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I’ve seen this ad SO MUCH lately! It is one of three commercials that the Corn Refiners Association created to “change the conversation about high-fructose corn syrup.”

The ad features a mother delivering the Corn Refiners’ message about high-fructose corn syrup, “It’s made from corn, doesn’t have artificial ingredients, and like sugar, it’s fine in moderation.”

Let’s take the Corn Refiners’ points one by one:

1. “It’s made from corn.” True. High-fructose corn syrup is indeed made from corn. But you won’t get the same beneficial nutrients in it that you would from eating an ear of corn.

2. “Doesn’t have artificial ingredients.” Partly true. The claim about artificial ingredients is a tricky one, since high-fructose corn syrup is processed using artificial agents. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that if the artificial agents do not come in contact with the corn starch, it can be considered a “natural” product. (By the way, it’s distinctions like these that lead the Consumers Union to consider the “natural” label not meaningful.)

3. “Like sugar, it’s fine in moderation.” True, BUT… most foods are fine in moderation. It’s too much that causes problems. And one would probably argue that with high-fructose corn syrup in so many products, to truly enjoy it in moderation you’d almost undoubtedly have to alter your eating habits.  (Challenge: check out the ingredients of the foods you buy from the center aisles of the grocery store – basically anywhere other than the produce, butcher, and dairy sections – and be shocked by the number of them that contain high-fructose corn syrup.)

So what has happened to “the conversation about high-fructose corn syrup” in the first place that led its manufacturers to want to rehabilitate its reputation?

In 2004, researchers from the Louisiana State University and University of North Carolina published a paper that theorized that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in beverages could play a role in the obesity epidemic. They looked at the correlation between the 1,000% increase in HFCS consumption between 1970 and 1990, and a correlating rise in obesity rates. Because of the way the body metabolizes fructose from beverages, the researchers argued, it likely plays a role in the obesity epidemic.

High fructose corn syrup has become one of the boogeymen of processed foods. It has been implicated in a rise of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health problems.  However, HFCS and white sugar are almost identical chemically; each is about half fructose and half glucose.

The association between high-fructose corn syrup and obesity may reflect that we consume so much of it. Nearly all sugars add empty calories to our diets. And because HFCS is the main sweetener in soft drinks and is used in most processed foods (including breakfast cereals, salad dressings, cheese spreads, yogurts, jams, peanut butters, canned fruits, canned soups, frozen foods, bottled juices, and so many many many others), most people consume more of it than any other sugar.

But that doesn’t mean that there’s definitely no added risk from fructose in general. For example, a new study of rats by researchers from the University of Florida suggests that a diet high in fructose may lead the body to develop a resistance to a protein called leptin, which helps control appetite.

We do know that Americans can stand to cut back on sugar. According to the USDA, the average American should consume no more than about 40 grams of added sugars a day (added sugars don’t include those that occur naturally in fruit and other foods) but the average American consumes more than three times that. People who want to limit their overall sugar intake would be wise to cut down on products that have added sugars, including high-fructose corn syrup, listed among the first several ingredients (which are listed in order by proportional weight).
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Breakfast: English muffin with jelly (which lists “high fructose corn syrup” as well as “corn syrup” as ingredients)
Lunch: Veggie sub from Harris Teeter
Dinner: Chickenless nuggets and homemade fries

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