Corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) both start with a corn kernel and end up as a sweetener. Corn syrup shows up in products such as lollipops, where it prevents sugars from crystallizing. Many processed foods, including nearly all soft drinks, contain HFCS. Opinions vary on whether HFCS has properties that make it more likely to contribute to weight gain than corn syrup or other types of carbohydrates.
Calories
Like all carbohydrates, both corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup contain 4 calories per gram. Looked at it strictly from a caloric viewpoint, HFCS is no more fattening than corn syrup.
Composition
Both corn syrup and HFCS are pure carbohydrates, but their sugar composition differs. Corn syrup contains glucose and maltodextrin, while HFCS contains glucose and fructose, a sugar that occurs naturally in fruit. High-fructose corn syrup contains anywhere from 42 to 90 percent fructose, according to Charles Ophardt of Elmhurst College. High-fructose corn syrup undergoes more processing to change glucose to fructose.
Actions
High-fructose corn syrup has developed a reputation as a form of sugar that causes more weight gain than other types of sugar. Critics blame the high amount of fructose for HFCS's potential for increasing weight gain. A study conducted by researchers from Princeton University and reported in the November 2010 issue of "Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior" found that rats given HFCS gained more weight as well as a higher percentage of abdominal fat than those given sucrose. Studies have focused more on the negative aspects of HFCS than on corn syrup.
Considerations
From a caloric standpoint, all sugars have equal fattening potential because they all contain the same number of calories. High-fructose corn syrup has been added to numerous food products since the 1970s, a time period that coincides with a rise in obesity in the United States. Americans consume more than 40 percent of their sugar as HFCS, researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center reported in the April 2004 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." That doesn't mean it's necessarily more fattening than corn syrup or any other sugar, just more ubiquitous, according to registered dietitian Jennifer Nelson, M.S. of the Mayo Clinic.
References
- Elmhurst College; Carbohydrates-Corn Syrup; Charles Ophardt; 2003
- MayoClinic.com; High-Fructose Corn Syrup: What Are the Concerns?; Jennifer Nelson, R.D.; October 2010
- "Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior"; High-Fructose Corn Syrup Causes Characteristics of Obesity in Rats: Increased Body Weight, Body Fat and Triglyceride Levels; M. Bocarsley, et al.; November 2010
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity; George Bray, et al.; April 2004
- The Accidental Scientist: What Is Sugar?
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