Q&As

High Fructose Corn Syrup

What is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)?
How do sucrose and HFCS differ?
Why is HFCS used in soft drinks?
Some have suggested that because it contains fructose, HFCS is metabolized differently by the body than sugar and therefore is a major cause of the obesity problem. How do you respond to that?
Does HFCS have any effect on the hunger satisfaction (satiety) that people feel after drinking a beverage?

What is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)?

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a commonly used liquid sweetener made from corn that is very similar in its composition to table sugar (sucrose). Most non-diet soft drinks in the U.S. today are sweetened with HFCS. The FDA has approved HFCS as being a safe ingredient for use in food and based its decision, in part, on the similarity between HFCS and regular table sugar.

How do sucrose and HFCS differ?

Table sugar, or sucrose, comes from sugar cane or sugar beets. Sucrose is a compound composed of two simple sugars, glucose and fructose in a ratio of 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose. Contrary to its name, HFCS is not high in fructose. At the time HFCS was developed, the only sweetener in all other corn syrups was glucose; none contained fructose. So the name "high" fructose corn syrup, in comparative terms, made sense. But when compared to table sugar, HFCS is not at all "high" in fructose. HFCS is a mixture of the same two simple sugars, glucose and fructose, found in table sugar and differs only slightly from table sugar in the ratios of those two simple sugars. The types of HFCS used in soft drinks and beverages are called HFCS-42 and HFCS-55, meaning they are 42 percent fructose or 55 percent fructose, respectively, with the remaining percentage being mainly glucose.

Why is HFCS used in soft drinks?

HFCS is a preferred sweetener by many food and beverage manufacturers because it retains moisture and does not easily crystallize, making it easier to use in the manufacturing process.

In some parts of the world, including the U.S., HFCS also is a less expensive ingredient that helps keep costs lower for manufacturers and consumers.

The increased use of HFCS has not resulted in a dramatic increase in the intake of fructose compared to other simple sugars in the United States. This increase has been offset by a decrease in sucrose usage. According to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture's Economic Research Services' Food Availability data, sucrose use decreased from 83 percent of all sweeteners used in 1970 to 43 percent in 1997, while HFCS increased from 16 percent to 56 percent during the same period. Thus, this shift from sucrose to HFCS has NOT had a major impact on the fructose content of the U.S. diet because HFCS and sucrose contain similar percentages of fructose.

Some have suggested that because it contains fructose, HFCS is metabolized differently by the body than sugar and therefore is a major cause of the obesity problem. How do you respond to that?

HFCS is not a major cause of obesity and is metabolized the same way as table sugar. It is important to understand that both ordinary table sugar (sucrose) and HFCS are composed of the two simple sugars, glucose and fructose. There is little evidence to suggest that the body utilizes the HFCS used in soft drinks any differently than it uses table sugar. The HFCS used in soft drinks is very similar in its composition to table sugar, which consists of 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose. Sucrose, after it enters the body, is split into glucose and fructose before being absorbed. As a result, once sugar and HFCS are absorbed, there is little difference in the amounts of fructose and glucose available to the body.

The Center for Food and Nutrition Policy (CFNP) at Virginia Tech issued a report in 2004 compiled by scientists who reviewed a number of critical commentaries about HFCS. Their analysis found that HFCS is not a unique contributor to obesity, concluding “there is currently no convincing evidence to support a link between HFCS consumption and overweight/obesity.”

Nutritionists, health experts and researchers generally agree that the chief cause of obesity is an imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned. As the American Dietetic Association states: “Excess body fat (obesity) arises from the energy imbalance caused by taking in too much energy and using too little...Obesity is a complex problem and its cause cannot be simply attributed to any one component of the food supply."

A recent review of the literature published in Nutrition Today stated that across the globe there has been a dramatic increase in obesity, “independent of HFCS usage.” In fact, this holds true even in countries where HFCS is not a common sweetener—such as England, Egypt and Australia.

The International Obesity Task Force has even asserted that the prevalence of obesity is increasing around the world – even though the use of HFCS outside of the United States is limited or nonexistent.

Does HFCS have any effect on the hunger satisfaction (satiety) that people feel after drinking a beverage?

Research has shown that beverages containing HFCS are no less hunger satisfying than other beverages such as low-fat milk or orange juice. Thus, in a University of Washington study in which humans consumed three beverages with the same energy density (cola, low-fat milk or orange juice) but different nutrient composition, there was no difference in hunger or satiety following ingestion. The sugar in cola was HFCS (fructose and glucose), in milk was lactose, and in orange juice was naturally occurring fructose and glucose.