Consumer Benefits and Controversy of High Fructose Corn Syrup

The past fifty years has seen a spike in the consumption of sugar, that number totaling a tripling increase. However, sugar is not the only risk factor here, alcohol and tobacco can also be attributed with the spike, albeit not as prevalent as sugar. The biggest question that Lustig et al. poses to its’ readers is this: “What aspects of the Western diet should be the focus of intervention”? (par. 3) The current USDA has been deemed “boogeymen” of diets, as well as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Lustig et al. all believe that our attention should be turned towards “added sugar”, which is a sweetener that has fructose in it. Perhaps the biggest controversy from the past fifty years has been none other than a severe culprit that experts know as high fructose corn syrup or HFCS.

We eat every day, rarely thinking about what’s going into our bodies. Take soda, for example, when was the last time you read the label before taking a sip? For me, it is never. One of the first ingredients listed on the can is HFCS or high fructose corn syrup. This ingredient is a secret additive to many products in today's market. High Fructose Corn Syrup is one of the cheapest to make and hardest to get rid of in the body. Since its introduction to food products in the 70's it has slowly been added to most foods, even ketchup.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an inexpensive syrup created by changing about half of the particles comprising corn starch into fructose. Due to the cheapness of HFCS it has replaced natural sugars in most of the food consumed in America. Resulting in HFCS being found in just about all processed foods made today. Consuming any kind of sweetener has shown to greatly increase the chances of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome (Zeratsky, 2015). Since the invention of HFCS American obesity rates went from fifteen percent of the population to around one third of the population suggesting a strong

Abstract: The use of high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in various food and drink products has drastically affected the American people in the last three decades. Dominating 55% of the sweetener market because of its industrial benefits, HFCS’s increased use has caused dramatic effects in its consumers, including upsetting normal hormonal functions, destroying vital organs, nerves, and throwing off the body’s mineral balance. As the use of HFCS increased, the rates of obesity, diabetes, and related health problems have escalated, resulting in a nationwide epidemic.

High-fructose corn syrup is a commonly used artificial sweetener in foods. High-fructose corn syrup is a hydrolyzed version of ordinary corn syrup, which is produced via a steeping process. It is so widely used because it is both economically favorable and it helps to preserve food for extended periods of time. However, the drawbacks of high-fructose corn syrup include issues like potential obesity, diabetes, loss of liver function, malnutrition, and cancer. The fact that the producers of high-fructose corn syrup can deceive people that HFCS is harmless makes matters worse.

forty-five pounds to sixty-six pounds” (104). On top of the high-fructose corn syrup people intake, the other sugars also must be accounted for. Therefore, this excessive amount of sugars in processed food is the main cause to the increase of obesity in America.

Confusions and debate over sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which leads into a large debatable topic. With food and bread products that HFCS has found its way into. Most are unaware of this product as processed sugar. HFCS is an altered sweetened product. Natural sugar is an entirely unprocessed ingredient, for example, milk, and vegetables. A standout between the most widely known everyday sugars is fructose, which is found in natural fruit product (“Add”). To make corn syrup, first will blend the corn starch with water and then include a catalyst, which breaks down into a sweeter sugar substance that is delivered by a bacterium that separates the starch into shorter chains

This research essay will investigate the effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup. The liver is effected because the fructose—as it is being metabolized deposits fatty acids into the liver, it also develops cirrhosis, which has the same effect normally seen in alcoholics. High Fructose Corn Syrup increases cholesterol which blocks the inner walls of the arteries and may be fatal if not treated. High Fructose Corn Syrup was believed to be beneficial to diabetics, but studies show the they may actually promote more diseases. Obesity is a major problem, as High Fructose Corn Syrup does not release leptin—which is what signals the brain to stop eating, so society is prone to over consumption. It also alters the heart's use of other

With more intake, a person is susceptible to gain weight, and with less intake, susceptible to lose weight over a given period of time. This is known as the Calorie-in Calorie-out effect. The source of the calorie, however, determines whether it is healthy for the body or not. The same amount of calorie coming from oats and chips are not comparable at all. In the USA, most people rely on processed and fast food, rich in artificial preservatives, Trans fat and sodium content. Fast foods, famous for their low price, large portion and taste are responsible for overeating and weight gain too (Food and Diet). With these foods, we get much more sodium, fat and cholesterol than required by our body, resulting in chronic heart disease, high cholesterol level in blood and gradual accumulation of fat leading to obesity. In addition to that, widespread use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an artificial sweetener in soft drinks, beverages and desserts is proved to have been related with high-calorie intake and increment in obesity, as mentioned by an article in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Bray).

Obesity and its subsequent ailments are regarded as the leading cause(s) of death in the United States and many other parts of the world. As such, much deserved attention and controversy has been brought worldwide. Many people place blame for this relatively recent epidemic on the shoulders of high-fructose corn syrup, an artificial sweetener whose use has increased for many years alongside the rates of childhood and adult obesity. While they are not entirely incorrect in assuming a widespread increase in added sugars would result in more calories per product, more calories consumed, and therefore more calories stored in bodily tissue, high-fructose corn syrup alone is not solely to blame for this phenomenon.

Most all sodas or soft drinks consist of the basic, carbonated water, sugar, and caffeine. Colas, in particular, were originally just a mixture of extracts of the coca leaf and the cola nut blended with sugar water (1). Though, nowadays, the natural sugars that were originally used, have been replaced by high fructose corn syrup. According to ConsumerReports.org,in 2009 the average american consumed approximately 35.7 pounds of high fructose corn syrup showing the great prevalence of this overused, unhealthy ingredient (3). Though, why would so many producers put an ingredient so detrimental to the consumer’s health in their products? High fructose corn syrup is not only cheaper than organic sugars, but it is also sweeter meaning much less

In recent years, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been at the center of a nutritional battle. Some say that it is to blame for the rise in obesity in America, but others believe that it is not the culprit. Currently, two out of every three Americans are considered obese or overweight; and nearly one out of six children, ages 6-19, fall into this category. High fructose corn syrup is an artificial sweetener made from corn and a mixture of 42-55% fructose and the remaining, glucose. It has become wildly popular for its ability to alter the taste and texture of foods at a cheaper price. High fructose corn syrup cannot be contributing to obesity because the use of HFCS has decreased in recent years in response to media attacks, yet new cases

High fructose corn syrup is manmade and bad for you. It is found in products like cereals, sodas, crackers, to cookies, and many other foods. It is an artificial sweetener made from corn. It has had some of its glucose partially changed to fructose. It is worse for you than table sugar or sucrose.

Due to the cheap production of high fructose corn syrup in the 1970s, it became widespread and by 1985 made up about 35% of sweeteners in food supply. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) leads to overproduction of trans-fat cells in the body, causing overweight and obese children to become obese in adulthood (Morgan, 2013). With this rise in obesity due to high fructose corn syrup, adults are more likely to be at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. The popularity of HFCS has contributed to the rise of obesity in America, making trans-fat and HFCS the leading cause.

Did you know that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) accounts for over half of the artificial sweeteners used in the United States today? Although it is loved by big food companies due to its extended shelf life and cheap production, is it the healthiest option for the consumer? This is a widespread question that has been asked in the United States since the invention of HFCS in the 1960s. This artificial sweetener is rumored to increase one's chances of obesity, high cholesterol, etc. Due to the health risks linked to HFCS it is adamant that people in the United States greatly reduce the intake of this sweetener. This can be accomplished with three solutions, being, by simply raising general awareness about the health risks associated with HFCS, having stricter regulations on artificial sweeteners, or by lowering the tariffs on imported natural sugar.