Effect of High Fructose Corn Syrup on Metabolism

Read the ingredients on many processed food products these days and you will most likely find high fructose corn syrup listed. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener derived from cornstarch that is made up of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Consumption of HFCS has been linked to growing obesity rates across the U.S.

History

• High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener that was first used in the food industry in the 1960s. HFCS was very popular as a sweetener in commercial products such as soda, as it cost less than sugar. However, in recent years, it has come under fire.

Corn Syrup and Obesity

• A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2004 linked high fructose corn syrup to the obesity epidemic. The study cited the fact that between 1970 and 1990, high fructose corn syrup consumption rose 1,000 percent, during the same period the number of obese people also increased.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Increased Food Intake

• Researchers at Johns Hopkins University performed several studies examining fructose's impact on the brain. What they found suggests that fructose consumption leads to increased appetites and higher food intake.

How Fructose is Metabolized

• A study at the University of California at Davis fed volunteers a high fructose diet over 10 weeks. The results showed that fructose raised triglyceride levels in the blood and increased fat in the abdominal area. Higher triglyceride levels are risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

HFCS and the Liver

• The UC Davis study used 100 percent fructose, while high fructose corn syrup contains 55 percent fructose. A 2008 study at the University of Florida linked consumption of HFCS to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as well as insulin resistance syndrome.