In every health food store around the country and in Wisconsin you will find marketing that identifies the current enemy of good health; High Fructose corn syrup (HFCS). For a variety of reasons fructose has replaced sucrose (table sugar) in many of our processed foods. HFCS is not only cheaper than sucrose, it has certain chemical advantages that make it easier for food producers to provide a more pleasing product.
It is important to remember that fructose is a naturally occurring type of sugar. There have been concerns raised about how fructose may be related to symptoms of various gastrointestinal disorders like Celiac and Irritable bowel Syndrome. While there is some debate about how fructose may be linked to some conditions, it is still a natural sugar your body is familiar with. That can’t be said about many of the various sweeteners that are often claimed to be healthy and are used to replace HFCS.
The enemy is not high fructose corn syrup, but rather the high quantity of sugars that we now ingest as part of our daily diets. Part of this is due to culture, part due to the relative low cost of sugars due to modern production, and part is due to the heavy use of sugars in the processed foods we eat. Everyone should be encouraged to lower their consumption of all sugars, not just HFCS. As food for thought here are some facts about fructose and HFCS;
- Fructose (also called levulose) is a monosaccharide
- Fructose is the major sugar in honey (fructose 38%, glucose 31%)
- Fructose is found in most fruits, and root vegetables
- Sucrose is a disaccharide made of fructose and glucose bonded together
- Enzymes in human digestion break down sucrose into fructose and glucose
- HFCS is a mix of free fructose and glucose (fructose 40-90%, glucose 5-50%, most common percentages are 55% fructose, 41% glucose)
- Fructose is much sweeter than sucrose ( so less can be used to get the same sweetness)
- Fructose has a lower Glycemic Index (GI) than many other sugars making it preferable for diabetics.
- Fructose dissolves easier than sucrose in water and is sweeter, allowing beverages to have the same sweetness with half the calories of sucrose
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