High Fructose Corn Syrup: Health Risks

By River Lin

Is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Endangering Your Health?

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is both a preservative and a sweetener. It is produced through a process that changes the form of sugar in cornstarch from glucose to fructose. This sounds natural enough and does not immediately conjure up concerns about health risks, but a closer look at high fructose corn syrup reveals several factors that do cause concern. In particular, the connection between high fructose corn syrup and increased obesity along with the correlating health risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease.

Does HFCS Contribute to Obesity?

High fructose corn syrup is not the sole culprit in the obesity epidemic in this country. Its role, however, in this problem is simply its abundance. HFCS is the main sweetener in most soft drinks and at least among the top sweeteners in a plethora of other foods we consume every day including most breakfast cereals, snack foods, fruit drinks, sauces, spread, and dippings, salad dressing, condiments, jams, yogurts, … the list goes on and on. In fact, browse through your local grocery store some day and read the labels on a random selection of items and you will find high fructose corn syrup in many, if not most, of the items you consume regularly. High fructose corn syrup does not in itself cause obesity; overconsumption on the other hand, does.

Another way that HFCS contributes to obesity is in the way the body breaks it down and processes it. More research is needed to fully understand how this works, but studies show that “a diet high in fructose may lead the body to develop a resistance to a protein called leptin, which helps control appetite” (McCarthy). So not only does the overconsumption of high fructose corn syrup lead to obesity, it also keeps us feeling hungry; and as a result, we consume more fructose which makes us both fatter and hungrier.

The problem of overconsumption of high fructose corn syrup isn’t likely to be resolved any time soon. Between 1970 and 1990, the consumption of high fructose corn syrup increased more than 1,000%. This is because manufacturers are using it more and more due to its preservative qualities and its lower cost. More than 40% of all caloric sweeteners added to foods and drinks are from high fructose corn syrup.

Does HFCS Contribute to Diabetes?

Glucose is a simple sugar form that is transported through the body in the blood. This is what the body uses for energy. When diabetics test their blood sugar, it is the glucose they are measuring. Fructose, on the other hand, does not stimulate insulin secretion or require insulin to be transported into the cells. Fructose requires a different metabolic path than other carbohydrates because it skips the normal process of carbohydrate metabolism. As a result, fructose is an unregulated source of the starting material for fatty acids to form. This leads to over eating and excessive weight gain which is very dangerous to diabetics.

The Addictive Properties of HFCS

Finally, high fructose corn syrup is potentially addictive. This too, requires more research before we can declare its addictive properties. However, considering the dangers of consuming too much high fructose corn syrup and its impact on the increase in obesity, do you really want to wait to find out for sure if it is really addictive?

The Monopoly of High Fructose Corn Syrup

Perhaps the biggest risk of HFCS is the reality that we are monopolized by the food industry, economics, and politics such that we no longer have the freedom of choice to control what we consume. Sure, we can choose not to consume high fructose corn syrup, but that is a hefty and unrealistic sacrifice. Take ketchup, for example. High fructose corn syrup is in every ketchup brand I found on the shelves of every grocery store in the city where I live. Just for fun, I then looked at the ingredients in the salad dressings, the “100% real fruit juice” I serve my family, and even the healthy yogurt choices in my town. All of them listed high fructose corn syrup at or near the top of the list of ingredients. Even if I had the time, knowledge, and energy to make these food staples myself, I would have to special order the necessary ingredients because even those are made or processed with high fructose corn syrup. Add to that the preservation effects of high fructose corn syrup means that store-bought ketchup (and all the other foods) will last for several months. Home-made ketchup will only be good for a week to 10 days. This means that eating high fructose corn syrup-free foods is extremely time and labor intensive. Eating out and even eating at friends’ houses would have to be eliminated if we were to honor our “choice” to not eat high fructose corn syrup because everyone buys, serves, and consumes foods with high fructose corn syrup. So even though we claim that in theory we have a choice, it isn’t very practical and therefore, I have to contend that we really don’t have a choice at all.

HFCS Affects our Lifestyles

The above scenario might seem extreme, but even to cut down and manage our high fructose corn syrup intake requires a major effort that includes personal shopping and seriously limiting food choices and even affects our social lives. So while the health risks of high fructose corn syrup are significant, the effects it has on our lifestyles are extremely significant.

How do we define “too much” high fructose corn syrup consumption, or what it means to consume it in “moderation”? In my research, I was unable to find any recommendation for a maximum limit. Therefore, my personal conclusion is that because high fructose corn syrup is estimated to be in more than 40% of all foods, we can safely achieve “moderation” only when we aim to limit it all together. In other words, if we strive for total abstinence, high fructose corn syrup is sure to slip in unnoticed and when we least expect it to; this unaccounted for and out-of-our-control consumption is likely to be enough to be classified as “moderate consumption”.

Avoiding the Health Risks of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup does not have a direct impact on health risks, but the fact that over consumption of high fructose corn syrup is dangerous to our health, and the fact that we have very few choices that do not include high fructose corn syrup, we have to recognize the health risks of this common preservative and sweetener. Too much is certainly cause for concern for our health as it leads to obesity and complications related to obesity including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. Buyer beware: read the labels of foods and drinks carefully and, when possible, chose items that do not use high fructose corn syrup and you just might be able to avoid the health risks associated with this common additive.