High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is everywhere—salad dressings, catsup, carbonated beverages. Fructose is sweeter, per unit mass, than cane sugar (sucrose), and apparently keeps better, so is a favored sweetener by the food industry. Unlike glucose, fructose in converted to free fatty acid in the liver and thus can contribute to hyperlipidemia, diabetes and heart disease.

I’ve avoided high fructose corn syrup mostly because ever since I stopped eating desserts, my taste for sweet flavor has become more acute and I favor savory foods over sweet foods. But is my aversion to HFCS-containing foods also healthier?

“. . . is HFCS more of a health risk than other sweeteners? Many of the sources that demonize HFCS list alternative sweeteners — cane sugar, honey, agave syrup, etc. — that they claim are healthier than HFCS, but those claims usually rest primarily on the fact that these alternatives to HFCS are “natural” rather than any actual data showing that they are safer than HFCS.”

One thing that’s always puzzled me about the HFCS-cane sugar dichotomy is that sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose. Once you consume it, sucrose is broken down into its constituent monosaccharides, so if you’re eating sucrose instead of HFCS, you’re still eating 50% fructose. HFCS may have a slightly higher fructose content, but not much. So the benefits seem small.

“For people who are worried about their health or their children’s health — and who isn’t, these days — the data suggest that the best choice is to reduce intake of all sweeteners containing fructose. That includes not only the evil HFCS, but also natural cane sugar, molasses (which is just impure cane sugar), brown sugar (ditto) and honey. Even “unsweetened” (no added sugar) fruit juices need to be considered when limiting your family’s fructose intake.

“Finally, the best nutritional advice is to eat everything in moderation — and that includes sweets. While a diet high in fructose may increase your risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease — maybe — a fructose-free diet is not guaranteed to prevent those diseases. Eat a variety of foods, including a small amount of sweets, get enough exercise, watch your (and your children’s) weight and see your doctor for regular health check-ups.

“And stop worrying that HFCS is poisoning you and your children.”

The real answer is to just reduce your sugar intake.

high fructose corn syrup vs. cane sugar