High fructose corn syrup is a common ingredient in today's food market that's been blamed for the rising rates of obesity in the U.S. today. By understanding what high fructose corn syrup is, it will be easier to understand how it can affect your health.
History
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) became a popular food ingredient in the 1970s when the process for refining corn starch became more widely used. Since refining corn starch became easier, the production of high fructose corn syrup was not only more easily achieved, but also a cheaper process. By the mid-1980s, HFCS was being used as the most common sweetener in food manufacturing due to its low cost and ability to add texture to foods.
Definition
High fructose corn syrup is made from a combination of glucose, from corn, and other sweeteners, such as fructose. Typical HFCS mixtures contain either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, making it very similar to table sugar, which contains about 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. HFCS is produced from corn starch after corn has been processed. Enzymes are added to break down the carbohydrates in corn to a simple sugar known as glucose. Once the glucose solution is formed, enzymes are added to combine some of the glucose to form fructose. The only ingredients added to form HFCS are the enzymes used to break down the corn starch to its basic building blocks and combine glucose to form fructose. This makes HFCS a more natural sugar like other sweeteners.
Comparison
High fructose corn syrup has the same level of sweetness as other sweeteners, such as sugar and honey, as well as the same amount of calories. Most caloric sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup included, contain 4 calories per gram in any food. Because the calorie and sweetness levels are the same, HFCS can be used to sweeten pretty much any food that needs a sweetener. This versatility, added to the lower cost, accounts for its widespread use in foods today.
Uses
High fructose corn syrup is used in a variety of products. The USDA estimates that the average person consumes 179 calories per day from HFCS. In comparison, the USDA estimates that 223 calories are consumed each day by the average person from table sugar. HFCS is used not only as a sweetener, but also as a preservative, flavor enhancer and to add texture to certain foods. Most commonly, HFCS is found in baked goods, yogurt, condiments such as spaghetti sauce and ketchup, caloric beverages and breakfast bars.
Obesity
High fructose corn syrup is found in many of today's foods, but that does not mean that HFCS is the reason for increasing rates of obesity. Both the American Dietetic Association and the American Medical Association have found no evidence that HFCS contributes more to increasing rates of obesity than any other sweetener. Calorie for calorie, HFCS adds no more calories to an individual's day than sugar. By reducing consumption of either HFCS or sugar, weight loss should occur.
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