes, heart complications, and significant weight gain, which creates a host of additional issues.
Some people believe this evidence should be extrapolated to avoiding naturally-occurring sugars, like fruit. You've probably heard the saying, "fruit makes you fat". It does not appear to be true. Fruit does garner most of its nutrition from sugar, but the body appears to digest natural sugars dramatically differently than added sugar in a soda or other processed food. Naturally-occurring sugar in fruit is healthy and necessary for your body. Added sugar and artificial sweeteners are not.
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Please see my website for additional information at reading food label ingredients or my blog at are artificial sweeteners bad for you
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