High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener in several food items. It became popular in the 1970s through the overproduction of corn. Since then, the government has been subsidizing farmers for growing corn, and sending it to be turned into high fructose corn syrup, which is half the cost of the natural sweetener, sugar.
The Facts
This ingredient is found in foods such as ketchup, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, soda, hot pockets, cereal, hot cocoa mix, and several other foods. It seems to be prevalent in everything, but a couple dollars more spent and you can find all of these things without the ingredient. Corn syrup comes from corn starch mixed with hydrochloric acid and heated under pressure. The corn syrup is then furthered in the process by enzyme conversion to create high fructose corn syrup.
Health Effects
Some researchers say high fructose corn syrup has terrible health affects on the body. A Princeton study was released this year that highlighted some of these issues. The first test the Princeton team did was give two different groups of rats different water. One was sweetened with table sugar (about the same as would be in a soda) and one with high fructose corn syrup (about half as much as would be in a soda). The group of rats that had the high fructose corn syrup water, even in a smaller amount, gained a significant amount of weight, while the alternative group did not.
The second test the Princeton group did was a long-term, six-month study of two separate groups of rats, one on an only rat chow diet and one on a diet high in high fructose corn syrup. The study found that the rats on the high-fructose corn syrup-rich diet had issues with metabolic syndrome and weight gain. Metabolic syndrome is the combination of high insulin, abdominal obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, and many of these symptoms have been linked to diabetes and cancer.
The Harvard Medical School released a statement saying that fructose in large doses can "increase the risk for heart disease...have an influence on the appetite hormones...and blunt sensations of fullness and could lead to overeating." With studies and statements coming from top schools in the country, the facts about high fructose corn syrup can't be overlooked.
For more information regarding the obesity epidemic and how high fructose corn syrup contributes to it, check out King Corn, The Killer at Large, and Food, Inc.
Kate McLaughlin - Kate McLaughlin started her writing career in high school as a staff writer for Timberlines Newspaper. She also developed a love for ...
