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 Glycemic Index
Does HFCS have a high Glycemic Index?
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking of foods, beverages and
ingredients based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels.
The GI measures how much blood sugar increases over a period of two
or three hours after a meal. Some scientists believe that selecting foods with a low GI helps in diabetes management.
Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest GI. The benchmark in many indexes is glucose, with a GI of 100. Compared with glucose, the GI of fructose is very low with a value of 20. Sugar and honey, both with similar compositions to HFCS, have moderate GI values that range from 55 to 60.27 Although it has not yet been specifically measured, HFCS would be expected to have a moderate GI because of its similarity in composition to honey and sugar.
It must be kept in mind that the body does not respond to the GI of individual ingredients, but rather to the GI of the entire meal. Since added sugars (principally sugar and HFCS) typically contribute less than 20 percent of calories,28 it is clear that HFCS is a minor contributor to the overall GI in a normal diet.