Some experts have blamed high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a cause of obesity because the use of HFCS has increased at the same time obesity rates have been climbing. While consuming excessive amounts of HFCS contributes to gaining weight as fat, your body will probably gain just as much weight from eating excessive white sugar.
Fructose is sometimes called fruit sugar because it is naturally found in fruits. Fructose alone is not absorbed well in the digestive system and does not trigger insulin release. So it has been considered for use as a sweetener in diabetic diets. However, when fructose is eaten in combination with another sugar called glucose, the absorption of fructose increases. Glucose is the form of sugar that your body prefers to use for energy. It is naturally found in all plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, sugar, and starchy foods like pasta and bread.
Although your body prefers glucose as its energy source, your liver is able to convert fructose to energy as well. Your body does not metabolize fructose exactly the same way as glucose, and your liver will convert extra fructose to fat more quickly than it will convert extra glucose to fat. Both white sugar and HFCS are both highly processed and very energy-dense. So it doesn’t take much extra sugar or HFCS to add a lot of fructose, and extra calories, to your diet.
So what is the difference between high fructose corn syrup and white sugar? HFCS is extracted from corn plants and contains 55% fructose. Sucrose is fructose and glucose linked together, so it has 50% fructose and 50% glucose. HFCS contains slightly more fructose than sucrose, but both are high in fructose. Excessive use of either HFCS or white sugar results in gaining extra fat quickly. In fact, research suggests fat storage begins within a few hours.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is sweeter than regular white sugar so it is less expensive. Therefore it is commonly used as a sweetener in soft drinks and processed snack foods. Typically, these types of foods are high in calories, low in fiber and nutrients and should be avoided. If you have a sweet tooth, choose fruits that offer lots of nutrients and fiber along with their naturally occurring sugars, or consider occasional use of artificial sweeteners.
Sources:
Parks EJ, Skokan LE, Timlin MT, Dingfelder CS. "Dietary sugars stimulate fatty acid synthesis in adults." J Nutr. 2008 Jun;138(6):1039-46.
Elliott SS, Keim NL, Stern JS, Teff K, Havel PJ. "Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome." Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Nov;76(5):911-22.
