High Fructose Corn Syrup: The Facts
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HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) is a hot topic among health and fitness buffs. They cite studies showing a direct correlation between increased HFCS consumption and obesity. They also point to research that documents mercury in HFCS products. Researchers have also discovered a difference between HFCS in liquids versus its solid state and how it could affect obesity. There is much confusion regarding HFCS because of a counter-offensive by the corn and refiners industries who seek to dispel the fear associated with their products. I want my kids to eat healthy foods. I want them to be safe. But, should I be like the hippies and be fearful of all businesses that use artificial food additives? It’s possible, very possible. Or should I believe the corn industry when they say there is nothing to fear but fear itself?  If HFCS is really what the corn people say it is then I should have nothing to worry about. Is what they say true?  Well, I’ve done some research to find out the answer to that. I’ve scoured the internet looking for credible sources and scientists who can tell me what I want to know. Very basically I want to know if it is safe.
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What is it?
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Table sugar is a combination of fructose and glucose which are both simple sugars produced naturally by plants. The combination is called sucrose.  Corn syrup is mainly glucose produced from corn starch. There is no naturally occurring fructose in corn which is why corn isn’t sweet. But, in the 1950’s, scientists found a way to convert the glucose in corn into fructose. The resulting concoction is 90% fructose (and therefore very very sweet). That fructose is mixed with the corn syrup, which is glucose (and not sweet), until a 45/55 balance is reached (fructose being the higher percentage).  And, presto, HFCS! Later, in the 1970’s, the process was scaled and we saw the birth of the HFCS boom.
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Why is it Used?
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HFCS has three things going for it that make it attractive to the food industry. The first is that it is cheap. In 2007 the cost of 1 dry pound of HFCS was roughly 32 cents. At the same time, the cost of refined sugar was 52 cents per dry pound. It is no wonder that the food industry uses it keep costs down! The second reason it’s used is that it is more easily dissolved in liquid. The solubility of HFCS makes it an attractive choice for the beverage industry. The first ingredient after water in most drinks is HFCS.  It is not impossible to find drinks without HFCS, but it’s getting more difficult every year.   One easy solution is to not buy juice and soda drinks at all and instead drink tea which contains no sugar at all and still tastes good. The third reason HFCS is used instead of regular sugar is that it acts as a preservative thereby extending shelf life and reducing the use of other preservatives. From the perspective of the food industry HFCS is a miracle additive. More sweet than regular sugar, almost half the price, and it’s also a preservative. I don’t blame the industry for pushing it.  But, as consumers, we have a responsibility to be skeptical of people who want our money.
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Health Concerns
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There are two credible health concerns concerning HFCS. There are plenty of  bloggers who seem to have all the answers but no scientific research to back them up. I’d like to add some facts to the debate. The first big concern that has come up in recent years is mercury. Mercury, caustic soda, and hydrochloric acid are apparently used in processing some HFCS. There were tests done in 2005 that showed that a full third of all HFCS products contain some amount of mercury. The findings are disputed by the sugar refiners. The other health concern with HFCS is its role in obesity. Remember that HFCS has more fructose content than regular sugar. The study I cite demonstrates that HFCS in liquid is a greater factor in obesity than it is in its solid form. The study also shows that the fructose content of HFCS can sometimes be as high as 65% in drinks. The rats in the study gained significantly more weight when HFCS was in their water supply than when it was in their food. The conclusion is this: If you’re going to invest energy in avoiding HFCS, drinks should be the first place to start.
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The Argument For
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We have all seen the backlash from consumers against HFCS. People like me are all over the internet doing research trying to find out about it. The corn industry and the refiners have started their own counter offensive.  They claim there is no danger in HFCS and that the research done so far that criticizes HFCS is dubious. We have also seen all the commercials on TV and in print. Of course, all the actors and models used in these advertisements are fit and healthy looking which is not surprising. There is nobody who looks like a pimpled old whale. Now go to the drink isle at the grocery store and tell me what real HFCS consumers look like.  Do they look like the actors or the sea-mammals? Now, what do the people shopping from the organic and natural sections of the store look like?  That’s probably all the evidence you need.  It is obvious that the argument for HFCS is just as slanted as many arguments against it. Everything, including the color of their website (green, blue and yellow), and the actors hired to pose as regular HFCS consumers, is designed to deceive.  But propaganda, regardless of the industry or issue, is always slated. It’s our responsibility to find scientists who don’t have a horse in the race.Â
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I conclude that HFCS in drinks is the devil’s work. But, I don’t drink soda anyway so I don’t really care. Other parents might care though. My other conclusion is that I have no way to determine which HFCS products have mercury and which do not. I cannot, in good conscience, feed anything to my kids that might contain even the slightest amount of mercury (even though negligible amounts are in many products). It’s very simple. I do not believe that HFCS will make me fat if it’s used in moderation. In that I agree with the industry. However, it is such a widely used product that avoiding it is extremely difficult. 
How can I not eat too much of it if eating itself requires that I consume HFCS? The only way to avoid it is to shop in the natural sections of my grocery store. That’s what I’ll have to do. The industry has flooded our food supply with HFCS to such a degree that their suggestion of eating it in moderation is absolutely laughable. Our only option is naturally produced foods that are pushed by farmers rather than corn intermediaries (which is a discussion for another day).
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My brother and I were just discussing this yesterday. It’s in everything it seems. Spooky! Thanks for your leg work on these topics. I’ll watch for butter vs margarine
Some of the supposedly “healthy” players out there sell items that are FILLED with high fructose corn syrup. I used to be a big fan of the ZONE diet– read the books and bought the products.
Then after eating some Zone bars, I happened to look at the ingredients on the back of the wrapper– FILLED with high fructose corn syrup. So I called the toll free number to talk to their support. The girl who answered hemmed and hawwed– tried to deny it, until eventually she said that it was “high quality” high fructose corn syrup– that there are different kinds of high fructose corn syrup.
Might as well say there are different forms of cancer.
Then I found out the Barry Sears, the creator of the Zone Diet, had nothing to do with all the Zone products– he merely licensed his name.
How’s that for high fructose corn syrup EVIL?
Hi,
My google alert picked up your post. I preach the treachery
of HFCS, so we’re on the same side of the net. As for the
mercury tainted HFCS–mercury is not a reagent in the production of HFCS. An older method to prodcue caustic soda, lye, used a mercury cathode and trace amounts of mercury apparently contaminated some of the lye. Most manufacturers in the US have upgraded the method which does not require the use of the mercury cathode; however, I believe there are four companies that still use the outdated process. The lye is used to separate the corn starch from the kernel and also to buffer other steps in the production of HFCS. I’m also interested in your statement that HFCS can be as high as 65% fructose. What is the reference for that? The CRA claims they use HFCS-42 and HFCS-55. You might read an article I wrote for
Women’s International News under Health and Nutrition.
It might answer some of your questions. To your health
Cynthia, I linked to a scientific study that has the information you’re looking for with the number of 65%. I hear what you’re saying about the mercury being an outdated method. The point I’m making, and which you are as well, is that there are still some manufacturers that use it and they are not required to label on their products that they do. We cannot discern when we are getting HFCS that has mercury and when we are not. Thank you for the comment.
I was in the midst of internet scouring with the very same questions (and suspicions), so your post has been very helpful.
Thanks, and I’ll let you know if I come across any new info.
Jaron, I’m glad you found it helpful.
I have a son who is highly sensitive to all sorts of things. Can’t have anything artificial or it makes him nuts. HFCS makes him insane, natural sugars don’t. And it’s a HUGE difference in his behavior. I can always tell when a neighbor has given my boy forbidden foods. He comes home like he’s on speed. Plain real sugar isn’t great either, but he can have it moderately. But just seeing his body’s reaction to HFCS, and artificial colors, to me, shows how ‘good’ it is. It isn’t.
Mitzi, I’ve heard of other people who say similar things — that HFCS has an unusual reaction with them (or someone they know). I’d be interested to know exactly what causes it, but I guess we can be sure of at least one thing. That’s proof that something is very wrong with the stuff
It IS possible to make a grocery run and avoid HFCS entirely.
My fiancee and I are avid label readers and constantly monitor what we buy. Our grocery bill has gone up by an average of $15 a week, but we’re eating better, healthier and we FEEL better.
my 2 cents.. i mean just because a scientist says somethind doesnt make it scientific or fact… A lot of research is skewed towards the result the one who is funding the research wants. So what we should do is look at how closely each study stick to the scientific process, we need to hold these scientist accountable and not just believe because they wear white coats.
Greakfastdiet: You are completely right. The special interests really do affect a lot of research. Thanks for reading!
hey its a good thing i just found this site because i have to do a project for my environmental science class. me being a senior, i need this class to pass and this is being very helpful and not to mention resourceful. ill be sure to use this. thanks
I was just talking to my grandma about HFCS, and she said
“Well, they say it’s really not all that bad for you.”
“Who’s ‘they,’ grandma?”
“Well, those people! The ones on the commercials!”
“The commercials made by the company that produces high fructose corn syrup?”
“Yeah… oh.”
Some people really do believe everything they hear. We need more people out there with the bare facts – not skewed so the company gets business, or even to make people think that smelling the stuff will make them fat. People deserve access to true information and that almost as impossible as finding HFCS-free foods.
Stacia: I love when people try that with me. They’ll say “well, it’s just sugar.” And then I whip out all the facts and they’re left standing there like they got run over.
It’s a funny thing what a little research can teach us. Unfortunately there are people who will blindly believe anything they’re told. Thanks for reading, Stacia!
thank you so much for this article. I have cut most HFCS out of my family’s diet for about two years now. The only item I would purchase was ketchup, but thanks to Hunts I no longer have to do that
The ads on TV really make me angry because there are so many gullible people out there that believe that HFCS is good for them. There may be no definition of “natural”, but I know what i believe “natural” should be, and that does not include adding chemicals in a laboratory to produce something. I try my best not to eat anything unnatural. Its hard, when you read the list of ingredients, its like looking at a chemistry quiz. It has become expensive to eat healthy, but its worth it to know that I am doing what I can to keep my family lean and healthy.
Great site almighty dad!, very nice info.
Fructose is bad´s last blog ..What is Fructose made of?
Your bacon and egg breakfast, glass of milk at lunch, or hamburger for supper were all produced with U.S. corn.
Interesting facts´s last blog ..Food that never spoils
That is true about the bacon and eggs. Everything comes from corn these days. Sad really.
There is no accident here..this is on purpose. The next time you buy some sausage links look on the ingredients and you will see MSG. Look on chips, bread, snack cakes anything and you will SEE HFCS.
If you want a brand of bread that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup. You will want to see Natures Own breads, they have butter bread and Honey wheat. Now they have yo-yoed between having HFCS and not they had HFCS for a time and I quit buying it, but I suppose they wised up and quit having it again and that is the only bread I buy.
Everything in excess is bad! I drink regular coca cola, never diet because i do not like artificial sweetners, i eat chips, real butter and nothing fat free or sugar free, i like the taste! I weigh 114 lbs and i am 5 feet 2 and i am about to turn 31, people say i look like i am 23, they even go as far as saying i look like i am 16-i say whatever to that comparison though. It is important to combine this with an active diet. Of course if you are going to over eat and let your children over eat with no physical activity, you bet they will be obese!! -it’s common sense..i dont eat organic, because i cannot afford it. My daughter will be 10 soon, and she was not allowed to have sodas until after she turned 6, and because of that, she rarely drinks a soda, and when she does, she can barely finish half a can. I say as long as we dont start giving our children unhealthy food when their bodies are just starting to develop, they will be okay. We dont have to overdue either fact, not too sedentary nor obsessed with a figure either…:)
Esthela: Absolutely! Everything in excess is bad. Very well said, and thank you for stopping by
Wow, you are a real cook arn’t you?
Sucking down too much of ANY sugar product is going to lead to being fat and unhealthy. Drink too much Hansons soda (100% cane sugar) and you are going down the EXACT SAME path as sucking down too much of any soda.
The research about HFCS is bogus because it totally ignores this fact. Soda manufacturers could use regular sugar and we could do the exact same studies and find the exact same results.
The problem is not that companies have started using HFCS. The problem is that people are consuming too much stuff that is bad for them! Soda used to be a “special occasion” treat — now it is an any-time-you-feel like it drink (often replacing water). Desert used to be a “guests are coming over”, now it is after every meal and as a snack! Even breakfast is now loaded with sugar from the sugar coated cereal to box donughts!
So get of the HFCS kick and figure out that the food manufacturers are not the bad guys. The consumers are the bad guys. When a consumer TAKES RESPONSIBILITY for their own health and startes eating good food the problems are going to go away. When all of the sweet stuff out there is relegated back to it’s proper place — used conservatively as a treat — the health problems of too much sugar…be it cane suger, beet suger, brown sugar, corn syrup, HF corn syrup, or any other type of suger will go away. When people quite being LAZY, get off their duffs, and start exercizing the obesity issue we see today will start to go away.
Eat right, live right — that is the key to health. And forget all this nonsense about trying to make out HFCS as the bad guy. I GUARANTEE you that if you simply replace the HFCS you consume with regular suger you will not do a darn thing for your health.
Mikey: I didn’t say soda manufacturers are the bad guys. Actually, I gave very concrete reasons why they do what they do. Can’t argue with the facts. Those being that HFCS is more sugary than sugar and that it’s half the price. Naturally it’ll be used. I’m not sure you completely read what was said. All I did was lay out the facts. I’m sorry you think the facts that disagree with your opinion are wrong, but that doesn’t change that they have been published by reputable scientists and are even agreed upon by everybody involved. Terribly sorry that inconveniences you.
My mom has a bad knee from a fall some years ago, and she can tell when she’s had too much HFCS because it’ll make her knee hurt more than usual. Now I have a ruptured disk in my back that is inoperable with today’s technology, so I’m trying to find foods that won’t make my chronic pain worse. Cutting out a lot of HFCS seems to help. Mom has done some research into this, and we did nothing but laugh sadly at the “Sweet Surprise” commercials that came on a few months ago. I feel sorry for all the sheeple that are being misled about this poison.
great article. thank you for helping me to understand HFCS.