Just say no to high-​​fructose corn syrup

Posted on May 17, 2010 in Health | 27 comments

Remember the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program? When I was in elementary school the DARE program was in full effect. Everyone had those iconic black bumper stickers with the word DARE in red letters plastered on their Trapper-Keepers (it was the late 80s, after all). It was cool to be anti-drug—especially on the days when the DARE cop car was there with the K-9 unit. Just as green Mr. Yuck stickers taught young children to recognize the danger of household cleaners and other poisons, the DARE program taught school-aged kids the dangers of drug use.

But where is the program to teach kids about the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup? The “Just say no to HFCS” campaign? The stickers with an iconic image (perhaps of an obese child, or some corn-cob shaped monster?) to plaster on cans of soda, “juice” drinks, granola bars, crackers, and so many other foods containing HFCS? Sadly, there is no such program.

Perhaps I’m overreacting. HFCS won’t seriously harm (or possibly kill) a child in minutes like eating bleach could. And “using” HFCS won’t derail a teenager’s life like using meth, cocaine or other illicit drugs will. But there is a threat from HFCS that it’s time we recognize and teach our kids (and ourselves) about.

Researchers at no less august body than Princeton University released a study just a few months ago on the effects of HFCS on obesity and health. Please take five minutes and read this brief write-up on the study; I’ll wait. Great, welcome back. Wasn’t that interesting as well as frightening? (Oh, and did you notice how posed the “candid” photo of the researchers was?!) There are a number of outstanding points to consider:

“When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese—every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

Re-read that point. Rats drinking less HFCS than what’s in soda became obese—every single one. Whereas not every rat who ate a high-fat diet without the HFCS gained weight. It would be nice to know what level of HFCS these rats consumed (as a percentage of their body weight, say) to be sure the researchers are making an apples-to-apples analogy between rats and humans. But think about this: when do millions of Americans drink soda? Why, when they’re eating a high-fat (and high-salt) “meal” at a fast food joint.

Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet.

Ouch! HFCS plus a normal diet resulted (on average) in almost 50% fatter rats. And male rats in particular… that’s interesting. Maybe the stereotypical male “beer gut” should be called “HFCS gut” instead?

The rats in the Princeton study became obese by drinking high-fructose corn syrup, but not by drinking sucrose.

Translation: HFC is not treated the same as sugar in the body. The report summary goes into the chemistry a bit, but it comes down to this: sugar is better. Remember Pepsi Throwback that came out a while back (and has since been discontinued)? It (and its cousin, Mountain Dew Throwback) are sweetened with sugar, not HFCS. Of course, these are speciality releases and account for a percentage approaching zero of all the Pepsi consumed in the US. But there is a demand for it, as a number of sugar-sweetened soda lines are available if you look for them (like Jones Sodas and the Blue Sky brand from Hansen’s).

High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

And one last take-away:

“Our findings lend support to the theory that the excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found in many beverages may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic,” Avena said.

100% Natural? I don't think so. HFC, the second ingredient in this ketchup, is decidedly *not* natural. You have to read ingredients, not marketing slogans!

That last point is couched in the usual researcher-ese. To me, it says: drinking HFCS-sweetened beverages is nearly equivalent to drinking poison. Okay, perhaps that’s a bit strong; I enjoy a delicious Dr. Pepper once in a while myself. But that’s only as a rare treat (once a month or less, I’d say). Many Americans drink soda every day, and some drink multiple cans a day. And it’s not just soda, either. Next time you’re in the supermarket or convenience store take a look at the ingredients of most of the energy- or juice drinks. Unless the label reads “100% juice,” chances are the main ingredients are water, HFCS, and then some juice (if you’re lucky). HFCS has become nearly ubiquitous, even in foods you wouldn’t normally think of as sweet. Salad dressing? Ketchup? Mayonnaise? Crackers? Spaghetti sauce? Yep… many brands contain HFCS—that’s part of the reason the average American consumes 60 pounds of the stuff annually.

(Note: yes, the research in the Princeton report was based on rats, not people. But considering most research and drug testing is conducted on rats before people or other animals, this fact should not distract us from the study’s conclusions.)