High Fructose Corn Syrup Research Paper

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.

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.).

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.

I hope all is well with you. Thank you for asking my opinion about high fructose corn syrup. Rest assure I do not want you to be concerned, I will try to explain it as much as I can. Let me start by explaining to you what high fructose syrup means in comparison to regular sugar. HFCS is composed of a mix of glucose and fructose (Beil). This same chemical components are also found in “regular” table sugar. Table sugar also has another name called sucrose. It has a linear ring structure with three to seven carbon atoms (Phelan 854). To make it easier on you to understand, we eat sugar it breaks down in our stomach as glucose and fructose (Busken 112-113). If the breakdown of HFCS and sugar is compared you will find that HFCS gives the better opportunity of using in food (Busken 112-113). The digestion of sugar is 50/50, while the breakdown of HFCS is 42% fructose and 55% glucose (Busken 112-113). The remaining 3% are chains of saccharides (Busken 112-113).

to the heart can develop from a failure in the coronary arteries or from a dysfunctional heart. “High Fructose Corn Syrup leads to an increase in the concentration of uric acid, a waste product found in urine produced by the liver, and is believed to be a plausible symptom of heart disease” (Jefferson, 2). High Fructose Corn Syrup also increases the level of cholesterol, which builds up in the inner walls of arteries while circulating through the blood stream. If the cholesterol blocks the arterial walls, (especially then the walls are narrow) blood gets backed up and the heart does not get enough oxygen. This problem may become fatal if left untreated for too long.

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.

In the United States HFCS can be found in breakfast cereals, beverages, breads, sauces, spreads, salad dressings, canned fruits, snack foods, desserts, meat and fish

Health concerns have been raised about high fructose corn syrup, which allege contribution to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Critics of the extensive use of HFCS in food sweetening argue that the highly processed substance is more harmful to humans than regular sugar, contributing to weight gain by affecting normal appetite functions and that in some foods HFCS may be a source of mercury a known neurotoxin. Yeah, a NEUROTOXIN!