Pure Cane Sugar Vs. High Fructose Sugar

Since the 1980s, Americans have increased their consumption of high-fructose sugars significantly. During the same period, obesity has risen to epidemic proportions, causing some to speculate about a connection. Pure cane sugar and high-fructose sugars are more similar than different, and, in terms of health, neither offers an advantage over the other. Limit both forms of sugar in your diet, as they contain calories but few nutrients.

Pure Cane Sugar

Manufacturers of common table sugar, sucrose, use the term "pure cane sugar" to distinguish and market products made from sugar cane. However, it does not matter if the sugar comes from sugar cane, sugar beets or another source. These products are all sucrose and identical in terms of nutrition. Sucrose is 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose.

High-Fructose Sugars

Scientists developed high-fructose sugars with money in mind. The most common form of these sugars is high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, a byproduct of corn manufacturing. Manufacturers use HFCS in their products because it costs less than cane sugar and offers the same sweetness. There are two main varieties of high-fructose corn syrup: HFCS 42 and HFCS 55. HFCS 55 is made of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. In comparison, HFCS 42 is 42 percent fructose and 58 percent glucose, making it lower in fructose than cane sugar.

Differences

Cane sugar and high-fructose sugars differ only slightly in chemical composition. The principal high-fructose sugar in use today, HFCS 55, contains roughly 5 percent more fructose than cane sugar. The main difference between the two is the prevalence in the American diet. Between 1979 and 2000, consumption of HFCS increased by an estimated 4,000 percent. Over the same time period, consumption of cane sugar decreased by an estimated 35 percent.

Similarities

Both cane sugar and high-fructose sugars supply 4 calories per gram. In terms of sweetness, HFCS 55 and cane sugar are roughly equivalent. In a 2008 report, a council of the American Medical Association concluded that, because the composition of HFCS and cane sugar are so similar, neither puts you at greater risk for disease over the other. This is not to say that eating large amounts of either or cane sugar or HFCS is a good idea. To the contrary, you should limit your consumption of both, as they are highly processed foods devoid of nutritional value, supplying only calories.