High Fructose Corn Syrup Vs. Sugar Sweetness

For those with a sweet tooth, foods enhanced with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup provide sweetness for heightened flavor. Knowing the difference between the two sweeteners and how each is manufactured can help you determine which sweetener is right for you. Both should be consumed in limited amounts because of their negative effects on health.

Significance

The sugar you add to your morning coffee or favorite dessert recipe comes from two chief sources: sugarcane or sugar beets, according to Green Fudge, a health and wellness website that emphasizes a green approach to living. Also known as sucrose, sugar is added to syrup, beverages and other foods to provide a sweet taste. High-fructose corn syrup, also called corn sugar, is made from corn syrup. High-fructose corn syrup is added to sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and many processed foods, according to MayoClinic.com.

Strength

Table sugar is composed of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose, according to a 2010 article in The Los Angeles Times titled "High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised, study finds." High-fructose corn syrup contains formulations ranging from 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Because fructose is sweeter than glucose, high-fructose corn syrup is sweeter than sugar. Some high-fructose corn syrup formulations may be significantly higher in fructose -- as much as 65 percent. However, some high-fructose corn syrup formulations contain less fructose. This fructose type is known as high-fructose-45, meaning it contains 45 percent fructose and making it slightly less sweet than table sugar.

History

In the 1970s, the United States government began to regulate prices on sugar imports while lowering the price of corn, according to an article in the Covington Reporter in Maple Valley, Washington. For this reason, high-fructose corn syrup was originally manufactured as a lower-cost alternative to using sugar. High-fructose corn syrup was designed to be equal in sweetness to sugar in order to ensure consumers would not detect a difference when high-fructose corn syrup had been substituted for sugar. However, today's formulations may contain higher amounts of fructose than sugar, depending upon the product.

Effects

High-fructose corn syrup has been linked with weight gain, dental cavities, increased triglyceride levels and other adverse health effects. Compared with sugar, some researchers theorize the body responds differently to high-fructose corn syrup, according to the article in the Covington Reporter. These studies theorize the brain does not recognize the sugars and excess calories found in foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup. This means the body does not release leptin, an appetite suppressant that signals the body to stop eating. Therefore, a person consuming foods sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup may eat more than a person who consumes food sweetened with sugar.

Solution

Regardless of the sweetener you use, both sugar and high-fructose corn syrup can cause negative effects on the body when consumed in excess. Consume each sweetener source in moderation by choosing fresh fruits and vegetables over prepackaged and processed foods, according to MayoClinic.com. Carefully read the labels of fruit juices, sodas and breakfast cereals as sugars can be added in order to increase sweetness and enhance flavor. Women should limit their added sugars to no more than 100 calories per day and men should limit themselves to no more than 150 calories per day.