High Fructose Corn Syrup Facts

There are a lot of interesting high fructose corn syrup facts out there, made even more popular by recent inquiries into the health of the sweetener. Most of these can be a little scary where health is considered, but still altogether interesting. Here are some of the more interesting facts about high fructose corn syrup.

1. It is in almost everything that you eat. High fructose corn syrup is used as a sweetener in just about everything that you can buy at the store.
2. It is very cheap to use, which is why products sweetened with it are so much cheaper than those that aren't. The government provides massive subsidies to corn growers around the US to grow as much corn as possible. Due to this overgrowth of corn, the products created by it become cheaper.
3. When dissolved by the body, it is indistinguishable from regular sugar by the body. It is comprised of nearly 50/50 fructose and glucose, allowing it to be digested naturally.
4. It is technically a "natural" food additive. Coming from corn, a natural product, it can make its claim as a "natural" sweetener.
5. It has been linked to obesity and diabetes. It's not so much that it is some insideous product that is more likely to cause obesity or diabetes, it's that most people don't even know they're consuming it when they eat their favorite foods. People who would avoid "sugary" foods, often get just as much glucose from corn syrup anyway.
6. High fructose corn syrup is broken down by your body slower than regular sugar. Considering that it is not a sweetener that exists in any natural state, your body has a harder time breaking it down into usable energy.
7. Regular sugar is better for your health than high fructose corn syrup. Again, high fructose corn sugar is only technically a "natural" sweetener. Since it does not exist in a natural state anywhere in the world, and needs to be created in factories, the human body has not developed to utilize it in the same way as regular sugar.
8. It can increase insulin resistance. Since most people that consume high fructose corn syrup don't even know they're eating it, they often don't realize the strain that it puts on their bodies. The unwitting strain on your body can result in insulin resistance that causes diabetes.
9. They are trying to change the name to "Corn Sugar." The resulting health bias that has come from various documentaries and nutrition studies has caused the Corn Growers Association of America to change the name of high fructose corn syrup.
10. It inhibits the scretion of leptin, delaying the feeling of "fullness" you get from eating. This causes you to eat more since the foods you eat may taste good, but they leave you feeling underfed.