High Fructose Corn Syrup (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 (HFCS) is an artificial sweetener commonly used in the United States. As its name implies, this

The jig is up. It's no secret that high fructose corn syrup is detrimental to your health. Unless you have been under a rock for the last few years you have seen a massive media campaign done by a group called (C.R.A.) Corn Refiners Association, to repair the damaged public image of high fructose corn syrup (H.F.C.S.).

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.

High fructose corn syrup is a by-product derived from corn and a sweetener used in a plethora of food items, such as beverages and processed food. High fructose corn syrup differs than table sugar in composition: high fructose corn syrup is made of either 55% of fructose and 45% glucose, or 58% fructose and 42% glucose, while white table sugar is composed of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Although there is a small difference between the compositions, the body metabolizes high fructose corn syrup differently than table sugar, which contributes to a myriad of health problems such as obesity, liver scarring, and diabetes. Therefore, high fructose corn syrup is detrimental to our health and can cause severe damage to our bodies.

Both sugars are made up of glucose and fructose; and they both contain 4 calories. Joan Salge Blake, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, further explains that, "When high-fructose corn syrup and sugar are absorbed into our bloodstream, the two are indistinguishable by the body.” Even though, we categorize the sugars as two different types our body doesn’t. It’s also crucial that we’re not over indulging in High Fructose Corn Syrup, just because of the sweet taste because it will have a long lasting effect on our bodies.

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

Warning that America's health was at risk because of all of these new substances in food could reverse many health gains achieved in recent decades, the startling news report prompted scientists into new research pertaining to the causes of obesity. The process through which high fructose corn syrup is made is quite complex. “Specialized enzymes turn the majority of the glucose molecules that are found in corn into fructose, which makes the substance substantially sweeter” (Guggenheim 148). This ninety percent fructose syrup mixture is then combined with regular corn syrup, which is one hundred percent glucose molecules, to get the right percentage and balance of fructose and glucose. The final product is a translucent and clear liquid with high viscosity that is roughly as sweet as sugar. “The name high fructose corn syrup is misleading because it is high in fructose only in relation to regular corn syrup, but not to sugar” (“High Fructose Corn Syrup Facts”). The version of high fructose corn syrup used in carbonated beverages and other sweetened drinks consists of fifty-five percent fructose and forty-five percent glucose, very similar to plain white sugar, which is fifty percent fructose and fifty percent glucose. The form of high fructose corn syrup used in other products like baked goods, fruit preservatives, cookies, yogurts, and other food products are forty-two percent fructose and fifty-eight percent glucose, is actually lower in fructose than white

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 and sucrose are differently built up. It is very close in chemical composition. According to John S.White sucrose has glucose and fructose Connected together but HFCS does not have them connected. The difference in the chemical structures between sucrose and HFCS makes some researchers think that HFCS is metabolized differently than sucrose by the body and so that could be a cause for worry in its relativity to obesity in the United States.

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.