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Current and Breaking News for Professionals, Consumers and Media |
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| Current and Breaking News for Professionals, Consumers and Media |
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The consumption of sugar over the last 35 years has been relatively stable but the composition of the sugar we eat has changed from less table sugar to more HFCS. That sounds bad unless you understand that table sugar and high fructose corn syrup are so similar that your body and your taste buds cannot tell the difference. Both have 4 calories in 1 gram. Each are absorbed from your digestive tract at the same rate. If you replace sugar with HFCS in soda or other sweetened beverages, it is simply a swap of one sugar for another. They basically provide the same sweet taste and are equally low in nutrition value. Table sugar is made of two simple sugars – 50% fructose and 50% glucose. HFCS is made of the same two sugars. It is available in two varieties. One is 42% fructose plus glucose, the other is 55% fructose. In table sugar, the two sugars are bound together by a bond that is broken during digestion. In HFCS the two sugars are in liquid (syrup) form and they are not bonded. They are free sugars. Honey is another example of a sweetener made up of free sugars in a syrup form. It too, is primarily glucose plus fructose along with some trace minerals. HFCS-55 has the same sweetness as sugar and is used in carbonated sodas. HFCS-42 is used in baked good, noncarbonated drinks and fruit drinks. High fructose corn syrup has properties that make it useful in food production. Baked products – cookies, cracker crumbs, biscuits, breakfast bars, cereals – made with HFCS are moister, chewier, and stay fresher longer. Ice cream, yogurt, chocolate milk and cheese spreads with HFCS have a softer, less grainy texture. HFCS is often combined with no calorie sweeteners to produce “light” versions. In fruit flavored foods and salad dressings HFCS enhances fruit and spice flavors. It can take the tangy bite off ketchup and sweet pickles. High fructose corn syrup is often used in sports drinks because fructose is efficiently absorbed to provide the energy and rehydration needed by the athlete. So why is HFCS linked to our obesity epidemic? It appeared in foods in the 1970’s and our waistlines began to expand around the same time. There is no question that overly sweetened foods have contributed to the overweight problem in the US. But HFCS, by itself, did not make us fat. Poor food choices and the easy availability of sweet foods are the culprit, along with too little exercise, and not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In areas of the world where little if any high fructose corn syrup is consumed, obesity is still on the rise. USDA studies have shown the consumption of HFCS is declining in the US, but the incidence of obesity continues to remain high. Is HFCS safe? Yes. But, the important message is that too much sugar of any kind tips the balance toward poorer food choices. The FDA listed HFCS as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) in 1983 and reaffirmed the ruling in 1996. This month the FDA stated that HFCS could be included in products labeled “natural” because the enzymes and acids used to liquefy cornstarch, the source of HFCS, are not found in the final product. There is still an ongoing debate about this latest decision, because the FDA is yet to establish a formal definition for the term “natural.” Currently, natural is defined as a food that does not contain added colors, synthetic substances, and flavors. HFCS fits within that definition. The decision to eat or not eat foods containing HFCS is yours. Now you have the facts to make that choice. © NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc. Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 6 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller. Current titles include: The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008 The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008 The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007 The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007 The Compete Food Counter, 2nd Ed., 2006 For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to www.TheNutritionExperts.com. www.HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
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