American consumption of the sweetener, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) increased 1000% between 1970 and 1990. Today about 42% of all sweeteners used in the US are HFCS. Diabetes and obesity are described as epidemics. Many scientists and science writers have linked HFCS to both epidemics. The corn industry has retaliated with studies of their own that claim that HFCS is as safe as any other sweetener. Who’s right?
A study by George Bray and his colleagues at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center reviewed all aspects of the question including the details of the metabolism of HFCS and other sugars. They concluded that the digestion, absorption and metabolism of fructose were not the same as glucose or other sugars. Specifically:
- The metabolism of fructose in the liver favors an increase in fat deposits, i.e. obesity
- Fructose doesn’t stimulate insulin secretion, i.e. diabetes
- Fructose favors “de novo lipogenesis” which is another metabolic pathway that stores fat and is connected with insulin resistance, i.e. obesity and diabetes
- Fructose doesn’t enhance leptin production which can lead to obesity since leptin is a hormone that signals the body to stop eating.
According to the same study, another factor in both epidemics is the total quantity of sweetened drinks consumed. We are drinking much more sweet, carbonated soft drinks than ever before. The number of average daily calories from sodas and fruit drinks doubled over the period from 1977 to 1998. Even if there were no negative effects from HFCS, one would expect an increase in diabetes and obesity just from the extra calories that we’re drinking each day.
There is some evidence that when we take in extra calories through drinking rather than eating, our bodies don’t recognize fullness as well, so it’s easier to over-drink than it is to over-eat. This is a problem with any sweet drink whether it is sweetened with HFCS or not.
Therefore it is unfair to blame all of obesity and diabetes on HFCS, but we should consider it a factor. We would be better off with just plain sugar, and even better off with water and unsweetened herb teas.
