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What Is High Frutose Corn Syrup?

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a corn-based sweetener, which, according the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is widely used in foods and beverages--especially sweetened soft drinks--in the United States.

  1. Manufacture

    • According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, HFCS is a mixture containing 42 percent or 55 percent fructose (fruit sugar) prepared from corn starch. The process involves breaking down starch to form glucose, converting glucose to fructose and blending glucose and fructose to form the finished product.

    Weight Gain

    • Unlike other simple sugars or monosaccharide, such as glucose, fructose does not stimulate the production of insulin--a hormone that controls blood sugar--and would appear, at first glance, to be of benefit to sufferers of diabetes. However, insulin also controls a hormone that makes you feel full, so too much fructose in your diet may mean that you gain weight.

    Cancer

    • Research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has shown that cancerous cells in the pancreas respond to high fructose levels by growing and dividing rapidly, a response that is not seen with high glucose levels.

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