Hardening of the arteries is the result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood vessel walls. The more technical term for this medical phenomenon is atherosclerosis. It can block the flow of oxygen throughout the body and eventually lead to a heart attack, stroke and even death. High fructose corn syrup, though it's a sugar rather than a fat, may cause atherosclerosis. However, researchers are still debating its precise role.
Sugar Content
High fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, is mainly composed of two different sugars: fructose and glucose. The most common form of HFCS contains 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules make up the remaining 3 percent. By comparison, sucrose, or table sugar, contains a 50-50 split between glucose and fructose. Furthermore, the fructose in HFCS is free and unbound, which means that it absorbs into the blood at a much faster rate. Since the introduction of HFCS in the 1970s, it has slowly replaced sucrose as the major sweetener in foods and beverages.
Metabolism
Every cell in your body can use glucose for energy. However, only the liver cells can make use of fructose. The liver metabolizes fructose into several byproducts, such as triglycerides, which are the main storage form of fat in the body. Although the precise mechanism is unclear, high triglycerides may lead to the thickening of the artery walls. Doctors test blood triglyceride levels, along with cholesterol levels, as a risk for heart disease.
Evidence
For a long time, researchers debated whether high fructose corn syrup was different from other sweeteners in its effects on human health. To test this assertion, a group of researchers from Princeton University fed rats a diet high in HFCS. They published their results in a 2010 issue of the journal "Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior." In the study, the HFCS caused abnormal increases of body fat, especially in the abdomen, and circulating levels of triglycerides in the blood. Though this assertion requires further testing, it does lend credence to the idea that HFCS may be worse than sucrose, at least under the conditions that the researchers studied.
Dietary Intake
Since the introduction of highly processed foods, fructose consumption has soared. According to P.J. Skerrett, an editor for the "Harvard Heart Letter," the average American during much of the 19th and early 20th century consumed about 15 grams of fructose per day. By 2008, researchers from Emory University estimated that Americans were consuming 55 grams per day. The Mayo Clinic specifically recommends cutting back on sugary foods as a way to lower triglyceride levels. However, triglycerides are only one risk factor. High blood pressure, high blood sugar and excess body fat are also potential signs of coronary heart disease. HFCS may work to reinforce some of these factors too.
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