Heath Risks Of High Fructose Corn Syrup

Not all sugars are the same. High fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, has become one of the most common sweeteners to replace sucrose, or table sugar. HFCS is in almost everything -- soft drinks, processed foods, condiments, jellies, cereals, yogurt, artificial sweeteners, crackers and even batteries, diapers and medicine. Despite its abundance in the grocery store, consuming this sweet little syrup is associated with a variety of health risks.

Weight Gain

Corn syrup is making Americans fat. A relationship exists between the introduction of high fructose corn syrup into the food supply in 1975 and the increase in U.S. obesity. A 2004 study in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported, "The increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity." The human body does not process HFCS the same way it processes sugar. Fructose requires a different metabolic pathway than other carbohydrates because it skips glycolysis, or normal carbohydrate metabolism. Because of this, fructose is an unregulated source of "acetyl CoA," or the starting material for fatty acid synthesis. Furthermore, by ingesting HFCS, a vicious cycle can ensue. This is because eating HFCS can increase the feelings of hunger. The digestive system has two main hormones that control hunger and appetite. The stomach secretes ghrelin and increases appetite. When the stomach empties, it sends ghrelin out, requesting more food. Leptin tells the brain the body is full. HFCS inhibits leptin secretion, so you never achieve the feeling of satiety. In addition, HFCS never shuts off ghrelin, so the consumer is constantly receiving messages that the body is still hungry.

Diabetes

Another hormone -- insulin -- also controls the release of leptin. The pancreas makes insulin, which controls the level of sugar glucose in the blood. Insulin permits cells to use glucose for energy. Cells cannot utilize glucose without insulin. The failure to make insulin or to respond to it constitutes diabetes mellitus. Soft drinks sweetened with HFCS may contribute to the development of diabetes, particularly in children. In an August 2007 study reported by the American Chemical Society, Tang Ho, Ph.D., found "astonishingly high levels" of reactive carbonyls in beverages containing HFCS, such as soft drinks. These reactive carbonyls also are elevated in the blood of individuals with diabetes and linked to the complications of the disease. "A single can of soda contains about five times the concentration of reactive carbonyls than the concentration found in the blood of an adult person with diabetes."

Liver Disease & Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome includes elevated insulin levels, excess body fat, abnormal cholesterol levels and increased blood pressure. The journal, "Hepatology" noted in June 2010, "The rising incidence of obesity and diabetes coincides with a marked increase in fructose consumption and is higher in individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease." Furthermore, fructose consumption is a contributing environmental risk factor for increased fibrosis of the liver.

Neurotoxicity

HFCS contains chemicals that are neurotoxic, meaning it is poisonous to nerves or nerve tissue, such as mercury. In infants and children, the primary health effect of mercury exposure is impaired neurological development. In fact, The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that minimizing any form of mercury exposure is essential for optimal child health and nervous system development. Symptoms of mercury poisoning may also include impairment of the peripheral vision, disturbances in sensations or "pins and needles" feelings, lack of coordination of movements, impairment of speech, hearing, walking and muscle weakness. Furthermore, HFCS can also increase the neurotoxic effects from organophosphorus pesticides, such as the pesticide parathion. Since non-organic corn often has pesticide treatment, the effects can be accumulative. In 2005, the journal "Toxicology" reported, "Consumption of the common sweetener HFCS can markedly amplify parathion acute toxicity."

Cancer

The most insidious health risk associated with HFCS consumption is it aids in growing and rapidly multiplying cancer cells. Certain cancer cells readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation. An August 2010 study from by UCLA disclosed, "Pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and proliferate." Therefore, cancer patients are encouraged to read food labels closely and limit their intake of foods and beverages containing high fructose corn syrup.