You're trying to eat a healthy diet and decrease your sugar intake, and while reading the ingredients on the different labels, you see "glucose syrup," "corn syrup" and "high-fructose corn syrup" listed. You wonder what the differences are among these ingredients and how they compare nutritionally to sugar.
The Definition of Glucose Syrup
Glucose syrup is the liquid form of starch, consisting of carbohydrates. Any form of starch can be used: wheat, potato, rice. Most companies, however, use cornstarch. Candy manufacturers, for instance, prefer glucose syrup over sugar because syrup doesn't crystallize and has a longer shelf life than sugar.
The Development of Corn Syrup and High-fructose Corn Syrup
Corn syrup is made by taking cornstarch and adding acid, enzymes or a combination of acid-enzyme catalysts. The final product is not as sweet as sugar and not very soluble. Fructose, another carbohydrate that can be made from starch, is sweeter than sugar and soluble. Converting 50 percent of the glucose in corn syrup to fructose can increase the sweetness and solubility so the resulting product -- high-fructose corn syrup -- is more comparable to sugar.
The Safety of Glucose Syrup
The most controversial glucose syrup is high-fructose corn syrup. The American Dietetic Association concludes, citing two studies, that high-fructose corn syrup isn't any worse than other nutritive sweeteners. On the other hand, Robert H. Lustig, M.D., of the University of California San Francisco Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism says that sugary foods, especially high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks, are the main cause of the obesity problem in the United States. He calls them "deadly."
The Health Value of Glucose and Corn Syrup
The American Dietetic Association position paper and Lustig may disagree on how detrimental glucose syrup is for you, but they both agree that consuming it in excess will lead to weight gain. Sugar, corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are all "empty calorie" foods, providing energy but very few vitamins, minerals or protein.
References
- Elmhurst College; Virtual Chembook: Carbohydrates - Corn Syrup; Charles E. Ophardt; 2003
- ADA Evidence Analysis Library; What Is the Evidence From Human Subject Research That Consumption of High-fructose Corn Syrup Is Associated With Obesity, Metabolic and Adverse Effects in Adults?; June 2009
- Robert H. Lustig, M.D.; UCSF Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism; San Francisco, California
Member Comments