High Fructose Corn Syrup Research Paper

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.

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

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a popular sweetener used that hides in anything from ketchup, yogurts, and a variety of beverages. High fructose corn syrup unlike the other sweeteners provides calories. High fructose corn syrup is made from glucose that is initially from corn. It is widely popular to manufacturers because of it equality in sweetness to table sugar, it blends well with foods, has a good shelf life, and is less expensive. There are two main types of high fructose corn syrup. The first one is HFCS-55, this is popularly found mostly in sodas and contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose. The second on is HFCS-42, widely found in desserts, canned fruit syrups, and baked goods (Lakhan 5) . It contains 42% fructose and 58% glucose. Normal sugar as well contains fructose and glucose. It is made of 50% fructose and 50% glucose. And both High fructose corn syrup and sugar contain 4 calories per gram. So, what is the difference? In normal sugar (sucrose) the bond between fructose and glucose are chemically bonded and the body needs to digest sucrose to break the chemical bond before the body can absorb the fructose and glucose into the bloodstream. High fructose corn syrup on the other hand are just blended together which concludes that it does not need to be digested before it goes through the metabolic system and is absorbed into the bloodstream. HFCS became popular in the food industry in the late 1970s, right when obesity increased in many Americans.

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.

In the human body, the metabolic system is really complicated. When HFCS affects the metabolic system, it causes metabolic syndromes. As researcher Leon mentions in their research, consumption of HFCS is related to the metabolic syndrome, which includes a group of common diseases like obesity, insulin resistance and hypertension (Leon et al. 105). A number of people who have metabolic syndrome are not low. According to a data of the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, almost 34 percent of people have the signal of metabolic syndrome in USA (Shaheen et al. 1). In past 30 years, people have consumed HFCS, so nowadays obesity becomes an epidemic. According to the journal “Potential Health Risks From Beverages Containing Fructose Found in Sugar or High-fructose Corn Syrup”, M.D Bray says that the increase of HFCS consumption is parallel to the increase obesity epidemic and metabolic syndrome (Bray 1). In the words of another researcher Shaheen, obesity nowadays is a universal health problem. It is estimated that more than 60 percent of adult are obese in the USA and Europe (Shaheen et al. 1). Therefore, using HFCS a lot can cause metabolic syndrome, which lead to

Nonetheless, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA), who put in the pension to change all HFCS to Corn Sugar, would not back away that easy. They were able to get HFCS-90 (a product that they claimed did not even exist until around 2013 despite later admitting its been approved by the FDA for decades) to now be labeled Fructose or Fructose Syrup. HFCS-90 is exactly what you would expect it to be -- HFCS that is an astonishing 90% Fructose and 10%

This article was created by thirteen collaborators who are highly educated in the nutritional field. In this source, the authors thoroughly explain why high fructose corn syrup should be avoided and what exactly happens in our body when we consume products containing high fructose corn syrup. This source appears credible because it comes from the American Medical Association, in the Medicine and Public Health Division, which is a widely known and trusted source. This academic journal provides the point of view of corn manufacturers, as well as consumers, to show why it is such a popular component in many foods. However, it does mention that there is little evidence as to how exactly our bodies react differently to HFCS and sucralose. The article

Although cells require sugar for energy, it is glucose the cells prefer as a source. However, much of the excess sugar consumed today is fructose. Excess fructose consumption has similar effects on the liver as excessive alcohol intake, as the liver metabolizes alcohol the same way as sugar and converting the carbohydrate into fat (Brandis, Lustig, & Schmidt, 2012). High concentrations of fructose is rare in nature and is typically found along side fiber. However, in the American diet, the fiber is

Nowadays, obesity is considered one of the most popular and major health issues. The United States is also among the group of countries that has the highest obesity rate. Due to many resulting serious illness it implicates, obesity was claimed to be the cause for high preventable mortality rate.

There is a myriad of problems that occur in America a day. One of the most main concerns is obesity. Obesity occurs when there is an excess amount of body fat. People become obese from either not eating healthy, not getting enough exercise, and not making the proper life for themselves or their families. There will be discussion about statistics and prevalence of obesity in America. The main concern is what is the cause of obesity. I will be discussing if obesity is caused by environmental factors, genetics, or if it is psychological. In American, statistics have shown that every two in three adults are overweight or obese, more than one in three adults are obese, more than 1 in 20 adults are extreme obesity, approximately one-third of children

Even with awareness of becoming obese, individuals are struggling nationwide with the prognosis of adult obesity. It has become more apparent that obesity is far more complex of an issue to address. The Center of Disease Control (2016) states, that obesity is associated with poorer mental health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and the leading causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. The Mayo Clinic (2015) describes obesity as not just a “cosmetic” issue. Risk factors of becoming or being obese can be a combination of multiple factors. Obesity can be linked to a variety of contributing factors such as genetics and the amount of fat your body stores or unhealthy eating habits.

High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener made of corn starch that converts glucose into fructose. It is used because of its sweet nature. It metabolizes and impacts satiety similar to sugar. High fructose corn syrup is just the same as sucrose. They are equally bad and dangerous. Therefore soda should just be taxed because kids are taking it at the high rate and the obesity cases are increasing. Fructose is so poisonous by itself and it, not just the calorie issue, it has health problems. This is because of excessive consumption of high fructose syrup and sugars. Before food processing was discovered, people used to get their fructose from the fruits and vegetables. And this meant that they used more just fructose but

Published as a commentary in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Bray and colleagues present a provocative thesis that links the U.S. obesity epidemic to the introduction and widespread use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener of most beverages and processed foods. HFCS was introduced to the food processing industry in 1970 and is now consumed by all Americans at an average of 318 calories per capita per day, making up about 16% of the calories in the U.S. diet. Commonly found in most soft drinks, fruit drinks, canned fruits, dairy deserts, and baked goods, HFCS has unique properties that could contribute to weight gain. About half of its composition is fructose, which is rapidly emptied from the stomach, thereby

Although this "sweet" reality is true, HFCS isn't only used in beverages. It is used in many processed foods that we eat too. It is true that from 1970 to 2000 sucrose consumption had drastically dropped and HFCS consumption drastically rose. However, it is largely believed by the public that HFCS surpassed sucrose as the primary sweetener a long time ago. This is yet another misconception. Rather, since 1998, sucrose and HFCS consumption have been nearly the same ranging in at around 250 Calories per day (White, 2008). In response to Bray et al. (2010) which argued that the US obesity rates increased in accordance with US high fructose corn syrup consumption from 1970 to 2000, White (2008) counters with the fact that after the year 2000, obesity

I think this source is credible because the author, George A. Bray, studied in the field of endocrinology and works as a University Professor. Bray was also the former chief of the division of clinical obesity and metabolism at Louisiana State University, in Baton Rouge. He founded the “Obesity Society” which is a widely known study on Obesity. This academic journal is highly beneficial to my research because it focuses primarily on how fructose affects our bodies, and why consuming high fructose corn syrup has negative health effects. This source contrasts the other sources I have viewed, because it goes into greater detail on the actual biology of fructose. It is important that I understand how exactly high fructose corn syrup affects our