FAQs About HFCS
- What is high fructose corn syrup?
- What is the difference between HFCS and table sugar?
- Is HFCS a "natural" sweetener?
- Is HFCS sweeter than sugar?
- Is there a correlation between the introduction of HFCS & the rise of obesity in the last 30 years?
- Is HFCS known to cause diabetes?
- Has the use of HFCS in the food supply increased the amount of fructose in the diet?
- Is HFCS considered a safe food ingredient?
- Does consumption of HFCS, as compared to sucrose, reduce the ability of the body to produce insulin?
- Does the body process HFCS differently than other sugars?
- Does HFCS affect feelings of fullness?
- Does HFCS have a high glycemic index?
- Is HFCS allergenic?
- How is HFCS made?
- How does HFCS serve as a flavor enhancer?
HFCS and Fructose
Has the use of HFCS in the food supply
increased the amount of fructose in the diet?
No. Many press reports note the dramatic increase of HFCS in the food supply since it’s introduction in the 1970s. However, it is important to note that as HFCS consumption increased, sugar consumption decreased. USDA data show that the per capita use of HFCS in the U.S. food supply was matched with an almost equal decline, on a one-to-one basis, in the per capita use of sugar. In fact, consumption of HFCS has declined since its peak in 1999. The USDA estimates per capita sugar consumption in 2007 was 44.2 lbs per year18 and 40.1 lbs per year for HFCS.19
As HFCS use increased in the United States, it replaced sugar in various foods and beverages on a nearly one-for-one basis, as the chart (lower right) illustrates. Yet because sugar and HFCS share a common composition, the ratio of fructose-to-glucose in the diet has remained relatively unchanged over time. This confirms that the approximate overall sugars mixture in the foods and beverages we consume - principally glucose and fructose - is nearly the same today as it was 30 years ago, before HFCS was introduced.
