Let’s talk about Sugar’s Evil Twin High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a sweeter made from corn starch.
She doesn’t fall far from the tree, just like Sugar she gets into your heart and keeps you addicted to her. HFSC mostly hits you in your beverages. She is found in most sweetened soft drink production in the United States. She is cheaper and easier to process than sugar and tends to have a sweeter taste.
The two most commonly used High Fructose Corn Syrups are 42% and 55%. HFCS with 42% fructose is used in baked goods, processed foods, cereals, and some beverages. HFCS with 55% fructose is used most in soft drinks. There are a few other percentages that are used but not as frequently as the first two. Those are HCFS with 65%, 70%, and 90% fructose.
HFCS is 76% carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, and can contain some glucose oligomers) and 24% water. HFCS contains no fat, protein, or micronutrients.
High Fructose Corn Syrup will treat you just like Sugar
HFCS manipulates you in the same way as Sugar because they have around the same components glucose and fructose. There is a difference that HFCS is liquid and contains about 24% water but HFCS is identified based on the percent of total sugars that is fructose.
The most common types of high fructose corn syrup are 42% fructose and 55% fructose. The HFCS used in soft drinks has more fructose than Sugar and the HFCS used in many baked goods and cereals has more glucose. It is still processed the same way in the body. See Sugar has a Split Personality for information on how sugar is processed in the body.
Similarly, HFCS will also be absorbed early in the small intestine and hormones will not occur fast enough to indicate satisfaction or fullness.
Because fructose is treated more like a toxin to the body, the body doesn’t recognize it as a component that causes satisfaction and doesn’t acknowledge the hormone leptin that tells you you are full.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is Cheap and Easy to Make
What is the big deal about high fructose corn syrup? She is cheap and easier to process than sugar so she can be found in many different places. She hides in many processed foods and unexpected places.
You might find her as added sugar in fruit syrup, bread, baked goods, processed meats, fruit juice, yogurt, salad dressing, and granola bars. She’s probably in your cereal and some unexpected beverages like flavored water.
Don’t assume any packaged food no matter what it is doesn’t have added sugar. Always check the label for added sugars especially high fructose corn syrup.
What are Her Names?
When it came out that HFCS is the same as eating sugar then she got a bad name. Of course, the corn industry wanted to change her name so it wouldn’t be so easy to identify her on the label.
Look for any of these names on the label to check for HFCS in your foods.
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Isoglucose, HFCS, natural corn syrup, maize syrup, fructose syrup, fructose isolate, fructose, glucose syrup, fruit fructose, crystalline fructose
The next part of the sugar series includes the Commander Fiber that Keeps Sugar in Line in whole foods.
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