High Fructose Corn Syrup And Disease

High fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, is made from genetically modified corn that is then processed into a sweetener. It is found in soda, desserts, processed foods, salad dressing, sauces, packaged snacks, cereals, candy and cough syrups. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. citizens ate an average of 40 pounds of HFCS per capita in 2009.

Obesity

Results from a team of researchers published in the "Journal of Clinical Investigation" confirmed the results of other studies previously done on rats. They demonstrated that subjects who consumed HFCS-sweetened beverages gained more weight in the same amount of time than those who consumed the same amount of sugar-sweetened beverages. An increase in abdominal fat and a rise in triglycerides were more notable in HFCS subjects. These characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes.

Leptin Resistance

High fructose corn syrup can also induce leptin resistance in the body, a condition that can lead to obesity, according to researchers from the University of Florida College of Medicine. Leptin is a hormone in the body that helps regulate the balance of food consumption with energy expenditure -- and helps signal that you're full.

High Blood Pressure

Increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup also has been linked to an increase in blood pressure, or hypertension. In a study published in the "American Society of Nephrology" in 2009, researchers discovered that individuals who consumed more than 74 grams of HFCS each day, or roughly the same amount found in 2.5 cans of soda, increased their risk of hypertension. The risk that their pressure would be above 135/85 was increased by 28 percent, and that their pressure would rise above 160/100 increased by 87 percent.

Cancer

In a study released in 2010 in "Cancer Research," scientists found that pancreatic cancers use fructose sugars to activate a pathway to drive cell division and help the cancer grow more quickly. Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that although the cancer cells used both sucrose and fructose for energy, they were utilized quite differently. Using spectrometry and carbon-labeled sugar molecules, the researchers found that the cancer cells used fructose to generate nucleic acids, the building blocks of RNA and DNA that the cancer cells need to divide and spread.