February 28 - HFCS & Obesity

I was looking through many articles relating high fructose corn syrup and obesity. This was one of the most simple and to the point articles I found. Some things are just plain and simple!

First some background. HFCS first came about in teh late 1950's when a couple of scientists developed an enzyme called glucose isomerase that had a unique property; it had the ability to convert the glucose in corn syrup into fructose. (HFCS today contains approximately 55% fructose and 42% glucose; sucrose, or table sugar, contains approximately equal amounts of fructose and glucose).

Moreover, the fructose in HFCS is unbound and “ready for action,” while the fructose in sucrose is chemically bound to glucose molecules. In its latter form, fructose must first be split off from glucose before it can be utilized by the body. In a sense, the fructose in HFCS is on a “fast track” for absorption and use.

The Princeton researchers took two groups of laboratory rats; the first group was given water sweetened with HFCS while the water given to the second group was sweetened with sucrose. The concentration of HFCS was approximately 50% of what is typically found in commercial soft drinks, while the concentration of sucrose was equal to a typical can of soda pop. Both groups were fed the same number of calories overall. They found that the rats that were fed HFCS gained significantly more weight compared to their cohorts.

In a second experiment, the Princeton group looked at possible long-term effects of HFCS. They found that after 6 months, rats that were fed HFCS showed not only weight gain, but also elevated serum triglycerides and increased abdominal fat deposition. This is reminiscent of something called metabolic syndrome, which in humans increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

In addition, the male rats gained a huge amount of weight; after 6 months, they were 48% heavier than their non-HFCS fed counterparts.

Enough said!