EXPERTS AGREE HFCS IS SAFE AND NUTRITIONALLY THE SAME AS TABLE SUGAR.
A SUGAR IS A SUGAR Misperceptions about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) have sparked unnecessary and needlessly expensive concerns among consumers and food and beverage manufacturers alike. In fact, scientific, nutritional and medical experts agree that the human body cannot tell the difference between HFCS and sugar. HFCS is simply a type of corn sugar a natural sweetener made from American-grown corn. It contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives, and it meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration s requirements for use of the term natural. HFCS is used in many of the products we purchase every day because of its versatility and value. In addition to sweetness, HFCS gives a pleasing brown crust to breads and cakes, it provides flavor consistency and stability in beverages, it protects the texture of canned fruits, and it reduces freezer burn in frozen fruits all at a cost that helps keep grocery bills affordable.
And experts agree. There is broad consensus in the scientific, nutritional and medical communities that: HFCS is similar in chemical composition to table sugar. HFCS is nutritionally the same as sugar. HFCS is metabolized in the body the same as sugar. Consumption of HFCS has decreased while obesity and diabetes rates have increased. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS) IS A SUGAR. NOTHING MORE; NOTHING LESS. Jo-Ann Heslin, M.A., R.D., C.D.N. Food and Nutrition Columnist HealthNewsDigest.com, July 2, 2008 MOST MEDICAL RESEARCH SAYS IT IS THE RATHER THAN THE CALORIES, SWEETENER, THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A PERSON S HEALTH. Los Angeles Times, August 2, 2008
HFCS IS SIMILAR IN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION TO TABLE SUGAR Both HFCS and table sugar (sucrose) contain almost equal parts fructose and glucose. The human body can t tell the difference. I THINK CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN MISLED INTO THINKING THAT HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS PARTICULARLY HARMFUL. CHEMICALLY, IT S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS SUGAR. Michael Jacobson, Ph.D. Executive Director Center for Science in the Public Interest The New York Times health blog Well, September 20, 2010
THE SACCHARIDE COMPOSITION (GLUCOSE TO FRUCTOSE RATIO) OF HFCS IS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AS THAT OF HONEY, INVERT [LIQUEFIED] SUGAR AND THE DISACCHARIDE SUCROSE [TABLE SUGAR]. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Direct Food Substances Affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe; High Fructose Corn Syrup Final Rule, Federal Register, August 23, 1996 BECAUSE THE COMPOSITION OF HFCS AND SUCROSE ARE SO SIMILAR, PARTICULARLY ON ABSORPTION BY THE BODY, IT APPEARS UNLIKELY THAT HFCS CONTRIBUTES MORE TO OBESITY OR OTHER CONDITIONS THAN SUCROSE. American Medical Association Report 3 of the Council on Science and Public Health (A-08), June 2008
HFCS IS NUTRITIONALLY THE SAME AS TABLE SUGAR HFCS and table sugar both have the same number of calories as other caloric sweeteners about four calories per gram. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS NUTRITIONALLY EQUIVALENT TO SUCROSE ONCE ABSORBED INTO THE BLOODSTREAM, THE TWO SWEETENERS ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE. American Dietetic Association Hot Topics, High Fructose Corn Syrup, December 2008
WHEN HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND SUGAR ARE ABSORBED INTO OUR BLOODSTREAM, THE TWO ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE BY THE BODY. BOTTOM LINE: IT S NOT ABOUT WHETHER YOU EAT SUGAR OR SYRUP. Joan Salge Blake, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Redbook, June 2010 NUTRITION EXPERTS NOW AGREE BUT MOST THERE S REALLY LITTLE MATERIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAL OR NATURAL SUGAR AND HFCS OR ANY OTHER CALORIC SWEETENER, FOR THAT MATTER. The Washington Post, health blog The Checkup, June 12, 2009
OUR BODIES METABOLIZE HFCS THE SAME AS TABLE SUGAR Because both HFCS and table sugar are digested as fructose and glucose, there is no significant difference in their overall rates of absorption. This explains why both sweeteners have the same effect on our bodies. THE CULPRIT IN OBESITY IS NOT THE HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP... BUT IT S OVERCONSUMPTION OF CALORIES CONTRIBUTING TO THE WEIGHT GAIN. Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., C.N.S., Director, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Weight Management Center The Today show, October 9, 2007
WHITE SUGAR, BROWN SUGAR, SUCROSE, HONEY, MAPLE SYRUP, EVEN HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP ARE ALL ROUGHLY THE SAME MIX OF THE SIMPLE SUGARS CALLED GLUCOSE AND FRUCTOSE. Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. Nutrition and Health Expert for the Today show Woman s Day, May 1, 2010 THESE SHORT-TERM RESULTS SUGGEST THAT, WHEN FRUCTOSE IS CONSUMED IN THE FORM OF HFCS, THE MEASURED METABOLIC RESPONSES DO NOT DIFFER FROM SUCROSE IN LEAN WOMEN. Nutrition, 2007; Vol. 23, Issue 2, 103-112
EXCESS CALORIES FROM ANY SOURCE CAN LEAD TO OBESITY OR DIABETES Obesity, diabetes and heart disease are very real health problems in American society, but they cannot be attributed to any single source, such as HFCS. In fact, as HFCS use has declined since 1999, obesity and diabetes rates have continued to increase. NO SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THERE S TO SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS SOMEHOW RESPONSIBLE FOR OBESITY. Walter Willett, Ph.D. Chairman of the Nutrition Department Harvard School of Public Health The New York Times, July 2, 2006
THIS IS A MARKETING ISSUE, NOT A METABOLIC ISSUE THE REAL ISSUE IS NOT HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. IT S THAT WE VE FORGOTTEN WHAT A REAL SERVING IS. WE HAVE TO EAT SIZE LESS OF EVERYTHING. David Klurfeld, Ph.D., Human Nutrition National Program Leader Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting, June 8, 2009 TABLE SUGAR AND HFCS HAVE THE SAME EXACT EFFECT ON OBESITY AND DIABETES AND ON HEART DISEASE. IT S NOT THAT ONE IS BETTER. Barry M. Popkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Nutrition University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The Wall Street Journal, March 8, 2010... ADDED SUGARS, WHETHER FROM TABLE SUGAR OR HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DO NOT PROMOTE WEIGHT GAIN OR INCREASE TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES OR LDL CHOLESTEROL WHEN COUPLED WITH A BALANCED DIET. James M. Rippe, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) Tufts University School of Medicine Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida Founder and Director, Rippe Lifestyle Institute Corn Refiners Association press release, November 17, 2010
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT WWW.CORNNATURALLY.COM, OR CONTACT THE CORN REFINERS ASSOCIATION Corn Refiners Association 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 950 Washington, DC 20006-5806 Tel: (202) 331-1634 Fax: (202) 331-2054 www.cornnaturally.com