Corn Syrup: Safe or Scary?

High fructose corn syrup, or HFCS – a mixture of glucose and fructose – is in almost everything that we eat, from soda to salad dressing. Many people say it’s harmless, just another form of sugar. Others, however, claim that HFCS in food products may contribute to the development of diabetes. Some conspiracy theorists even posit that high fructose corn syrup is being deliberately pushed on the American people to keep them hooked on sweet treats.

But is it true? Not according to a supplement to appear in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition, which cites the results of a scientific summary published by a joint conference held in March 2008 by the International Life Sciences Institute of North America and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The report says it’s time critics of HFCS quit singling out high fructose corn syrup as the bad guy of the American diet and the cause of our nation’s obesity epidemic.

Critics claim that high fructose corn syrup and plain old sugar – sucrose – affect satiety, energy use and insulin levels. Scientists who attended the conference disagree, saying that little evidence exists to back such claims. Sugar is sugar is the message of the ILSI researchers, adding that high fructose corn syrup is no more likely to affect obesity than is table sugar, honey or sugar in any other form.

While this research finding would seem to put the controversy over the health effects of HFCS to rest, it’s important to note that the author and publisher of the report, the International Life Sciences Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based “educational and research organization” that is funded in part by a vast list of “member organizations” – a list that just happens to include some of the biggest producers and users of high fructose corn syrup in America, such as ADM, Cargill, ConAgra, the Coca-Cola Company and others.

Make of this what you will.

Fructose Tied to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes

Most people who struggle with their weight have been told to avoid high levels of sugar, at one point or another, and for good reason.

Doctors from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore are among many in the medical field who blame the high levels of fructose in snacks and beverages for increased rates of Type 2 diabetes and the current obesity epidemic in America.

Fructose is a sweetener found naturally in fruits. But massive amounts of it are used in corn syrup, which is found generously in foods and beverages – hence the ingredient “high fructose corn syrup” that can provide up to 13 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce can of soda.

Studies show that consuming fructose stimulates the appetite and leads to a bigger appetite for more food, most of it loaded with even more fructose and empty calories.

This stands in contrast to glucose, a sugar that is found in carbohydrates, which decreases appetite. The high intake of fructose can also lead to insulin resistance, which can be a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

Professor M. Daniel Lane of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine noted that the average American consumes 145 pounds of sweeteners a year – much of it fructose – and teenagers and children likely consume more.

Dr. Lane notes that this level of consumption, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, raises serious health concerns, given the continual increase in obesity rates among kids and adolescents.

In our WLS News report for April 10, 2009, we’ll share the results of a recent clinical trial for a new obesity drug, explain how rapid weight gain in infants may predict future obesity, and tell you about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup.

Plus, we’ll report on new findings about how people of minority ethnic groups process fat differently, and tell you what Canadian authorities are doing to curb the epidemic of childhood obesity up north. And, of course, our resident Web-diva, Yvonne McCarthy, will share the scoop about a great website with excellent weight loss tips. Click the player below to see this week’s newscast!

Organizations mentioned in this week’s news:

• BC Children’s Hospital (Vancouver, Canada)
• Canadian Medical Association Journal
• Dr. Louise A Baur, Discipline of Pediatrics & Child Health, University of Sydney
• Arena Pharmaceuticals
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration
• Project Viva (study of childhood obesity)
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
• Harvard Medical School
• Children’s Hospital Boston
• National Institutes of Health
• Pediatrics (journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Bariatric Girl (Yvonne McCarthy’s WLS support site)
• Three Fat Chicks on a Diet (weight loss support site)
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Dr. M. Daniel Lane, Distinguished Service Professor of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Hepatology (medical journal)
• The Dallas Heart Study
• Bariatric Advantage (nutritional supplements)