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High Fructose Corn Syrup


             As the name implies, corn syrup is in fact made from corn. This is done through a long and arduous process. First, corn is smashed down into a cornmeal like substance. This is also called corn starch which is a carbohydrate. Then an enzyme, usually amylase, is added to the starch to break down the starch into subunits of disaccharides and oligosaccharides. After this, another enzyme is added to the smaller units to produce pure glucose. Finally, a third enzyme is added to convert 42% of the glucose into fructose and this is called HFCS 42. It can be used in this state and is usually just called corn syrup but more commonly it is purified once more to produce a mixture that is 90% fructose. The HFCS 90 and the HFCS 42 are usually mixed to produce HFCS 55 which is what is found in most soft drinks. The term high fructose corn syrup refers to the HFCS 55 which is 55% fructose and 45% glucose (Bray). The chemical formula for glucose is C₆H₁₂O₆ and the chemical formula for fructose is also C₆H₁₂O₆. They are structural isomers of each other possessing the exact same chemical formula yet they differ in how they act on the body. When fructose is absorbed by the small intestine and travels to the liver it signals the liver to start a process called lipogenesis. Lipogenesis is the body's production of cholesterol and triglycerides (Parker). This increase in fats contributes to a multitude of negative health effects including fatty liver disease which affects nearly 50 million Americans. When glucose is absorbed by the small intestine you get a spike in your blood sugar levels. This triggers the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is the fat storage hormone and it has so much glucose to work with that any extra glucose is converted into body fat. This leads to weight gain and a multitude of negative health effects such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (Hyman). .
             Sucrose, also known as table sugar is also a contributing factor to weight gain.


Essays Related to High Fructose Corn Syrup

1. HFCS - High Fructose Corn Syrup

... manufacturers to invent something new to add flavor to foods by taking out the fats and bringing in high-fructose corn syrup which is a cheaper form of sugar. Consumption of HFCS has increased more than 1,000 percent since 1970. Research has shown that sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup and sugar are addicting: Just like some drugs, they release endorphins, dopamine and serotonin which trigger the ... HFCS is chemically similar to table sugar, however, it is still unclear whether the body handles high-fructose corn syrup differently than table sugar. While regular table sugar (sucr...

  • Word Count: 641
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Using Corn as a Sugar Substitute

... The ability to buy sugar at "world" prices would have profound effects on the American economy. Cheap sugar means that restaurants, who do not cook or bake with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), would spend less money for this key main ingredient. Low cost sugar would in turn lower the restaurants input cost, and the restaurant industry could in turn pass these ... all of us will eat that Twinkie when the craving calls. What I am saying is this, wouldn't you rather be consuming a natural product like sugar instead of something artificial like high fructose corn syrup? HFCS is literally i...

  • Word Count: 1627
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

3. The Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup on Developing Countr

... production of crops such as sugarcane. A problem arose for these countries when developed countries started using high fructose corn syrup in their products over the sucrose that is produced from sugarcane. The most common process for making High Fructose Syrup from corn involves four major steps. First, the corn is wet milled to extract the starch. Enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of this starch then produces a ... is about 42%. Finally, if necessary, chromatographic enrichment of the syrup is used to increase the fructose concentration.(Fructose) I believe that the use of high fructose corn...

  • Word Count: 289
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Our Health and High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup also known has HFCS is an alternative sugar that we have been using since the 1970's. It is corn that has undergone enzymatic processing to change its glucose and fructose ratio from 50-50 to 55-45 to produce a desired sweetness. Because the U.S. government has heavily subsidized the corn industry it has made HFCS extremely cheap to produce, therefore is commonly used in most ... of sugar in 1 tablespoon. Kieran Clark says "it's very hard to avoid large amounts of sugar unless all you're eating is fruits and vegetables)". I believe that, yes high fructose corn syrup i...

  • Word Count: 919
  • Approx Pages: 4
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  • Grade Level: High School

5. Reducing Added Sugars

... it is steadily increasing. What many people do not know is most added sugar comes from high fructose corn syrup. You find a vast amount of corn syrup in sports drinks, soda, and fruit punch. Any tax placed on sugar would be a huge boost to the corn industry which would lead to more corn syrup in drinks and foods. Many companies are taking some steps in reducing sugar, Pepsi introduced ... lives by choosing what to eat and drink without government placing a ban or reduction on added sugar. The reduction of sugar will increase the corn industry which in turn will lead to more corn syrup i...

  • Word Count: 985
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Herbivore or Carnivore?

... are eating have become much more calorie dense than the whole plants that they are made from. A good example of that is high fructose corn syrup. There was a surplus of corn, and some inventive ways to use that surplus. An artificial sweetener called high fructose corn syrup was created. Due to it's massive quantity it was also very cheap. Therefore, it began being used in our foods. Note that ... financial health, not human health was the deciding factor in this decision. Today, you can find high fructose corn syrup as well as any corn product in a vast vast majority of our foods. So w...

  • Word Count: 1822
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Fast Food...Good Food?

... sugars, processed flours, vegetable oils, and other artificial ingredients are responsible for this plague" (Sewall). A secret ingredient that producers include in almost everything is high fructose corn syrup, also known as the hidden devil. High fructose corn syrup is found in all fast foods and is a much cheaper and dangerous alternative to cane sugar. This ingredient mimics leptin, a hormone in the brain that signals ... the body that it is hungry and to keep eating (Becker). Obviously, high fructose corn syrup is highly responsible for increased obesity, diabetes, and heart disease....

  • Word Count: 1682
  • Approx Pages: 7
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8. The Sugar Addiction

... cover). Though most people consider refined sugar harmless (and laugh at the notion that it is dangerous) it is believed to be a root cause of many common health problems: hypoglycemia, high cholesterol, indigestion, myopia, seborrhea dermatitis, gout, hyperactivity, lack of concentration, depression, and anxiety. Furthermore, since refined sugar is rapidly converted in the blood to fat (triglycerides), it promotes ... them. According to the American Heart Association, the human body does not require refined sugars to function properly but add superfluous calories and zero nutrients to ...

  • Word Count: 2214
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Fats lipids and carbohydrates

... of fats. Animal foods include fatty meats like bacon, sausage, fatty fish such as tuna and salmon. Milk and egg yolks are also high in fat. "In addition to providing energy, fats are essential for the function and structure of body tissues. Fats are a necessary part ... because of changes that take place with aging, different disorders (including various hereditary ones), use of certain drugs, or standard of living (consuming a high-fat diet, being inactive, or being overweight) (Beers 129). "Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Sugars, starches, and fiber are .....

  • Word Count: 2298
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Grade Level: High School

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