High Fructose Corn Syrup, No Different Than Table Sugar

Filed in archive Studies on April 8, 2006

The previous assumption is that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in beverages fails to signal fullness or suppress appetite which could lead to high blood sugar, which would be a problem especially in diabetic patients.

However, a new study contradicts that assumption. The study shows that the human body handles HFCS no differently than table sugar.

"Some have claimed that HFCS may be responsible for the increase in obesity rates over the past 30 years because it did not stimulate signals in the body that indicate appetite or fullness in the same way table sugar does.

Until now, that had never been tested," said Dr. James Rippe, founder and director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, who conducted the study with his colleagues. "Previous studies were conducted with pure fructose -- not HFCS."

Simple sugars fructose and glucose are what makes up both HFCS and table sugar in equal parts. HFCS is a sweetener widely used in food and beverage products. Most types of which contain about 55% fructose and 45% glucose, while table sugar is 50% fructose and 50% glucose.

With only 5% more fructose than table sugar, most people think that there is much more fructose in HFCS than sugar. But actually the "high fructose" in HFCS is just a misnomer.

Source: PR Newswire