Is high fructose corn syrup good or bad for you? support your answer?!
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Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Tom is right, HFCS is directly linked to obesity.
The way normal sugar works is it follows one of two pathways:
1. becomes energy for use
2. becomes fat
However, Fructose does not do the same thing because it has a different chemical structure. It becomes immediately processed into fat.
It is not true at all that the science on it is inconclusive, we know how the body processes fructose, and the amount of fructose in the body is directly linked to fat content, because when sugar is converted into fat it turns into fructose before it does.
The ONLY part that is inconclusive is the amount of fat generated through fructose vs glucose. But the truth is, that you can take sugar in moderation to limit fat production, can't do that with fructose. So then why is it ok in moderation? Well a small amount isn't going to kill you, you will burn off the fat with proper exercise, or just gain weight like most Americans.
Biochem student
Bad for you in the same way that sugar is bad for you. There is a huge debate on this subject now. The corn industry says it's the same as cane sugar or beet sugar. They even officially changed the name from high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar as part of a PR campaign. The sugar industry claims their product is healthier.
I don't think there is enough credible evidence to support either side of this argument with certainty.
As a point of reference, recent research by Princeton says that HFC is worse for you than sugar. The American Medical Association says it is NOT worse than sugar. Most dieticians have sided with the AMA on this issue.
Bad, as are all refined sugars and like nicotine or meat consumption there is no known safe dosage.
Several papers published in 2008 looked at various issues. One study found no difference in the metabolic activity of HFCS and sucrose (Stanhope et al. (2008). Twenty-four-hour endocrine and metabolic profiles following consumption of high-fructose corn syrup-, sucrose-, fructose-, and glucose-sweetened beverages with meals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 87, No. 5, 1194-1203, May 2008), while another found no association between HFCS consumption and obesity (John S White (2008) Straight talk about high-fructose corn syrup: what it is and what it ain't. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 88, No. 6, 1716S-1721S, December 2008). However this researcher is a consultant paid by soft drink companies including the Corn Refiners Association.
Conversely the same year two studies showed a link to fatty liver disease (Ouyang et al. (2008). Fructose Consumption as a Risk Factor for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. J Hepatol. 2008 June; 48(6): 993–999 and Assy et al. (2008). Soft drink consumption linked with fatty liver in the absence of traditional risk factors. Can J Gastroenterol. 2008 October; 22(10): 811–816).
A review published last year indicates there is indeed an increased risk not only of obesity but also diabetes from HFCS consumption (Hu and Malik (2010). Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes: Epidemiologic evidence. Physiology & Behavior Volume 100, Issue 1, 26 April 2010, Pages 47-54.)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles…
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles…
http://www.ajcn.org/content/88/6/1716S.f…
http://tinyurl.com/4vqdga4
http://www.ajcn.org/content/87/5/1194.ab…
All the science about exactly how it works is inconclusive. Some people say that it's really just the same as sugar. Others have all kinds of arguments about how the body processes it differently. All of this "how" stuff is just theory, and no one really knows.
But when they do actual experiments, consumption of high fructose corn syrup pretty consistently results in more obesity and other health problems including cancer (more than regular sugar).
HFCS is very bad for you. It is the leading cause of obesity and Type II Diabetes in America
HFCS can be processed through the digestive system, until it reaches the liver which cannot process it. The body does not expel the HFCS and a build up over time will result in obesity and/or diabetes and worse.
Sugar tells your brain that you've had something sweet, and you're satisfied. HFCS doesn't send that message, so you're still in want of satisfaction. HFCS is "bad" in the sense that you will consume excessive calories in pursuit of a sugar fix that never comes.
too much of anything is a bad thing, so that includes corn syrup so you need to eat it in moderation, if you eat corn syrup products all the time then its not healthy, but if you eat a small amount youll be fine.
Eaten in moderation no. Eaten the way most Americans eat it yes.
Good for you. I eat it all the time. Do I support my answer? You betcha!