Does High Fructose Corn Syrup Cause Weight Gain?

High fructose corn syrup, or HFCS and corn sugar, is a common sweetener added to processed foods and drinks. It has a similar chemical structure to sugar, honey and concentrated fruit juices. Because of its similar composition, the U.S Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, recognizes it as safe. However, studies support the argument that your body may not react the same to HFCS; a metabolic difference may cause weight gain.

Weight Gain

Consuming large amounts of any sugar can lead to weight gain. However, according to a study published in the February 2010 journal, "Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior," the Princeton University research team demonstrated rats gained significantly more weight, with access to HFCS, than rats with access to table sugar, though their caloric intake was the same. In the study, one group of rats received water sweetened with HFCS, while another group had water sweetened with table sugar. An increase in adipose fat, notably in the abdominal region, accompanied the increase in body weight with HFCS.

Obesity

Obesity is a major epidemic in the United States, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sixty-eight percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Though the cause is unclear, researchers believe HFCS is a contributing factor. A study that analyzed the relation between HFCS consumption and obesity published in the April, 2004 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" concluded there is a strong correlation between consumption of HFCS and the obesity epidemic.

Findings

The study found that consumption of HFCS increased 1,000 percent between its introduction in 1970 to 1990, far exceeding the changes in any other food, which mirrors the rise in weight gain and obesity. HFCS represents more than 40 percent of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in most soft drinks in the United States. Between 1970 and 2000, the rate of consumption went from 0.292 kg. a year to over 73 lb. per person annually.

Metabolic Difference

From a biological perspective, the study indicates that fructose and glucose are not metabolized the same way. Unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, or leptin, a hormone that helps regulate energy use and appetite. According to the study, another major difference is that glucose enters cells via a transport mechanism, glut-4, which is insulin-dependent in most tissues and triggers the breakdown for energy usage. Conversely, fructose enters cells via a different transport mechanism, glut-5, which is not insulin-dependent.