Why is High Fructose Corn Syrup Bad for You?

Everyone knows that obesity is a rising problem in the U.S.  When counseling people on their diets, we commonly focus on eliminating extra calories, "empty calories" such as those found in sweetened beverages.  Many beverages contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - not just regular soda, but sweet tea, lemonade, fruit drinks, and even some sports beverages.  In a NHANES study done from 1999-2004, it was found that US adults consumed 12% of their total daily energy intake from sweetened beverages.  For adolescents and children, the numbers were 13% and 10% respectively.  Those at higher risk for obesity amd cardiometabolic disease, minorities and those in lower socioeconomic groups, tend to consume the largest amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages.  Aside from the actual number of extra calories one is ingesting, HFCS itself is thought to be dangerous to one's health.

HFCS is a corn-based sweetener which has been around since the early 1970s.  It currently accounts for greater than 40% of the sweeteners added to foods and beverages.  It is the sole sweetener in soft drinks and sodas in the U.S.  It is a mix of fructose and glucose, is easily produced and, because it doesn't take much of it to sweeten a food, it doesn't take up much storage space.  Additionally, it is relatively cheap -- hence why we find it in so many foods and drinks now. 

The fructose in HFCS bypasses the regular metabolism of carbohydrates in the body and is immediately synthesized into fatty acids.  What this means is that HFCS is rapidly converted into triglyceride and VLDL (blood fats).  Triglycerides are quickly converted into adipose ((fatty tissue) which causes obesity.  Fat is also deposited into the liver which, over time, can lead to fatty liver, insulin resistance and eventually, elevated blood cholesterol.  Insulin resistance can lead one over time to develop Type II diabetes.  Fructose also promotes the synthesis of uric acid, which can contribute to the development of high blood pressure.  Fructose ALSO reduces our body's secretion of insulin which is necessary to process the sugar load that we just ingested.    A blunted insulin response interferes with the "satiety signal" -- in other words, we don't feel full.  Which, of course, leads us to ingest more calories.   There is actual science to this -- studies show that adolescents who ingest 8 oz or more of non-diet soda daily ingest more total calories than their peers who drink non-sweetened beverages.

Those of us who drink diet soda shouldn't feel totally left out -- the caramel coloring in colas may increase insulin resistance and inflammation due to the caramelization process.

What does this all mean?  We should all be more cognizant of what we are ingesting.  If HFCS is one of the first ingredients listed on a food label, we probably shouldn't be eating that.  The biggest culprits are sweetened soda and sweetened breakfast cereals.  But HFCS is found in lots of other things too - fruit juices, pancake syrup, fruit-flavored yogurt, ketchup, canned pasta sauce and soups, canned fruits. 

Limiting processed foods is good, but reading labels is a good life-long habit which will benefit your health.  You can find canned fruit and applesauce without HFCS - sugar, brown sugar and honey are also used as sweeteners.  You can buy organic ketchup which doesn't have HFCS and use pure maple syrup instead of the heavily processed and cheaper varieties.  Read the labels of breakfast cereals and pick those that don't contain HFCS.  Thankfully, most grocery stores have an increasing number of all natural and organic options.   Of course, eating more whole fruits and vegetables will be better for you than relying on processed foods.