The Story of

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sugar in Processed Food

©2003 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Le arning™ is a trademark used herein under license.

Sugar is everywhere!

• Ancestral human sugar consumption low

– Annual sugar consumption for adults: 158 lbs.– Amount has increased every year – Sugar consumed in soda, candy, corn syrup,

high-fructose corn syrup, and corn sugar

Sugars

Monosaccharides - single sugars like glucose, fructoseDisaccharides - double sugars

• Sucrose (1 glucose + 1 fructose): through photosynthesis, plants combine CO2 + H2O + sun’s En; use sucrose as transport sugar (sugar cane, beets: our table sugar)

• Lactose (1 galactose + 1 glucose): milk sugar (only animal-derived sugar)

• Fructose: fruit sugar (e.g. grapes, pears, and peaches have relatively high levels)

Excess glucose and fat storage

• Excess glucose stored into body fat after liver & muscles are full of glycogen

• The liver breaks apart the glucose molecules and puts them back together as fats

• Fat cells have a great ability to expand

Background

• 1970’s corn overproduction due to governmental subsidies

• Farmers losing money to overseas imports

• Demand to keep grocery prices affordable.

Background

• Japanese researchers developed a reliable way to turn cornstarch into syrup sweet enough to compete with liquid sugar.

• Formula was 55% fructose/45% glucose (since human taste buds recognize only fructose, this mix tastes sweeter than natural 1:1 mix from sucrose)

• Produced very cheaply, so most companies switched from sugar in the 1980s.

Why is it so heavily used? • It mixes easily – fruit juices

• Extends shelf life by 20% by inhibiting microbial spoilage- yogurt

• Tastes extra-sweet

• Helps prevent freezer burn- ice cream

• Helps bread brown and keep it soft- hot dog buns and English muffins

• Results in soft textures- chewy cookies and protein bars

Problems with High Fructose Corn Syrup

• Primary sweetener in soft drinks = link to childhood obesity. Presence of soda machines in schools.

• Consumption of milk down 36% in 30 years, soda consumption up 200%

Problems with High Fructose Corn Syrup

• Because it is metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does, but converts it to fat.

• Fructose does not enhance production of hormone leptin that signals satiety.

• Sugar uptake transporter in human gut transports 1 glucose + 1 fructose; 30% of US population suffer from “fructose mal-absorption” (when extra fructose present) and resulting diarrhea.

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Problems with High Fructose Corn Syrup

• Fructose is more readily converted to fat in the liver, increases levels of fat in the bloodstream in the form of triglycerides

• May contribute to diabetic complications more readily than glucose

• Livers of test animals developed fatty deposits and cirrhosis

Problems with High Fructose Corn Syrup

• Interactions with oral contraceptive efficacy.

• Mineral losses – iron and magnesium (adolescents)

• Colorectal cancer (?)