High Fructose Corn Syrup; Is It The Enemy?

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)?



While the name might imply otherwise, HFCS is very similar to sugar, but it’s made from corn instead of sugar cane. Sugar (sucrose) is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose, whereas HFCS is between 42 and 55 percent fructose (calling it high fructose corn syrup is sort of a misnomer), and the rest is glucose. The reason HFCS is in so many products is because it’s very cheap.

Why The Backlash Against HFCS?

There are a couple reasons why people don’t like HFCS. I think the main reason is because the internet is full of a bunch of lies that tell people it is HFCS that is “making us fat and causing chronic disease”. They use scare tactics like graphs and charts that explain how the addition of HFCS into our food supply correlates with the increase in obesity. While this is true, there are many other factors involved. In reality, if HFCS weren’t around, and manufacturers were still using plain old sugar (sucrose), we would still be in the middle of an obesity epidemic.

But Why Do People Blame It On the HFCS?

Our body uses fructose in a different way than glucose. Instead of being used for energy like glucose, most of the fructose we consume will go to our livers and turn into glycogen, or fat (if we eat too much). So it’s clear that too much fructose is a problem, but too much  glucose is also a problem (everything in moderation is a motto I love to stand by).  Just because sugar (sucrose)  has ~5% less fructose, really doesn’t make it much better. The problem with HFCS is that we are consuming way too much of it. HFCS is found in so many foods, including:

- Soda

- Candy bars and granola bars

- Dressings

- Yogurts that are sweetened

- AND MANY OTHERS!

What About This Agave Nectar I’ve Been Hearing About?

Agave nectar is a new sweetener that is becoming more and more popular.  Agave is actually 84% fructose! Because of this, it is much sweeter than HFCS and sugar (because fructose is sweeter than glucose). Since the product is sweeter, it is suggested that you need much less in order to obtain the desired effect (aka, the sweet taste!). Agave is becoming popular because it is being touted as more “natural”,  but the processing really isn’t much different than that used to make HFCS (this depends on the type of agave you purchase.  Organic agave will not be as processed as HFCS). Read more about Agave in this recent article, published by ABC news in Los Angeles.

Bottom Line: Consuming sweeteners in any form, including HFCS, agave nectar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, raw sugar, is ok if done so in moderation. Moderation means no more than 25 grams of added sugar (including the previously mentioned alternative forms of sweeteners) for females, and 36 grams for males, per day. So continue to enjoy your chocolate, and your ice cream, but remember to limit your intake!

What about the sugar found naturally in fruit and dairy products?  These do not count towards your daily limit of sugar, only the “added” sugar.

?The Candid RD?, Gina Casagrande, is the Director of Nutrition & Health for Imagination to Burn. She is passionate about empowering people to achieve their wellness goals. Read more of her work on her blog; The Candid RD.

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